Augusta Technical College presented its Advisory Board of the Year Award to the advisors for the Chemical Technology program. The award was presented at the annual Advisory Boards Breakfast with the President on January 27 at First Baptist Church in Augusta.

Nearly 400 community volunteers sit on program advisory boards at Augusta Tech. Their primary role is to ensure that academic programs meet the ever-evolving needs and demands of their fields. Advisors can also impact student recruitment, internships and apprenticeships, graduate job placement, and philanthropic support.

"You are the bridge between our classrooms and the workforce,” Augusta Tech President Dr. Kendricks Hooker told the assembled advisors. “You help us ensure that our students gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to succeed. And for that, I am deeply grateful.” 

The Chemical Technology Advisory Board was selected as Board of the Year because of its commitment to providing opportunities and resources for the chemical technology program. These have included helping the College create the curriculum for a Technical Certificate of Credit to train wastewater quality technicians and establishing the Glenn D. Bostic Annual Scholarship Fund. They also supported a “Wastewater & Recycling” camp program for middle school students at the College.

“Advisory Board members have served not only in the curriculum and program development but also as mentors and facilitators to promote students,” said Dr. David Maryniak, head of the Chemical Technology Department at Augusta Tech. “They bring us ideas and they are always willing to help with anything we ask of them.” 

As the winner of the Advisory Board of the Year Award, the Chemical Technology Advisory Board will receive $500 from the Augusta Technical College Foundation, Inc. to use for student scholarships, faculty/staff professional development, or supplies and equipment for the department. The program will be showcased at next year’s Advisory Boards Breakfast with the President. The department will be invited to create displays and demonstrations at the event, and one of their advisors will deliver a speech about their work.

Attendees at the event were also given a 24-hour fundraising challenge. The program with the most donors during that period will be awarded a matching grant from the Augusta Tech Foundation. The Medical Assisting Advisory Board won the challenge, with several new members participating. 

• The members of the Chemical Technology Advisory Board are: 

• Larry Beggs, Manus 

• David Best, SRNL 

• Glenn Bostic, AmbioPharm 

• Wes Byne, Augusta Utilities 

• John Collins, SRS 

• Leadra Collins, Augusta/Richmond County 

• Margaret Doss, Columbia County Water Utility 

• Natalie Ferguson, SRNL 

• Dr. Ed Fewkes, Polymer and Chemistry Solutions 

• Tom Graumann, PureCycle 

• Kevin Hyman, Halocarbon 

• Andrew Marvel, SRS 

• Woodie Melton, SRNL 

• Mike Pennington, AmbioPharm 

• Catharine Richard, AmbioPharm 

• Jennifer Savant, PureCycle 

• Christy Whittle, Columbia County 

• Wentao Zhang, AmbioPharm