[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 164 (Wednesday, November 12, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S14800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         PROFESSOR CAROLE GAVIN

 Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I would like to take this 
opportunity to recognize Dr. Carole Gavin, my constituent who was 
recently named the New Jersey Professor of the Year by the Carnegie 
Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for 
Advancement and Support of Education. This award is given to professors 
who demonstrate a high level of dedication to teaching and a commitment 
to students, and who use innovative instructional methods. Dr. Gavin's 
dedication to teaching non-English speakers and academic 
accomplishments make her an outstanding recipient of this award.
  As a professor of French and English as a Second Language at 
Burlington County College in New Jersey, Dr. Gavin has spent the past 
22 years devoted to her students. I think she describes her teaching 
philosophy best: ``my primary objective as a professor here at 
Burlington County College since 1971 has been to help students 
understand that language, whether it be a foreign language or English, 
plays a critical role in their success as human beings and 
professionals.''
  Dr. Gavin's professional accomplishments include expanding the 
college's English as a Second Language program into a multi-level, 
nine-course program that serves over one hundred students from many 
different countries. Last year, Dr. Gavin received the Association of 
Community College Teachers', ACCT, Northeast Regional Award. The ACCT 
describes her as ``a stellar member of the Burlington County College 
faculty,'' and calls her commitment to her students ``exemplary.''
  In addition to her role as teacher, Dr. Gavin recently underwent one 
of the most difficult personal challenges an individual can face. 
Emerging victorious from a battle with breast cancer, Dr. Gavin used 
her struggle to help others by working with the Phi Theta Kappa honor 
society to launch the Carole Gavin Scholarship initiative. This 
scholarship provides active Phi Theta Kappa members, who have been 
touched by cancer, with financial resources to help defray educational 
expenses for the Academic Year 2003--2004 while enrolled in either two 
or four-year institutions.
  It has become something of a cliche to describe someone as an 
inspiration. Nevertheless, the work that Carole Gavin has done both 
professionally and personally is truly inspirational, and I offer her 
my deepest congratulations.

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