Career Education Corporation Honors Faculty Excellence With 12th Annual Educator of the Year Awards

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At its 12^th annual Educator of the Year Awards, Career Education Corporation (CEC) (NASDAQ: CECO) honored some of the finest instructors, among its more than 6,000 faculty members nationwide, for their dedication to student success.

“The quality of a faculty member can mean the difference between an average and an inspired education experience. Beyond developing engaging curriculum and innovative educational technologies, the interaction between faculty member and student is at the core of what we do”

“The quality of a faculty member can mean the difference between an average and an inspired education experience. Beyond developing engaging curriculum and innovative educational technologies, the interaction between faculty member and student is at the core of what we do,” said Steven H. Lesnik, chairman, president and chief executive officer of CEC.

Faculty, staff and administration submitted nearly 700 Educator of the Year nominations. More than 400 nominees elected to submit an application that was reviewed by a group of 50 internal reviewers. A team of 10 external academic experts reviewed the finalists and selected the winners in each of the four categories: Academic Leadership, Community Service, Instruction and Student Success. The winners are:

Academic Leadership: Matthew Baltzell, Sanford-Brown College – St. Peters, Mo.

Matthew Baltzell, an instructor and the Faculty Coach at the Sanford-Brown College in St. Peters, Mo., campus began work for the college in 2002 as an admissions representative. He became an instructor in the General Education Department in 2003. Since then, Matt served as Assistant Academic Dean for two-and-a-half years, and he has been the Online Advocate for his campus since the program began helping ground-based students succeed in online courses. He is the advisor for the Student Ambassadors organization, and is the President of P.R.I.D.E. (Professionalism, Recognition, Integrity, Drive and Excellence), the campus initiatives committee.

Baltzell earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in English and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Southern Illinois University. He began his teaching career in 1992 at Carbondale Community High School, in Carbondale, Ill., where he taught English for eight years.

View a video profile of Batzell: http://youtu.be/f5T1unqqpZ4

Finalists: Kristy Malacos, Sanford-Brown College - Cleveland; Amy Hrouda, Sanford-Brown College - Cleveland; Steven Lara, Sanford-Brown Institute - Garden City, N.J.

Community Service: Dr. Sabrina Segal, American InterContinental University (Online)

Dr. Sabrina Segal began teaching marketing at American InterContinental University (AIU) in 2002. This past year, Dr. Segal participated on the Editorial Boards for three CEC textbooks: Statistics, Marketing and E-commerce and appears in the Global Journal of Management and Business Research, a highly esteemed refereed publication. She produces and edits AIU’s online publication, The MarketingScene, a social media website that has offered publishing opportunities to more than 600 students since its inception in 2008. Dr. Segal has published works on culture, organizational commitment and online education, and has presented at 10 University in-service events since 2007.

Dr. Segal holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Language and Linguistics from Georgetown University, a Master’s of Business Administration in International Economics from the University of Hartford and a Doctor of Business Administration in Marketing from Nova Southeastern University.

View a video profile of Dr. Segal: http://youtu.be/fDyERPuk5kc

Finalists: Linda Rodenbaugh, Missouri College; Ron Herbes, International Academy of Design and Technology - Las Vegas; Gina Melita, Le Cordon Bleu - Atlanta

Instruction: Darryl Dela Cruz, Le Cordon Bleu – Seattle

Chef Darryl Dela Cruz received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration from the University of Hawaii. After working in sales and marketing for several years, he returned to school to pursue his love of cooking. In 1987, he received a Certificate of Achievement in Culinary Arts from Maui Community College (MCC) and began his cooking career at the Intercontinental Hotel, Maui. In 1992, MCC offered him a lecturer position; he subsequently was offered a permanent teaching position where he advanced to Associate Professor.

The Maui Chefs and Cooks Association (ACF) named him the 2000 Chef of the Year. In 2002, he received the University of Hawaii Board of Regents Excellence in Teaching award and in 2004, was a scholarship recipient of the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation. Chef Dela Cruz has also been recognized in Who’s Who of America’s Teachers in 2002 and 2005.

Chef Dela Cruz was Chef de Cuisine and part of the opening team for the Blue Sage Café in Portland, Ore., prior to accepting his current Instructor position at Le Cordon Bleu- Seattle. With his many professional relationships, he regularly invites culinary professionals into the classroom to serve as judges, adding to the critiques his students receive as part of their education.

View a video profile of Chef Dela Cruz: http://youtu.be/N0-_8KKDplQ

Finalists: Carlos Mulia, Le Cordon Bleu – Los Angeles; Brandy Ebert, Sanford-Brown College – St. Peters, Mo.; Phillip Wong, Sanford-Brown Institute – Cranston, R.I.

Student Success: Phil Reinke, Sanford-Brown Institute – Ft. Lauderdale

Phil Reinke teaches a number of courses at Sanford-Brown Institute in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where he is known for the care and attention he gives to each student individually. He inspires students to believe in themselves and persevere, even when the academic challenges seem great. His commitment to student success was evident in his 2011 keynote address to the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS), in which he spoke about the need for schools to be more attuned to students’ unique needs.

Reinke earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Philosophy, Physics, and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. He subsequently earned a Master’s of Science Degree in Management/Organizational Psychology. In addition, he teaches Six Sigma process improvement at Florida Atlantic University and Broward College, is a business consultant and a prolific writer. Mr. Reinke has published three books: Pinewood: Winning by the Rules, The New Brass Ring: 21st Century Process Improvement, and My Mentor: Direction for Success.

View a video profile of Reinke: http://youtu.be/AoSkMezaGcI

Finalists: Eileen Gallagher, American InterContinental University (Online); Marshall Welsh, Le Cordon Bleu – Atlanta; David Taylor, American InterContinental University (Online)

About Career Education Corporation

The colleges, schools and universities that are part of the Career Education Corporation ("CEC") family offer high-quality education to a diverse student population of approximately 100,000 students across the world in a variety of career-oriented disciplines through online, on-ground and hybrid learning program offerings. The more than 90 campuses that serve these students are located throughout the United States and in France, the United Kingdom and Monaco, and offer doctoral, master's, bachelor's and associate degrees and diploma and certificate programs.

CEC is an industry leader whose institutions are recognized globally. Those institutions include, among others, American InterContinental University ("AIU"); Brooks Institute; Colorado Technical University ("CTU"); Harrington College of Design; INSEEC Group ("INSEEC") Schools; International University of Monaco ("IUM"); International Academy of Design & Technology ("IADT"); Le Cordon Bleu North America ("LCB"); and Sanford-Brown Institutes and Colleges. Through its schools, CEC is committed to providing high-quality education, enabling students to graduate and pursue rewarding career opportunities.

For more information, see CEC's website at www.careered.com. The website includes a detailed listing of individual campus locations and web links to CEC's colleges, schools, and universities.

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