IRSC Virtual Campus Staff Selected as 2018 Blackboard Catalyst Award Winners

June 27, 2018 Robert Lane

Recognizing innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global community of practice, Indian River State College (IRSC) Virtual Campus Staff members Katherine Profeta and Michael Pelitera have been selected as 2018 Blackboard Catalyst Award winners in the “Training and Professional Development” category.

Founded in 2005, the annual Catalyst Awards recognize and honor innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global community of practice, where millions of educators and learners work every day to redefine what is possible when leveraging technology. Winners are selected by a cross-functional team of Blackboard experts.

Both Pelitera and Profeta were awarded this distinction for their use of Backboard programs to support and enhance professional development for both the design and instruction of the Virtual Campus Instructor Training (VCIT) course. This course focuses on online teaching methods and provides faculty with information to be successful in the online learning environment. In addition to covering best practices in online instruction, the course fosters the use of Blackboard’s technical tools such as Blackboard Collaborate, allowing instructors to try new technologies in a low-stakes environment.

“I am pleased that Blackboard has recognized the great work done by Katie and Mike. Their collaborative efforts have had a direct influence on online teaching and learning at IRSC,” shares Kendall St. Hilaire, Assistant Dean of IRSC Virtual Campus. She continues, “This award speaks to the partnerships among the departments at IRSC and our efforts centered on student success.”

“I’m proud to recognize this year’s Catalyst Award winners for their dedication to using technology to enhance the learning experience and sharing their best practices with the larger community,” said Bill Ballhaus, Chairman, CEO and President of Blackboard. “We look forward to continuing to partner with the winners and their institutions to support learner success.”

The IRSC team will be honored alongside other Blackboard Catalyst Award winners during BbWorld 2018, Blackboard’s annual user conference to be held July 16-19 in Orlando.