Brookdale Alumni Association Honors Three at Barringer Awards on May 3

The Brookdale Community College Alumni Association will honor three individuals for their service to students, the institution, and their respective communities at the 34th annual Barringer Awards Dinner on Friday, May 3 at The Essex & Sussex Hotel in Spring Lake, NJ.

The award, named in honor of former college president Dr. Bob Barringer, is the Alumni Association’s most prestigious honor. This year’s honorees are President Dr. David Stout; Dr. Ave Latte, professor and chair of the Education Department; and Dr. Nancy Liu, professor and chair of the Physics Department.

“All three honorees have demonstrated throughout their careers a commitment to excellence and service to students in and outside the classroom,” said Tim Zeiss, executive director of the Brookdale Alumni Association.  “On a daily basis, they have helped to inspire and to encourage generations of Brookdale students to persevere in pursuit of their academic and professional goals. These individuals continue to make a difference in the Brookdale community and beyond in countless ways.”

Dr. Stout has devoted his professional career to furthering the mission of Brookdale Community College in a variety of roles spanning more than two decades, culminating in his appointment as the institution’s seventh president in 2018.

His long tenure with Brookdale began in 1997 as a Learning Assistant in the Psychology Department. Dr. Stout has served in a variety of faculty and administrative roles, including as Dean of the Freehold campus, Vice President for Student Success, and Interim President.

Dr. Stout’s commitment to engaging with Brookdale’s many stakeholders is evident throughout his assignments. He has consistently promoted access to a high-quality education, coupled with support services, for Brookdale students and Monmouth County residents. Colleagues know firsthand his commitment to ensuring that students leave Brookdale well on their way to converting their aspirations and goals into reality in their academic and professional pursuits for themselves and their families.

Dr. Stout earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Stockton University, a Master’s Degree in Psychological Counseling at Monmouth University, and a Ph.D. in Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine at Northcentral University.

Dr. Ave Latte began her Brookdale career in 1994 as a Learning Assistant in the Reading and Education departments. She is a professor and chair of the Education Department. She was instrumental in adding the A.S. degree in education for teacher candidates interested in STEM areas. Her work with both the credit and noncredit divisions of the college has brought two community college teacher licensing programs for alternate route candidates to Brookdale.

Dr. Latte’s work with the CTE Career Technology Teacher Licensing program made Brookdale the only college in the state that has the grant and non-traditional program for CTE sectors of a community college teacher licensing program. She helped author the New Jersey curriculum and course for the New Pathways to Teaching program.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Metropolitan State College, her M.S. in supervision, principal, and curriculum development from Georgian Court University, and her Doctorate of education in early childhood education from Rutgers University.

Dr. Nancy Liu began her career at Brookdale in 1995 as a professor in the physics department and serves as chair. She is the founding advisor and current co-advisor of the Physics and Astronomy Club. She is also an active supporter of the Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (WEST) Club and volunteers as a one-to-one mentor for the WEST Mentor Program.

Dr. Liu has received numerous accolades over the years for her work and dedication to the Brookdale community. She was awarded a Gold Star in 2000 and 2004. In 2007, she was nominated by 34 of her colleagues and received the Twentieth Annual Outstanding Colleague Award. She received a Faculty Merit Award in 2004, 2003, 2002, Fall 2001 and Spring 2001.

Dr. Liu earned her B.S. in physics and M.S. in solid state physics from Jilin University in China. She obtained her PhD in solid state physics from Colorado State University.  She has authored numerous papers on her research and has more than 15 published articles. She is active in the physics community as a member of the American Physical Society (APS), American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), and the New Jersey section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (NJAAPT).

Tickets to the Barringer Dinner are $65 each. Reservations can be made online at http://brookdalealumniassociation.com/.  The deadline for reservations is April 25, 2019. For more information, email tzeiss@brookdalecc.edu