Connected Learning Award

THE CONNECTED LEARNING COMMUNITY AWARD

The Connected Learning Community Award for Administrative Faculty seeks to recognize those Administrative Faculty Members who exemplify the model of individual work for the common good of the institution.  Connected Learning Community Award nominees show outstanding habits of experimentation, hands-on and active learning, and the intentional forging of connections across campus that reach beyond the scope of their everyday job duties.  Nominees strive to be lifelong learners who inspire both their mentors and peers.

2027 Nominations will be accepted in the Spring 2027 Semester.

2026

Marilynn Gallegos

Assistant Director of Student Engagement

Recognition: Marilynn has consistently demonstrated outstanding habits of experimentation, hands-on learning, and intentional collaboration across the Mines community throughout the year. Through new and innovative programming and cross-collaborative partnerships, she has continued to create opportunities for students to actively shape their leadership development and enhance their Mines experience. This year, she spearheaded the creation of the Senior Traditions and Networking Team, a new student-led initiative that is focused on creating a senior student experience that is unique to Mines. In partnership with SAIL, the President’s Office, the Mines Foundation, and Registered Student Organizations like BlueKey and USG, she led a large team of campus partners and students in fostering a hands-on environment where students could create new ideas, enhance Mines traditions, and build lasting community connections. Additionally, she chaired the planning committee for the annual Leadership Summit, gathering campus partners and alumni to create an engaging leadership experience. The summit welcomed over 100 student participants, including TRIO/Upward Bound students, expanding access to leadership development within the campus community. Finally, she also played a key role in transitioning the Kickstart Dialogue Program from a student organization into a Student-Life supported initiative. While serving as an advisor, she worked with a community of students and staff to plan and facilitate more than five dialogue and facilitation trainings for both students and employees. These sessions were experiential learning opportunities where participants actively practiced communicating across differences, reflection, and community-building skills.  Through these initiatives, she has consistently modeled innovation, active learning, and meaningful connection-building skills that strengthen the Mines community. 

2025

Carter Moulton

Faculty Developer

Recognition: Carter shows commitment to advancing the common good of the institution by inspiring future leaders in education. Over the past two years, Carter has run the College Teaching Certificate program, which allows graduate students interested in learning how to teach to gain skills in teaching and learning. Carter has designed this program to be incredibly hands-on and engaging in multiple ways. One way is through the Microteaching Experience, which has students actually teach and receive feedback from mentors and peers. Students are empowered to teach in their own ways and Carter has directly fostered an experience that allows students to be open with how they teach. In addition, the seminars that are a part of this program use active learning techniques, by looping in discussions and conversations, using tools like Mentimeter, and incorporating opportunities to practice learned skills during the seminar. When I took the program last year, I was consistently engaged and involved in learning, which boosted my understanding and skill. The success of the program stems directly from Carter’s strong commitment to hands-on and active learning. Over the last year, a few other students and myself have been able to be mentored by Carter and assist with the College Teaching Certificate program, and during that time we’ve had the opportunity to explore a personal project in teaching and learning. Carter has inspired the three of us to step beyond our current capabilities and tackle projects that have a large impact on teaching and learning culture as a whole. Throughout this process, Carter has guided us, and helped us to become better educators and leaders through providing detailed and thoughtful feedback. Overall, Carter’s commitment to hands-on and active learning has inspired future educators across campus, and fostered a community of peers committed to strong educational practices.

2024

Sheena Martinez

Student Life, Assistant Vice President of Student Life for Equity & Engagement

Recognition: Despite starting at Mines in the midst of COVID complications and national racial unrest, Mrs. Sheena Martinez has quickly championed efficacious work through meaningful cross-functional collaborations through authentic, impactful, and genuine relationships. This feat is even more impressive when considering the context within which Sheena has endeavored – first to hold her position at Mines, a predominantly white male institution. Sheena’s approach is an exemplar for colleagues at Mines and executive leaders in higher education nationwide – solution-oriented, trauma-informed, prudent, methodical, and student-facing. And while there have been challenges, setbacks, disagreements, and varying levels of awareness and ideological alignment – she’s been professional, composed, steadfast, and poised. I am a huge fan. And I must admit, I admire Sheena’s ability to spar while seeing the best in others and me cognitively. Like others, I am a better professional, having worked with Sheena. And Mines is a better institution because of her work.   

Lia Franklin

mcneil center for entrepreneurship & Innovation, associate director

Recognition: Lia is a standout in terms of her personal lifelong learning and her encouragement of others to do the same.  While ‘making the magic happen’ in the Student Life office, Lia completed her PhD in Educational Leadership, Research & Policy; represented Mines at the Academic Management Institute as an attendee in 2015-16; and served on the AMI board as director from 2016-2019.  While she is representing Mines, Lia is also serving women in higher education across two states. Under her leadership, AMI and CWNWL have clarified their strategic plans and re-dedicated themselves to their mission, connecting women across higher education, providing them with tools and inspiration to help them advance in their careers. While serving in these external roles, Lia hasn’t taken her focus off the networking needs of her colleagues at Mines.  As her AMI project, Lia founded EMPOWER to enhance the personal and professional goals of women at Mines by creating a strong network of empowered women. It is still going strong today, a decade later. Recently Lia has also worked to provide continuing opportunities for Mines AMI attendees to network with each other and re-invigorate their passion for action in their careers and on campus. Anecdotally, many women at Mines have received encouragement and advice from Lia.   Now, in her role with the McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Lia still ‘makes the magic happen’, but in a new arena—directly challenging our students in active classrooms, connecting industry to Mines in new ways, and creating a burgeoning academic unit through experimentation and expertise. 

2008:  Andrea Salazar

2006: Kelly Fox

2005: Debra Lasich

2004: Kathleen Feighny & Terre Deegan-Young

2003: Tim Cake & Melody Francisco