FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE HISTORY OF DANVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE,

A LINK TO THE PAST, A BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE

  About the Author, Marie R. Harris

The author, Marie R. Harris, has been an adjunct instructor of English at Danville Community College since 1998.  She previously taught English, journalism and publications production at George Washington High School in Danville, and at Dan River High School in Pittsylvania County. Certified nationally by the Journalism Education Association, she advised newspaper, literary insert and newsmagazine production for 28 years, building newswriting programs in two high schools.

She received an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from Averett University; a Bachelor of Science Degree in English and Journalism from Radford University; and a Master of Arts Degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with concentrations in composition and American Literature. In 1985, she received certification as a Fellow of the National Writing Project from the University of Virginia followed by Advanced Placement instruction certification in 1992 from Wake Forest University. In 1997, she received a full fellowship to study at Harvard University in The Media and American Democracy Institute with Marvin Kalb, Institute leader, and noted journalism, business, military and political participants.

She has served as an instructor and curriculum developer for the high school publications advisers' workshop for the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Serving on the Ethics and Law Committee for Columbia Scholastic Press Association in New York City, she also taught publications classes during the national convention at Columbia University's School of Journalism. Traveling with students to journalism conventions for ten years gave her the opportunity to teach for the National Scholastic Press Association in Kansas City, Missouri, and in Boston, Massachusetts. For 20 years she was a presenter at the Virginia High School League Publications Workshops at the University of Virginia and at Virginia Commonwealth University. She served a three-year appointed term on the Virginia High School League Publications Board, an oversight board and producer of the state convention. During five summers, she developed curriculum and taught publications workshops for the Virginia Beach School System. In 1997, she received her national certification as a Master Journalism Educator at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Her students at George Washington High School and Dan River High School won more than 200 top state, regional, and national awards for publication coverage, editorial leadership and design.

Harris has written numerous news stories, reviews and commentaries for local newspapers, reviews and feature articles for Evince magazine and news coverage for the Virginia Journal of Education. She also has written articles for the DCC Alumni Newsletter and edited and designed publications for business organizations and educational institutions throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In 1992, Harris was honored by the Danville Chamber of Commerce as the Educator of the Year. The Virginia Association of Teachers of English in 1994 presented her with the Foster B. Gresham Award for Excellence in Teaching English and Language Arts. In 1998 the Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers conferred the Thomas Jefferson Award for lifetime achievement in journalism.

            In ceremonies in Atlanta, GA in 1999, she was one of 11 publications advisers from across the nation recognized by the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund for journalism achievement. At the end of her career as a public school instructor, the National Journalism Education Association conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award in ceremonies in Boston, Massachusetts, for contributions to journalism locally and nationally. In 2003, Averett University honored Harris with the Mary Jo Davis Outstanding Alumni Award.

March 21, 2006