TYCA-SE Presents Distinguished Service Award to PTC Instructor

Chuck McDonnell, an English instructor at Piedmont Technical College, has been awarded the Bill Doster Distinguished Service Award from the Two-Year College English Association-Southeast (TYCA-SE).

“The very first thought I had was gratitude,” he said. “I am so glad I had an opportunity to have a bully pulpit to stand up there and tell all those people who shaped my professional life how much they mean to me.” 

The Bill Doster Distinguished Service Award honors individuals who during at least five years of membership have provided distinguished service to TYCA-SE (or SCETC). McDonnell has been an active member of TYCA-SE since 1991 and has presented at 19 of the last 21 TYCA-SE conferences.

McDonnell has been in the English department of Piedmont Tech for nearly 23 years, but he has been in education for more than 40 years. He earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of South Dakota-Springfield and his master’s degree from Middlebury College. He taught high school for 18 years before coming to PTC.

McDonnell was nominated for the award by Kevin Morris, English instructor at Greenville Tech.

“Chuck embodies TYCA-SE,” said Morris. “He is a model English instructor and happily shares his expertise.”

“Chuck’s passion for TYCA-SE has motivated all of his colleagues and inspired us,” said Evelyn Beck, dean of arts and sciences.

McDonnell said the annual conference is his academic new year. He feels renewed each year when he returns to the classroom.

“I don’t think I’d still be teaching if it weren’t for having the opportunity once a year to come back to home base and say ‘This is why I went into teaching,’” he said. “This is what keeps me young.”