SPC's Gregory Wins Piper Award

 Amanda Hurt-Piercy, staff writer

SPC Professor Honored with Award

Professors and teachers strive to teach and inspire their students. Ann Gregory, professor of accounting at South Plains College, has done that and more.

For 27 years, Gregory has taught and inspired students at SPC. In the spring of 2004, she was nominated by her peers and was selected to receive the South Plains College Excellence in Teaching Award.

She also was nominated by the SPC President Dr. Kelvin Sharp to send her application to the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation to have a chance to be chosen as a “Piper Professor for 2005.”  There are 15 Piper awards given out each year, and each institution may only submit one nomination. The instructor who is nominated should be a full-time instructor. In addition to the two-part form Gregory had to complete, she could also send in up to five letters of recommendation as part of her nomination. The letters could be from members of her administration, her colleagues, and/or from current and former students.

“The recommendation letters were unbelievable,” said Gregory. “If I’m having a day where I don’t think I’m making any headway, I pull out those letters and read them. Those letters are very close to my heart, and I will always keep them.”

As part of her nomination, Gregory would be going up against 240 professors statewide at the college and university levels. In March 2005, the Piper Foundation notified Gregory that she had received the Piper Award but was told to keep it quiet until the employee banquet, which would take place in April. President Sharp presented her with the award at the college’s annual banquet.

“I was amazed and totally surprised to receive the award,” Gregory said. “Everyone here does an outstanding job, and I was proud for the college, because the last time a professor from SPC won the award was in 1973. The SPC faculty is wonderful and deserves a lot of recognition.”

 As an honoree of the Piper Award, Gregory received a certificate naming her as one of the “Piper Professors of 2005”, a cash award of $5,000 and a gold commemorative pin.

“The Piper Award specifically states superior teaching, and that is exactly what Ann Gregory does,” said Dr. Jay Driver, dean of arts and sciences at SPC. “She is a delight to work with and does an excellent job in our accounting program. She is well respected and deserved to win this award.”

Along with being recognized at the employee banquet last spring, a reception sponsored by the Professional Development Committee was held at SPC on Jan. 10 in honor of Gregory and her outstanding achievements.

“Working with Ann Gregory is wonderful,” said Bette Pitts, chairperson of the business administration and computer information systems department and professor of computer information systems. “ She is always very interested in her students and follows up with most of her former students.”

As a Piper Professor honoree, Gregory will receive updates each year on how the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation is doing and learn about new nominees being considered for the award.

“I would like the faculty to know they make a difference in people’s lives every day and a lot more than we realize,” said Gregory. “ I thank the faculty and my students enough for believing in me.”