West Georgia Technical College named Terrance Robinson, a Radiologic Technology student from Newnan, as its 2017 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership winner and Coweta Campus biology instructor Dr. Jeremy Bishop as its 2017 Rick Perkins Award winner November 29 at a banquet honoring finalists for both awards.

GOAL is a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia, which honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students.

The Rick Perkins Award is designed to recognize and honor technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields.

Both Robinson and Bishop will compete against winners from other Georgia technical colleges in a regional competition in February before participating in the state competition, held in Atlanta in April.

The 2016 WGTC Rick Perkins Award winner Dr. Angela Brown also won the state-wide award and is traveling Georgia as an ambassador for technical education. She will address the General Assembly early next year at the state capital in Atlanta.

Dr. Brown addressed the November 29 banquet, thanking WGTC for supporting her as she represents the entire Technical College System, and challenging Dr. Bishop to keep the state award at West Georgia Tech.

“I am so proud of Terrance Robinson and Dr. Jeremy Bishop for their selection as West Georgia Technical College's representatives in the GOAL and Rick Perkins Award competitions,” West Georgia Technical College President Steve G. Daniel said. “They both embody our core values as a College. On behalf of our students, internal staff and stakeholders, I offer best wishes for their success in the next phase of the competitions. I also want to salute our finalists that represented the best of our student body and faculty. We have great educators and students at West Georgia Tech who work hard each day to advance workforce development in our region. These two individuals represent the very best of these ideals, and I applaud their special recognition throughout this competition.”

Robinson was nominated by Radiologic Technology Clinical Coordinator Jonneen Miller. He was one of 22 initial nominees before being selected as one of four finalists.

Robinson plans to graduate with an associate’s degree in Radiologic Technology in 2018.

The other three finalists for the WGTC GOAL award were Molly Anderson, Marcus Ellis and Cody Ziegler.

Bishop was nominated for the Rick Perkins Award by Brian Barkley, Dean of the WGTC School of Arts and Sciences and Associate Dean Lauren Edgar. Bishop teaches degree-level, transferrable biology courses in both lecture and lab settings.

In the nomination, Edgar said, “Dr. Bishop is an excellent instructor whose courses require critical thinking skills. He holds himself and his students to a high standard of excellence.”

Bishop was selected out of a field of seven WGTC instructors. Other nominated were computer programming instructor Tammy Frost, biology and chemistry instructor Dr. Linda Grisham, mathematics instructor Kisha Maynard, diesel equipment technology instructor Trevor Key, health sciences instructor Pat Sailors and dental assisting instructor Kimberly Nolan.

First launched in 1971, GOAL focuses on student excellence in technical education by focusing on academic excellence and personal achievement. A panel of judges selects one student as the state GOAL winner, which is announced at the state competition in April. The state’s GOAL winner will serve as an ambassador of technical education in Georgia.

The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction honors technical education’s most outstanding instructors. Formerly known as the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence, the Rick Perkins Award was renamed in memory and honor of Thomas “Rick” Perkins, an instructor of the former West Central Technical College, who received the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence prior to his untimely death.