Dr. Stephen Barber and Professor Lillian Wooldridge, both of Columbus, were recently named the 2014 GMC Columbus Character Educator of the Year and Educator of the Year, respectively. The Educator of the Year and Character Educator of the Year awards are presented annually to honor outstanding GMC faculty members.

Stephen Barber, the Chair of the Social Sciences Department, also serves as GMC Columbus’ Ethics Committee Chair and oversees the Ethics Bowl student debate team. According to Dean of Academic Affairs Cathy Carter of Columbus, Barber received the 2014 Character Educator of the Year Award because he “faithfully promotes the elevation of the character along with the development of intellect among both students and faculty.” Carter stated that Barber “goes above and beyond . . . inside and outside the classroom.” Barber challenges his students to think outside their comfort zones, thereby “encouraging [them] to accept with great seriousness the duty they have to be ethical people and to make ethical decisions,” observed Carter.

An Adjunct Instructor of Mathematics with GMC Columbus since 2009, Lillian Wooldridge of Columbus received the Educator of the Year Award because she “values student success, and she puts her time and effort where her values are,” according to Carter. “Lillian devotes countless hours to helping math students outside of class.  Every Friday and many other days, Lillian can be found in the Student Center with a flock of math students around her,” said Carter. Carter explained that Wooldridge exudes a sense of camaraderie with her students by helping them hands-on while acknowledging the difficulty of what they are working on. Additionally, said Carter, “Lillian’s daily gifts to the students of love, encouragement, and incredibly effective instruction are not the sorts of things one can teach. They are the natural overflow of strong character, a loving heart, and about forty years’ experience teaching math.”  

Georgia Military College, the only public liberal arts junior college located in Columbus, is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees. Enrollment for the Fall 1 2014 term is currently underway at our new campus. For further information, visit the campus at 7300 Blackmon Road, contact admissions at 706-478-1688, or visit our website at www.gmc411.com.