Dr. John Carpenter is the March 2020 Faculty Member of the Month
Dr. John Carpenter is the March 2020 Faculty Member of the Month
March 26, 2020 Robert Lane
Indian River State College recognizes Cocoa Beach resident Dr. John Carpenter as the March Faculty Member of the Month. John joined IRSC in January 2008 as an Assistant Professor, earning promotions to Associate Professor in August 2011 and Full Professor in August 2014.
John’s commitment to IRSC students is apparent in the planning and preparation he does for each day. Ask students, colleagues—or anyone who observes or experiences his teaching style—and they will comment about his genuine care for the students he teaches. Success rates in his classes, which are close to 90%, are evidence of the commitment he possesses for student success. As the 2012 recipient of the Gladys Williams Wolf Endowed Teaching Chair in Communications, John established the Critical Thinking Institute, a Professional Learning Community (PLC) that brings together ten faculty members a year, for three years, to define critical thinking. The PLC endeavored to help better develop assignments that improve critical thinking in students—particularly the ability to apply observation, analyzing, reasoning and evaluation to problem-solving. Today, John serves as Co-chair of the Critical Thinking Professional Learning Community which grew out of the Critical Thinking Institute.
John earned his Associate in Arts Degree from Valencia Community College and his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Central Florida. The University of South Carolina awarded John his Master of Library and Information Science Degree as well as his Doctor of Philosophy Degree, with a focus on British Literature from the Medieval and Renaissance periods.
John also takes the time to give back to the community and works as a mentor for the Take Stock in Children program. In his free time, John uses his talents and gifts in communication and language as a songwriter; he also plays guitar in a local band.
John’s students eagerly speak to his qualities as an instructor. One student shares, “Dr. Carpenter assisted a tremendous amount with the technical aspect of my writing. He truly is a great teacher.” Another student recounts how John’s demeanor and advice helped them succeed. “He was very kind and encouraging and helped us with his in depth analysis of our papers. He helped us a lot with everything in his course, especially if we struggled. He was amazing and I’m excited to take his other courses!” Another student also relates how they enjoyed John’s class saying, “I liked him so much that I signed up for his advanced college writing course! IRSC is lucky to have Dr. Carpenter!”
About the Faculty Member of the Month Award
The Faculty Member of the Month Award recognizes a faculty member nominated by students. The Campus Coalition Government student club evaluates nominations. For more information, contact Director of Student Development, Rochelle Popp-Finch at 772-462-7476.
