Two OCC professors will share honor

Deirdre Newman

OCC CAMPUS -- Two professors will share the honor of Faculty Member of

the Year at the college. Neither is the professor nominated in honor of

academic freedom.

Mathematics professor Valerie Hayward and Fine Arts professor Karen

Mortillaro split the vote of their fellow faculty members Wednesday

night.

“It’s a great honor and you feel so pleased that your faculty members

think so highly of you,” Hayward said.

Not selected was political science professor Ken Hearlson, whose

nomination was an attempt to continue the conversation of academic

freedom that started last semester when he was accused of harassing

Muslim students.

Officials placed Hearlson on paid administrative leave and an

independent investigation eventually cleared him of most of the charges.

Hayward, a resident of Seal Beach, has been with Orange Coast College

since 1989. She directs the Coast Community College District’s innovative

TEACh3 Program that trains students for careers in teaching.

Mortillaro, a Huntington Beach resident, joined the college’s faculty

32 years ago. She received a patent for one of her works and has earned

three fellowships.

The college will honor both professors April 16 and will invite them

to speak at graduation.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .