ANKENY, Iowa—Dr. Laurie Linhart of Urbandale has been appointed as the Honors Program Director at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). She replaces Dr. Sarah Waddle, who has been the Honors Program Director since the summer of 2013.
The DMACC Honors Program, the first comprehensive honors program among Iowa’s community colleges, (http://go.dmacc.edu/honors/Pages/welcome.aspx) started in the fall of 2012 with 58 students representing all six DMACC campuses. There are nearly 100 students in the program right now. It offers high achieving students access to special academic opportunities and rewards.
“I’m looking forward to building on the many achievements of the DMACC Honors program, which now includes 14 Valedictorian Scholars,” said Linhart. “The participating students will have tremendous advantages as they further their education and enter the workforce. They sky is the limit for both our program and the students.”
Dr. Linhart earned a B.A. from Drake University, a Master’s degree from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. in Sociology from ISU. She began full-time at DMACC in August of 2013 and was an adjunct professor for more than ten years prior to that.
“Laurie has excellent experience, she is a strong student advocate and she is an excellent teacher,” said DMACC Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Scott Ocken. “We are very happy that she has accepted this role as the leader of the Honors program at DMACC and we look forward to working with her to grow the Honors experience for our students.”
“Because of everyone’s hard work and dedication, the Honors Program at DMACC is recognized nationally as being a leader for Honors students in career programs and a program whose students consistently are selected as recipients of highly competitive, national scholarships,” said outgoing director Dr. Sarah Waddle. “Dr. Linhart has an outgoing personality, and she will connect well with the Honors students.”
Dr. Waddle will return as an English Professor at DMACC teaching on the Boone Campus and Ames Hunziker Center.
(contributed article and photo, DMACC)
About the Author
