January 31st, 2020 by WCBC Radio

Allegany College of Maryland (ACM) is pleased to announce that Professor Cherie Snyder has been selected by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to receive the 2020 Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Recognition.

Snyder is one of 56 Parnell Faculty Distinction Recognition recipients from across the nation, according to Tammy Reichelt, AACC’s director of Professional Development and Student Success Strategies. She will join her fellow recipients for a private reception and honors program on March 29 at the AACC 100^th Annual Convention in National Harbor. Snyder will be accompanied by Dr. Cynthia Bambara, ACM president.

The recognition, named in honor of former AACC President and CEO Dale P. Parnell, was established in 2018 to recognize individuals making a difference in the classroom.

In her nomination of Snyder, Bambara noted that in her “many years in academia, it is rare to find an instructor who leaves an indelible mark on their students the way that Professor Snyder has.” She said that Snyder “would be the first to suggest that her accomplishments as an academic are best measured by the success of her program students and alumni,” and provided testimonials from alumnae who gave weight to Snyder’s creation of “a climate of commitment” in her classroom.

Snyder, who has taught at ACM since 1987, is the director of ACM’s Human Service Associate curriculum and chair of the college’s Integrative Health Team, an effort to create a national model for allied health education based on a holistic, integrative approach to care. 

In addition to pursuing and managing multiple grant projects during her tenure at ACM, she is the recipient of numerous awards, including a William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award, a National Organization for Women Community Leader Award, a NISOD Award for Leadership, an ACM Civic Engagement Award, and multiple faculty and teaching awards from ACM.

The American Association of Community Colleges is the primary advocacy organization for the nation’s community colleges. The association represents nearly 1,200 2-year, associate degree-granting institutions and more than 12 million students.