Three retired faculty to receive Emeritus Professor recognition in 2026

Three new Emeritus Professors will be recognized at the Faculty Excellence Awards Celebration on April 20, 2026: Elias Feghali, Dr. Janice Lockett, and Linda Romero-Smith.

The celebration event on April 20 (3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Conference Center) also will recognize:

• The 2026 House/Bruckmann Faculty Excellence Award recipients, Milene Donlin and Julie McLaughlin
• The 2026 recipients of the Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award, Amanda Olding and Terkerah Washington
• The other 2026 nominees for the House/Bruckmann Award, Sheena Davis, Jessica Loomis, and Dr. Carol Morman

Emeritus Professor status may be awarded to a retired faculty member who served for at least 15 years in a full-time faculty role.

• A nomination must be prepared by a current faculty member and forwarded to the Faculty Senate.
• The Faculty Senate then seeks support for Emeritus Professor nominations through voting by all current tenured faculty members.
• Recommendations for Emeritus Professor recognition are forwarded from the Faculty Senate to the College President.

The 2026 Emeritus Professors are:

Elias Feghali, BS, Professor of Civil Engineering Technology (Engineering & Information Technologies) for 34 years

In addition to teaching several courses in Civil Engineering Technology (CET) and Math, Elias served as the academic advisor for Architectural and Construction Management students in CET. He served on or chaired several College-wide committees, including the Sabbatical Committee and the Faculty Excellence Committee, and he was the 1995 recipient of the House/Bruckmann Faculty Excellence Award. Elias was an adjunct faculty member for six years before joining the full-time faculty. 

His nomination noted these achievements:

• Elias is an outstanding teacher, advisor, and ambassador for the College. Graduates of the Civil Engineering Technology (CET) program praise his impact as a “fantastic teacher,” and his past students “greatly appreciate his respect and dedication to educating his students”. Many who recall Elias as their math instructor say, “If not for him, I would not have passed math.”
• As an advisor, Elias didn’t just meet with students to help them set their schedule and outline a path to graduation; he also reached out to students through phone calls and after-class meetings, and provided “wise advice” to help students plan for a successful future in the profession.
• Elias is a “lifelong learner” who continuously adopted new materials and methods as the industry changed, and demonstrated “what we want our graduates to become” in the way he gained new skills and mastered new technologies that affected the Civil Engineering field.
• As a recruiter for the CET program, Elias made numerous presentations at several high schools, where he “shares a positive image and encouragement for achieving success” while speaking to prospective students.
• Elias also worked hard to assist in recruiting skilled adjunct faculty, including his children, Anthony and Mirna, who are continuing Elias’s legacy of outstanding teaching.

Janice M. Lockett, PhD, MSN, RN, Professor & Program Chair of Nursing (Health & Public Safety) for 26 years

Janice served as program chair for the Nursing associate degree for 10 years. She taught several first-year and second-year Nursing courses as well as the course in Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. She was a member of Faculty Senate and an officer of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), and she served on numerous divisional and College-wide committees. Before joining the full-time faculty, Janice served for five years as an adjunct instructor.

Her nomination noted these achievements:

• Janice “demonstrated exceptional dedication to teaching and mentorship.” As program chair, she led continuous work to remain in compliance with national and state accreditation requirements, and helped ensure that Nursing faculty “worked together as a team to establish a rigorous and current curriculum, maintain caring and professionalism, and help students become safe and effective nurses.”
• She played a significant role in obtaining grant funding from Hamilton County that supports all of the Nursing programs at the College and she represented the College in projects and activities with The Health Collaborative and other community organizations.
• Janice’s contributions were recognized by her peers with a nomination to receive the House/Bruckmann Faculty Excellence Award.
• Even after retiring, Janice has expressed interest in continuing to mentor Nursing faculty and teach Nursing courses.
• Her nomination stated that Janice’s “extraordinary contributions to scholarship, teaching, and service” ensure that “her legacy is woven into the fabric of our institution.”

Linda Romero-Smith, BS, Professor & Cooperative Education Coordinator & Academic Advisor (Humanities & Sciences & Middletown Campus) for 26 years

Linda served for 10 years as the Co-op Coordinator for Humanities & Sciences (H&S) before moving to Academic Advisor responsibilities. She taught courses in Career Exploration and First Year Experience for H&S as well as Professional Practices courses for other academic divisions. She was nominated for the House/Bruckmann Faculty Excellence Award in 2004 and 2007 and was the award recipient in 2008. Linda was a member of Faculty Senate and she served on numerous College-wide committees, including the Tenure Committee, the Co-op Committee, and the Commencement Committee. Before joining the full-time faculty, Linda served as a part-time Co-op Coordinator and as a College Recruiter. 

Her nomination noted these achievements:

• Throughout her career, Linda was “a leader within Humanities & Sciences, supporting students in experiential learning and helping guide them to earn degrees and move on to four-year institutions.” She forged partnerships with organizations and businesses throughout the Greater Cincinnati area to promote the knowledge and skills of community college students seeking a transfer degree, and she worked to provide meaningful experiential learning experiences for “students seeking every undergraduate degree imaginable.” She “supported her students, held them accountable, and celebrated in their success.”
• When the Middletown Campus opened, Linda served as Lead Academic Advisor at the new location, where she “introduced hundreds of students to Cincinnati State and helped them select courses and connect with support services.” She assisted with academic advising, co-op placement, and communication on campus and with the Middletown business community. She also obtained grant funding to support co-op at the Middletown Campus.
• Linda is “known College-wide as a collaborator, an organizer, and a champion of service and commitment to the College,” as demonstrated through initiatives such as facilitating the International Women’s Tea, wrapping holiday gifts for the needy in our community, planning events to recognize employer partners, and assisting with Commencement, where “anyone with a question about what to do or where to be on that day just had to look to Linda who calmly, and with a smile, supported thousands of students and their families on the last step of their Cincinnati State journey.”
• Her nomination said, “Linda transformed the lives of our students through experiential learning and academic advising, and her commitment to student engagement has left an indelible mark on the College.”