TWO FACULTY FROM SAN DIEGO CITY COLLEGE RECEIVE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

San Diego, CA | March 6, 2014 - Two faculty members from San Diego City College have earned the distinguished John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Awards. Veronica C. Ortega, Ph.D., Psychology Professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and the Coordinator for the Institute for Human Development, and Paul Greer, Professor of Health and Exercise Science, have been recognized for their exceptional contributions to teaching, leadership and learning by the League for Innovation in the Community College.

Ortega and Greer lead a campus-wide effort that resulted in the County of San Diego Health and Human Services proclaiming San Diego City College as the first higher education partner in the Live Well San Diego county wide initiative. Live Well San Diego is the county’s ten-year plan for achieving safe, healthy, and thriving communities.

Both Ortega and Greer wholeheartedly agree that the success of the Step Up to Live Well Campaign is due to the hard work of an exuberant team and the support of the County of San Diego.

Ortega summarized the team’s work, “We believe health and wellness are the foundation to thriving educationally, economically and emotionally. Our Step Up to Live Well campaign is a campus wide collaboration involving faculty, staff and students from all sectors of campus to create a healthy, safe and thriving campus community.

Greer, who coaches the college’s men’s cross country team, the San Diego Track Club and directs the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon’s training program, said, “Step Up to Live Wells is all about promoting fitness, good nutrition and behavioral health on our campus.” He leads the 2k-walk/run on campus twice a month.  

City College’s Step up to Live Well campaign is organized around monthly health related themes and includes a fitness challenge, one-mile walking path, healthy menu options, nutrition education seminars and behavioral health activities. The campaign was launched as part of the 2014 City College Centennial Celebration.

City College Interim President Lynn Neault accepted the Excellence Awards for Ortega and Greer at the 2014 Innovations conference in Anaheim, California on March 5. “Professors Ortega and Greer and the Step Up to Live Well team have helped bring a new awareness of fitness, nutrition and mental health to our campus. City College is proud to enrich the lives of our campus community with healthy living tools.” Other League of Innovation winners included faculty from San Diego Mesa College: Ed Helscher, Professor, Exercise Science; Madeleine Hinkes, Professor, Anthropology; and Michelle "Toni" Parsons, Professor, Mathematics. The League for Innovation in the Community College is a consortium of more than 800 member colleges, 160 corporate partners, and a host of other government and nonprofit agencies in a continuing effort to make a positive difference for students and communities. In 2012, the League for Innovation established the John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Awards as a tribute to recognize outstanding community college faculty and staff. http://www.league.org/ YouTube:      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20DH_ILaCK0                                    “Highlights  of  the  San  Diego  City  College  Step  Up  to  Live  Well  campaign  in  partnership  with  the                                            County  of  San  Diego  Live  Well  Initiative.    www.sdcity.edu/StepUpToLiveWell    

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About  San  Diego  City  College  Celebrating  its  100th  Anniversary  in  2014,,  San  Diego  City  College  serves  as  the  educational  cornerstone  of  downtown  San  Diego.  With  more  than  18,000  students,  City  College  offers  200+  Associate  Degrees  and  Certificates  and  1,500  day,  evening  and  weekend  classes.      City  College  is  part  of  the  San  Diego  Community  College  District,  comprised  of  City  College,  Mesa  College,  Miramar  College,  and  Continuing  Education.    For  more  information,  visit:  www.sdcity.edu;  www.sdcity.edu/centennial.