Doug Wilson receives Presidential Medallion for Instructional Excellence

May 11, 2021

Doug Wilson is energized by investing in others’ lives. His passion for education and mentoring is evident in every aspect of his life:  in his teaching at Tri-County Technical College (TCTC), when he is building race cars with his nephews on weekends, or leading the men’s and young men’s ministry groups at his church.

Wilson, who directs the College’s Mechatronics program, was honored May 6 with the highest award presented to the TCTC faculty. He received the Presidential Medallion for Instructional Excellence at the College’s spring convocation.

TCTC President Dr. Galen DeHay presented the medallion to the Anderson resident. The medallion is presented each year to the instructor who has contributed the most during the academic year to the profession of teaching, to the development of the College and to the students.

“There is absolutely no one at the College who is more student focused than Doug Wilson.  He doesn’t just focus on teaching students about mechatronics technology — he wants them to be amazing men and women outside of the classroom. He is helping to build a stronger community one student at a time,” said Justin Herndon,  industrial technology department head.

Wilson joined the College as a mechatronics instructor in 2015 and later was named program director for mechatronics. He spent the majority of his career at Bosch in Anderson (1999 – 2015), where his last position was senior associate development specialist. He was responsible for the performance management and technical development for all technicians at the plant, including training and teaching TCTC’s Bosch scholars during their work schedule. The goal is to create ready-made technicians who will feel engaged right from the beginning, and therefore have a personal and professional investment in the company.

Over the last few years, Wilson transformed TCTC’s mechatronics program, getting input from full-time and adjunct faculty for every change that has been made, while remaining dedicated to offering curricula that aligns with what industry needs or wants from TCTC students.

He also worked to put new equipment in place in all departments. He and faculty streamlined courses for online students, created new PLC labs, designed and created new trainers for all departments, and updated existing trainers.

Last year Wilson was among the 24 TCTC faculty and staff chosen to participate in the College’s first Leadership program. The eight-week program is aimed at helping our leaders develop a solid foundation of leadership competencies that can help move the College forward.

He is the Men’s Ministries Director at Varennes Heights Baptist Church, as well as a Sunday School teacher.  He and his wife, Cindy, live in Anderson.

 

About Tri-County Technical College

Tri-County Technical College, a public two-year community and technical college serving Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties in South Carolina, enrolls more than 9,000 students annually and offers more than 70 major fields of study, including computer technology, industrial electronics, mechatronics, nursing, and university transfer programs. Tri-County boasts the highest student success rate among two-year colleges in the state and ranks in the top one percent nationally for successful student transfers to four-year colleges and universities. To learn more, visit tctc.edu.