School’s president receives prestigious award
Katherine M. Johnson, president emerita of Pasco-Hernando State College, was honored with the Dr. James L. Wattenbarger Award by the Association of Florida Colleges (AFC) Council of Presidents. The council annually selects a recipient who has advocated for affordable, convenient open access to higher education and who has made significant contributions to Florida’s higher education system.
The award is named for James L. Wattenbarger, renowned as the architect of Florida’s internationally recognized community college system.
During Johnson’s tenure from 2005 to 2015, PHSC established two new full-service campuses — the Spring Hill Campus and the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.
The college also transitioned to Pasco-Hernando State College in 2014 to reflect adding baccalaureate degrees to the curriculum, in addition to associate degrees and certificate programs.
Johnson retired as PHSC president in 2015, after more than a decade of service. She now resides in Gainesville, and collaborates with the American Association of Community Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and several other community college systems.
Johnson also serves as a leadership development mentor for administrators in higher education.
Discovery Point collects for Toys for Tots
Discovery Point, 5203 Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz, will collect toys, for children age 8 and older, during December for the Toys for Tots program.
Discovery Point Child Development Centers have partnered with the Toys for Tots Foundation this holiday season.
For information, email Kae Holloway at .
Superheroes and science
The National Science Foundation and the National Nanotechnology Initiative are gearing up for this year’s Generation Nano: Superheroes Inspired by Science challenge.
Sixth-grade through 12th-grade students can compete for scholarship money and a trip to Washington D.C., to attend the 2018 USA Science and Engineering Festival.
There will be an honorarium for teachers involved with the winning teams.
Students may compete as individuals or as members of a two-person to three-person team, to create a superhero using science, or tell their story in a short comic or video.
The contest ends Jan. 8 at 11:59 p.m.
To learn more, visit NSF.gov and search “Gen Nano.”
Mentor training
Take Stock in Children, a program with the Pasco Education Foundation, offers Pasco County students scholarships, mentors and hope.
Female mentors are currently needed at Centennial Middle School, Hudson Middle, Mitchell High and Zephyrhills High. Male mentors are needed at Sunlake High.
Mentors meet at the student’s school two times to four times per month.
Upcoming mentor training dates are Jan. 17 at 1 p.m., and Jan. 22 at 11 a.m.
For information, contact Diane Jerome, mentor coordinator, at (813) 794-2134 or .
Saint Leo ranked eighth by Military Times
Saint Leo University was selected as one of the Military Times: Best Colleges 2018.
Formerly known as Best for Vets, the Military Times: Best Colleges rankings factor in the results of the Military Times annual survey, the most comprehensive school-by-school assessment of veteran and military student services, and rates of academic achievement.
More than 600 colleges took part in this year’s detailed survey.
Saint Leo ranked eighth in the country in the Online & Nontraditional Schools category, which recognizes the university’s commitment to educating military personnel, veterans and their families wherever they may be – even if they are deployed.
In additional to University Campus in St. Leo, students are educated at more than 35 teaching locations, including many located on military bases.
Saint Leo teaches at one of the largest naval bases in the world, Naval Station Norfolk, as well as other bases in Virginia, Florida, California, Texas, South Carolina and Mississippi.
Rankings can be found online at MilitaryTimes.com.
For information about Saint Leo’s commitment to the U.S. military forces and veterans, contact Pamela Martis at (352) 588-8234 or ">.
