For release: Jan. 31, 2000

Presented by a Northern California Microbiology Society

Doris Spanggord of San Jose, a microbiology instructor at De Anza College and a former instructor at San Jose State University (SJSU), was named the recipient of the 1999 Community College Faculty Award for her excellence in teaching. The Northern California Branch of the American Society for Microbiology (NCASM) presented the award at its 16th annual fall meeting in Monterey.

The award selection was based on peer and student evaluations. A former colleague, Darcie Roe, wrote in her nomination statement that Spanggord impressed her and set the standards she hopes to achieve in her own teaching. "Doris became a self-appointed mentor who helped guide me through my first part-time teaching experience," said Roe, now a senior clinical microbiologist at Dade Behring in West Sacramento. "She tries to make sure that students are exposed to the technology that is currently being used in clinical and research microbiology laboratories."

Roe added that Spanggord always puts students first, which is apparent in her general enthusiasm about the field of microbiology and in the amount of time she spends preparing for each lecture and helping students during laboratories and outside of class.

"Teaching is a labor of love for me," Spanggord commented. "I thoroughly enjoy being part of De Anza because I can make a difference here, and I especially like the student diversity. Because of their varied backgrounds, students have different approaches to learning which in turn challenge me to find different approaches to teaching!"

Prior to being hired full time at De Anza in 1996, Spanggord taught at SJSU for 10 years, directed its Clinical Laboratory Science Program for six years, and worked in the laboratory at San Jose Medical Center for a year and a half. She earned her bachelor's degree at San Francisco State University and her master's degree at SJSU.

"Because of my own work experience in a clinical laboratory setting, I'm able to provide real-life situations as examples of how to use the knowledge I present in class," said the award winner, a licensed clinical laboratory scientist.

Because of the honor, Spanggord was able to invite four of her microbiology students to the annual conference and award ceremony. "Each of them was presented with a student membership to the organizations, and we all received NCASM regional and national memberships," she said. "Having the students there was special."