Steven Lund, Professor of Second Language Teaching, and Francisco "Taco" Aguilar, Associate Faculty of Physical and Wellness Education, have been selected as Arizona Western College's 2012 Teachers of the Year.
The multi-tiered selection process includes reviewing documents submitted by nominees that cover their teaching and other contributions to Arizona Western College and the community, class interviews with their students, and Faculty input regarding collegiality and professionalism in teaching.
Steven and "Taco" will be presented as Teachers of the Year at the January 6, 2012 Faculty Start-up Meeting. They will be honored as well at the 2012 Yuma County Teacher of the Year Banquet at the Yuma Civic and Convention Center on Tuesday, April 24th, when the K-12 Yuma County Teacher of the Year will be announced.
Steven Lund: 2012 Teacher of the Year
Nancy Blitz, Director of CTE/Professor of ESL, said that Steven Lund is well-deserving of this recognition. "His English as a Second Language students love him and move their English acquisition ahead in his classes. He has been a masterful teacher during his years of service at AWC as well as an insightful and hard-working Faculty colleague who is always willing to 'step up to the plate' when there is a job to be done."
Steven Lund has taught in the Modern Languages Department at AWC since 1995. Aside from his teaching duties, Professor Lund has served the college in a number of capacities over the years. He has served as Academic Coordinator in South Yuma County, Director of the Center for Teaching Effectiveness, and Lead Faculty for Modern Languages. He currently serves as Humanities Division Advisor. He routinely presents at local, state, national and international conferences.
Prior to joining the teaching staff at AWC, he taught in the Division of English as an International Language at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and spent two years in Chile as an English Teaching Fellow under the auspices of the U.S. State Department.
Lund is a graduate of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also studied for a year at the Universidad de la Rep˙blica in Montevideo, Uruguay as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar.
In 2003 Lund became the first instructor in the history of AWC to receive the prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award. As a Fulbright lecturer he taught courses in English teaching methodology for one year at Preöov University in Slovakia. Lund is an avid world traveler and language learner. The grandson of Danish immigrants, he recently completed a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the National Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa.
Francisco R.U. Aguilar: 2012 Associate Teacher of the Year
"Taco" Aguilar's gifts don't simply lie in his karate classes. As an associate faculty member, he has extended his willingness to serve AWC to other areas whenever needed. He exemplifies the level of quality that AWC is blessed to have in its Associate Faculty members." said Nancy Blitz.
Francisco "Taco" Aguilar was born in Mexicali, Mexico on July 20, 1953, immigrated to the USA 1960, and became a US citizen 1973. He has been teaching karate at AWC since 2000 for the BLAD department, since retiring from the Marine Corps after 30 year of faithful service. He graduated from AWC in 2003, NAU 2005, and CGU 2008 with a masters in secondary education. He is married to Erika Vazquez-Aguilar and has two children Kamyla 16 and Keliem 9.
Taco holds the rank of Kyoshi Sensiei 7th degree black belt (red and white) and teaches Okinawa Shorinryu Matsumura Kenshin Kan Karate and Kobudo. They fall under Grand Master Hanshi Fusie Kise (10th degree) and Master Hanshi Isao Kise (9th degree) both from Okinawa, Japan. He teaches AWC students ranging from ages 5 to adult at the Main Campus and the Somerton campus. Taco has been teaching karate since 1980 and has over 30 years of experience.
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