Five faculty members are nominees for 2026 House/Bruckmann Awards

Five faculty members have been nominated as finalists for the House/Bruckmann Faculty Excellence Awards for 2026:

• Professor Sheena Davis
• Professor Milene Donlin
• Professor Jessica Loomis
• Professor Julie McLaughlin
• Dr. Carol Morman

Voting by faculty members and academic administrators to determine the two award recipients for 2026 ends March 26, 2026.

The award recipients and the other nominees will be honored at a campus reception on April 20, 2026, along with the recipients of the Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award and new recipients of Professor Emeritus status.

The 2026 House/Bruckmann Award nominees are:

Sheena Davis, Professor and Program Chair of Nursing (Health & Public Safety)

Sheena is nominated for her Excellence in Instruction, Collaborative Spirit, and Contributions to Student Success. Achievements described in her nomination include:

• Teaching the senior role transition course in the Associate Degree Nursing program, Sheena created case studies for every content area “to give her students the best practice at applying critical thinking,” while “enforcing policies and standards” and simultaneously “providing student nurturing and support” that “leads the students across the finish line.” 
• Under her leadership, pass rates for students taking their first attempt at NCLEX-RN (the required credentialing exam for registered nurses) had a pass rate of 98%, significantly higher than the state average (89.5%) and the national average (91.1%).
• Sheena became the Nursing Program Chair in Fall 2025, following the retirement of the long-serving previous chair. In her new role Sheena demonstrated “the highest standards for collaboration, leadership, and dedication” to Nursing students and faculty colleagues. 
• She also serves as a member of the Faculty Senate, where she collaborates with other leaders from across the College in shared governance activities.

Milene Donlin, Professor & Department Chair, Biology (Health & Public Safety)

Milene is nominated for her Collaborative Spirit, Contributions to the College, Commitment to Student Success, and Contributions to the Community. Achievements described in her nomination include:

• Milene became the Biology Department Chair “just in time to face flooded offices and labs” and through her “incredible organizational skills and work ethic,” she was able to make sure Biology classes continued in a rotating set of labs and classrooms. She improved many Biology Department processes, making them more straightforward and effective.
• In her teaching and her support of other faculty, Milene helps others adopt effective practices, such as adjusting some questions in Anatomy and Physiology practical exams so they are more understandable for English Language Learners.
• Milene was an early adopter of the Brightspace learning management system tool, who served as “an exemplary resource for fellow faculty members” as they developed their course materials in Brightspace. She led several hands-on training sessions for faculty who launched Brightspace courses in Summer 2025.
• Milene has served twice as Faculty Senate President, working with colleagues and administrators to improve College processes and advocate for increases to adjunct pay.
• Milene also helps Cincinnati State serve as a resource for the community, including organizing employees for clean-up projects in area parks, and co-leading Academic League weekly competitions and tournaments for area high schools.

Jessica Loomis, Professor of Biology (Health & Public Safety)

Jessi is nominated for her Commitment to Student Success and Contributions to the College. Achievements described in her nomination include:

• Providing leadership for College Credit Plus (CCP) programming, course design, and faculty development at the College and “creating a model program for onboarding, training, and providing ongoing professional development to CCP high school instructors.”
• Jessi provides consultation for faculty and staff who “recognize her deep expertise” in CCP concerns. She has “enrolled colleagues in her CCP learning management site, shared best practices through presentations and written resources, and served as a longstanding member of the College Credit Plus Committee, including “contributing countless hours of leadership to major committee initiatives, such as the creation and continuous improvement of documents and processes used College-wide.
• In service roles including Scholarship Committee Chair, Tenure Class Facilitator, and Membership Chair for the Cincinnati State AAUP Chapter, Jessi “has demonstrated exceptional dedication,” and “made substantial contributions and significantly advanced the success of the College and the faculty she supports.”

Julie McLaughlin, Professor & Department Chair, First Year Experience & Leadership Certificate (Humanities & Sciences)

Julie is nominated for her Contributions to the College and Commitment to Student Success. Achievements described in her nomination include:

• Julie’s primary role at the College is devoted to “making sure students are successful both in the classroom and beyond.” She consistently leads the instructors in FYE and Leadership courses “to not only care for the students in their classes, but also to push the bounds of the existing content to make sure it is applicable and useful in paving the way for student success.” Her nomination describes FYE as “one of the most well-run departments and course series’ on campus.”
• Julie has been actively involved in numerous College committees. As a member of the LMS FACT team, Julie “worked collaboratively with other faculty and administrators to guide the group towards a mutually beneficial agreement” on how to compensate faculty for developing and transitioning courses to Brightspace, which “was no small feat.”
• As Vice President of the Cincinnati State AAUP Chapter, Julie has been a strong advocate and leader, frequently serving as “a voice for faculty in high-stakes meetings with administration,” while conducting discussions “with a sense of respect and teamwork that ultimately allow the College to move forward.”
• As a member of several AAUP negotiation teams, Julie has demonstrated “an admirable and impressive ability to work towards compromise while also being firm in defending the rights of faculty members.”

Dr. Carol Morman, Professor & Program Chair, Land Surveying (Engineering & Information Technologies)

Carol is nominated for her Contributions to the College, Commitment to Student Success, and Collaborative Spirit. Achievements described in her nomination include:

• Carol led efforts over many years to establish bachelor’s degrees at Cincinnati State, starting with the “astounding time and care” that led to the bachelor’s program in Land Surveying, as well as “spending countless hours helping her peers at the College” to gain approval for bachelor’s degrees in other programs.
• In addition, she has helped colleagues with their professional accreditation processes.
• The nomination states that Carol is “passionate about helping students,” through actions such as setting up a cohort with students from the University of the Virgin Islands, and adjusting her own schedule so these students can attend Land Surveying classes that meet their needs.
• She also “goes out of her way to help students who are struggling” and encourages other instructors in the Land Surveying program to do the same, to “ensure that those who may not have previously been given a chance are given the best opportunity to succeed.”

Background

The House/Bruckmann Faculty Excellence Award was established in 1985. Award criteria have been revised several times since the inception of this recognition program.

• The award is named for Clifford R. House, the first president of Cincinnati Technical College, and Alice P. Bruckmann, a member of the College’s first Board of Trustees. 
• Tenured faculty members may be nominated by faculty and academic administrators based on demonstrated excellence related to the following criteria:
  • Excellence in Instruction
  • Commitment to Student Success
  • Collaborative Spirit
  • Contributions to the College
  • Contributions to the Community
  • Professional Achievements
  • Other
• Nominations are reviewed by a Screening Subcommittee comprised of past award recipients, and up to five nominees may be recommended for recognition as finalists.