Smith to receive PTK Distinguished College Administrator Award
Meridian Community College Dean of Student Engagement Deanna Smith will be one of
28 college administrators named a Distinguished College Administrator during Phi Theta
Kappa Honor Society’s annual convention in Denver, Colorado, in April.
The Distinguished College Administrator Awards are given to community college vice presidents, deans, or leaders other than college presidents/CEOs serving a community college in an administrative capacity who have demonstrated a strong level of support for Phi Theta Kappa.
The award recognizes college administrators working directly with student leaders to solve problems on campus and in their communities. They have taken an active interest in supporting high-achieving students and developing student leaders.
Smith, an alumna of MCC, has worked at the College for 13 years in roles including as a student recruiter and director of advising and retention before assuming the dean position in the fall of 2018. She holds a bachelor of business administration and a master of arts in teaching from Mississippi State University.
“These college administrators are beloved on campus – they know students by name and by circumstance,” said PTK President and CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner. “Their nomination is evidence of the gratitude their PTK students feel for supporting them and students like them – even during the most difficult times.”
PTK is the international academic honor society for community and junior college students. There are some 240,000 active members in the nation’s colleges.