Even in a sweltering classroom, associate professor of mathematics Sue Parsons can capture the attention of her students.  Parsons, who was recently named outstanding community college faculty member for 1999 by the Association of Community College Trustees, weaved through the rows of students as they animatedly asked questions about their assignments in her Math 50/CG 4 class last week.

Despite the warm, thick atmosphere that hung in the air of the class because of problems with the air-conditioning system, students were attentive and spurred on to finish by her apparent enthusiasm. The class, part of the learning communities and Project Achievement in Mathematics, is just one of the reasons why Parsons was singled out for the prestigious national honor.  "I am humbled, I sincerely mean that I work with a phenomenal group of people at Cerritos," Parsons said. "I feel I work on behalf of everyone on campus and I'm honored to represent them."

Involved recently in the development and execution of both Project AIM and the teacher TRaining ACademy, Parsons was first honored earlier this summer by ACCT as its Pacific Region Faculty Member of the Year.

According to Instructional Dean of Science, Engineering and Mathematics Norm Fujimoto, "Everything she's touched, she's done well."  He mentioned that Parsons has worked effectively to utilize grants the college receives to create new programs for students.

Parsons helped develop Project AIM with Evelyn Ryozaki, a college EOPS counselor. The project tackles mathematics and incorporates mentoring, along with counseling, to turn math into a success story for many would-be transfer students.  Students enrolled in the Math 50/CG 4 learning community mentioned earlier, are all straight from high school and happy with Parsons' efforts to make students comprehend the material.

"She explains herself a lot. She makes sure she doesn't continue the lesson until we all understand, which is good," freshman Lloyd Wilson said.  Classmate Chantey Pointer agreed. "She explains everything in great detail so we know what we're doing."  This dogged attempt to make students understand might have something to do with Parsons' belief about the subject.  "I think that it is connected to so many things in life: music, art, sports," she said.

Besides the work she does in the classroom, Parsons has also been involved in the development of the Teacher TRAC, a program that partners with California State University, Long Beach to give students a chance to earn their bachelor's degree and teaching credential within four years.  Executive Director of School and Community Relations Dr. Steve Helfgot said he has worked closely with Parsons since January on the development of TRAC.  "This is where my respect for Sue comes in so much, she's developing courses, she's doing all the substance work," he said.

Helfgot also said that Parsons worked continuously to launch the program, sometimes commuting back and forth daily between the two campuses to hammer out features of the academy.  "She blew them away (CSULB) with her dedication and attention to detail, her overall passion for the program," he said.   Parsons will travel to Atlanta, Ga. this October to receive the award at ACCT's national convention.