Dr. Bruce Thompson, coordinator for the FCC Honors Program, has been recognized nationally for his contributions to honors learning.

The National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) presented Dr. Thompson with the Ron Brandolini Award for Excellence at a Two-Year Institution during its annual conference in Orlando, FL. This award, one of only a handful given at the conference, recognizes a two-year college honors director or faculty member for their outstanding contributions to the honors community.

Dr. Thompson has served FCC since 1996, when he started as an assistant professor of history. He has been the FCC honors coordinator since 2004.

Dr. Thompson said he was honored simply for being nominated for the award, so winning it was an even bigger honor – and a surprise.

“It feels wonderful to be acknowledged by my students and peers,” Dr. Thompson said. “To be very honest, I never expected to receive this national recognition and award.”

Those students and peers, including Kaitlin Wachter, the student who first nominated Dr. Thompson for the award, are less surprised at the national recognition he is receiving.

“Dr. Thompson invests all of who he is into the students within the Honors College,” Kaitlin said. “Dr. T genuinely believes that each of us can change the world. This faith has driven so many to embrace his motto for the Honors College —'thinking deeper, broader, more complex’ — in our everyday lives, careers, and further education. He deserves to have this dedication recognized.”

His longtime FCC colleague, Dr. Rich Fulton, agrees. 

"Bruce has a way of getting the most from the students and faculty who participate in the program,” Fulton said. “He has never been demanding or forceful, but finds a way to get others to achieve at levels they never thought possible. Bruce exudes excellence that motivates faculty in assisting students to reach their full potential. It is incredible how much he accomplishes and at such a high level.”

The FCC Honors College, originally called the Honors Program, started almost 40 years ago. It is an academic enrichment program that works to develop emerging scholars and leaders by offering honors classes and other honors learning opportunities.