Collin won two first place Texas Association of Continuing Education (TACE) awards for community colleges in the continuing education web page category and the continuing education web-based course schedule and registration.

In March, the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations presented the college with two national public relations awards and six district awards. The college’s community newsletter Connection was named the best in the country winning the Gold Paragon Award, and a portrait of Professor Byrd Williams won a Bronze Paragon. The six district “Medallion” Awards, which included a Silver Medallion for the Cougar News, commended Collin public relations projects such as feature articles, publications and photography.

Rebecca Crowell, coordinator of international students, was named the chair for the National Association for International Educators Two-Year Task Force and the Region III NAFSA development chair for conference planning.

Dr. Keith Volanto, professor of history, was recently named a finalist for the Texas State Historical Association’s Coral Horton Tullis Memorial Prize given to the author of the best book on Texas history published in 2005. This honor is for Volanto’s book “Texas, Cotton, and the New Deal,” which is also a nominee for the Texas Historical Commission’s T.R. Fehrenbach Award for the best book on Texas history.

Yanina Kohut

Shirley Allen

Collin students Shirley Allen, of Allen, and Yanina Kohut, of Plano, were named to the 2005-06 All-Texas Academic Team of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for community college students. Rankings on All-State teams are determined by a statewide competition. Members may receive medallions, certificates or scholarships.

The Collin Jaztet One band performed several times on Fox 4 Good Day March 22.

Thirteen members of the Collin Dance Ensemble attended the American College Dance Festival at The University of Texas at Austin March 15-19. The dancers performed in an informal and adjudicated concert. The Collin Dance Ensemble’s adjudicated performance was one of 10 out of 44 total selected to perform the Gala Concert. The Collin Dance Ensemble opened the Gala Concert with “Momentum.”

Erica Shires, a former Collin photography student, was named to PDN’s (Photo District News) top 30 new photographers to watch in 2006.

Quad C Theatre won 20 COLUMN Theatre Awards, a peer-reviewed, annual awards ceremony representing the best theatre in the Dallas and Fort Worth area. The 20 awards were the most won by any theatre company this year. Quad C Theatre took top honors in two categories. Thirteen of the awards, including best musical (non-equity), went to Quad C Theatre's production of “Bat Boy.” Including best musical, “Bat Boy” also won in the categories of: Best Actor for Jimmy Hays Nelson; Best Actress for Sara Shelby-Martin; Best Supporting Actor for Doug Fowler; Best Featured Actor for Brian Woods; Best Featured Actress for Hollye Gilbert; Best Director for Brad Baker; Best Choreographer for Emily Lockhart, Brad Baker and Thomas Renner; Best Stage Manager for Andrew Serna; Best Lighting Design for Craig Erickson; Best Sound Design for Andrew Duckworth; Best Scenic Design for Craig Erickson; Best Costume Design for Sandra Snyder and Andrea Throop. Other awards included: Best Actor in a Play – Carter Hudson in “Beauty Queen of Leenane”; Best Actress in a Play – Julie Painter in “Beauty Queen of Leenane;” Best Supporting Actor in a Play – Charles Ryan Roach in “Season’s Greetings;” Best Supporting Actress in a Play – Carolyn Wickwire in “Beauty Queen of Leenane;” Best Featured Actress in a Play – Kim Whalen in “Alien Voices;” Best Stage Manager of a Play – Brittany Noll in “Season’s Greetings;” and Best Lighting Design of a Play – Michelle Burdeaux in “The Exonerated.”