INDIANAPOLIS – A Kokomo assistant professor and program chair of paramedic science has been selected by Ivy Tech Community College as this year’s recipient of the Glenn W. Sample Award for Excellence in Instruction.  The award is Ivy Tech’s highest honor for a faculty member.

The selection of John Chaflin was announced today at the close of a two-day event for recipients of the College’s annual President’s Awards to outstanding faculty. From that field of 14 regional winners, one is chosen for the Glenn Sample Award. The honor includes a $1,000 stipend for instructional equipment and a $5,000 personal development grant.

After joining Ivy Tech in 2005, Chaflin created a New Student Orientations Manual for students entering his program in an effort to address student misperceptions about the field of paramedic science.

Chaflin has also designed and implemented a paramedic certificate program at Riverview Hospital. The collaborative effort led to paramedic certifications for 14 students.

“Teaching paramedic science is so much more than the science. Our classrooms aren’t just about diadactic teaching. It’s about the students and working with them to see the connection between coursework and fieldwork, where they will realize their potential as medical professionals. It’s about helping them to make a connection with real-world learning,” said Chaflin.  “As I work to create meaningful learning experiences for and with my students, I share Einstein’s belief that, I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”

Chaflin holds a Master’s of Arts degree in Adult Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in General Studies. He also holds two Associate Degrees in Paramedic Science and Industrial Electrical Technology.

The Sample Award is named in honor of Ivy Tech’s fourth president, who also had served on its first board of trustees, co-founded Ivy Tech Foundation, and was the Foundation board’s first chairman. Ivy Tech established the award shortly after Sample’s death in 1980.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public post-secondary institution and the nation’s largest singly-accredited statewide community college system with more than 200,000 students enrolled annually.  Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana.  It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana.  It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.