Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) December 07, 2014

Phoenix College is proud to announce that James Sousa, a mathematics instructor with the college, has been named as the 2014 Arizona Professor of the Year.

Awarded annually by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Sousa was selected for this honor from nearly 400 top professors across the United States – taking home the top award for Arizona.

Phoenix College math students – in addition to students as far away as Namibia – have benefited from the outstanding commitment of Sousa, who has developed more than 1,850 free mini-lesson math tutorials on topics ranging from arithmetic to calculus.

In addition to using the videos in the classroom to teach his PC students, Sousa also makes the videos available free-of-charge via YouTube to help explain math topics to students around the world. The lessons integrate technology and provide examples to enhance student learning.

Sousa’s ingenuity in using technology to help teach math concepts has been beneficial to all levels of students and his tools are frequently used to help developmental students gain the skills they need to be successful in their college-level math courses.

Sousa spear-headed the effort to launch free, developmental online math courses at Phoenix College in the fall of 2013 through the use of massive open online classes or MOOCs. The courses help participants who are weary of their math skills gain familiarity and confidence – giving students the opportunity to save time and money.

“James brings innovation and enthusiasm to our math department,” said Dr. Anna Solley, president of Phoenix College. “I am delighted for him to be recognized for his outstanding commitment to student success, not only here at Phoenix College, but across the country and around the world.”

This year, a state Professor of the Year was recognized in 31 states. Sousa was selected from faculty members nominated by colleges and universities throughout the country.

“It is an honor to receive this award because I know there are so many other dedicated instructors who work extremely hard to help students succeed,” said Sousa. “I enjoy helping students reach their educational goals and it is an honor to provide students with resources that they can use whenever and wherever they need them at no cost. Integrating videos into my teaching allows students to customize the lessons to their learning needs since they can pause, rewind, or watch a video several times.”

Sousa has been a member of the Phoenix College faculty for the last 12 years.

Phoenix College is a premier institution of higher education serving the community since 1920. As the flagship college of the Maricopa Community Colleges – the largest community college system in America – Phoenix College offers programs for university transfer, career training, and personal development. The 23-acre campus includes state-of-the-art instructional classrooms, a modern library and computer lab, the Eric Fischl Art Gallery, a performing arts theater, a culinary café, a gymnasium and fitness center, and premium athletic fields. Phoenix College students speak more than 50 languages and represent more than 100 countries, reflecting the diverse, multicultural central city that Phoenix College serves.






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