Dr. Tom Soltis
Noteworthy: Soltis was named 2016-17 Outstanding Teacher at Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood.
Age: 53
Residence: Monongahela
Family: Two adult children
Background: Students, faculty and administrators honored Soltis for his excellence in education. According to Dr. Kristy Bishop, vice president of academic affairs and student services, recipients must demonstrate excellence in the classroom, instructional innovation, contributions to the community and leadership with the college. Soltis, who began teaching sociology classes at Westmoreland in 1990, also received the award in 2001 and has been nominated eight times.
Among his accomplishments, Soltis presented an open cultural competence session for Westmoreland's college success course that dealt with the beliefs, practices and history of Islam. College officials said it was well-attended and received great reviews from students.
Outside the classroom, Soltis hosted the New Student Orientation “game show” using a mechanism to get students additional information about the college in a fun, relaxed format. The student who nominated Soltis for the award said: “He is an exceptional communicator and gifted teacher who has passion for what he does and displays exuberance in class every day. He has an abundance of extensive knowledge and the drive to develop the minds of his students.”
Soltis, who holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh, started college as an engineering major. “I knew that major didn't fit, but 20 minutes into my first sociology lecture it really felt right. The community college system is ‘uniquely American' in that it allows everyone an equal chance to pursue their goals, dreams and desires regardless of your starting point,” he said.
Quote: “Our students are really busy between jobs and family, and I am really humbled that one student felt enough about my work to take two minutes out of their very busy life to nominate me for this award. For me to be able to encourage and assist our students on their ambitious journey is my goal as a teacher.”
