Sean Whelan, PhD
Rhetoric and Composition
Sean Whelan, PhD, a full-time rhetoric and composition instructor at Central Ohio Technical College’s (COTC) Pataskala campus, has been involved in academia his whole life. His father was a teacher at a four-year university and his mother was a dance teacher at Knox County Schools. “Of course, I wanted to be anything other than what my parents were,” Whelan joked. “But I love teaching.”
Samantha Perrine
Business Management Technology
Perrine is pursuing her associate degree in business, as well as certificates in management and office administration. She’s worked in offices in some capacity for nearly 13 years, and enrolled with 20 credit hours under her belt.
Martin Schmerr
Biological and Physical Sciences
The most rewarding part of teaching for Schmerr is “the process of discovery. It’s a two-way street — sometimes they teach me.” It’s that student interaction that brought him to COTC, and it’s that relationship that’s kept him here. “I actually passed on other positions to come to COTC, because I was very impressed with the culture of the campus,” he says. “It’s a place that really values strong teaching.”
Justin Glass
Business Management Technology
To Justin Glass, a first-year student pursuing his associate degree in business management technology, COTC “feels homey.” Glass joined the Marine Corps when he was 20 and served eight years. As his time in the Marines was ending, Glass and his fellow soldiers would ask each other, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” Glass answered, “I want to better myself.”
Mir Arif
English
Inspiration comes from everywhere, which is certainly the case for Mir Arif, adjunct English faculty at Central Ohio Technical College (COTC).
Arif didn’t start his educational journey with sights set on teaching – or even English. His original major at the University of Dhaka was in international relations. “I felt like it didn’t satisfy my inner needs, my desires and passions,” Arif explains. He then switched to journalism, writing for English newspapers while still in Bangladesh. “I realized that I loved writing, and I’ve always loved reading. I felt the passion come back to me.”
Billi Gross and Matayah Berry
Nursing Technology
For some, Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) is the beginning of their professional journey. For others, it’s a legacy they carry throughout their lives. For mother and daughter Billi Gross and Matayah Berry, it’s both.
Melanie Gibson
Nursing Technology
While she knew she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare, Melanie Gibson hasn’t had a straight path to her dream position. Gibson is a currently pursuing her associate degree in nursing at Central Ohio Technical College (COTC), but it wasn’t her first stop on her educational journey.
Caitlin Baine
Psychology
Like many Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) students, Caitlin Baine’s educational story started at a community college.
“I didn’t go to university right away, partly because I didn’t have the financial means to do it,” Baine, part-time psychology faculty, explains. “I didn’t know what I was getting into when it came to college. I was intimidated by four-year colleges.”
Naomi Nichols
Associate of Arts in Social Work
Naomi Nichols’ educational journey didn’t start at COTC. She originally enrolled in a four-year university majoring in psychology, but she didn’t feel like she was getting the one-on-one attention necessary to be successful. That’s when she found her way to COTC.
“COTC happened to not only be close to home, so I would actually be able to be close to my family and friends, but also my mom, sister and grandpa had gone to COTC and had all spoken so highly of it,” Nichols says.
Scott Wilson
English and Communications
When Scott Wilson was in the fifth
grade, he assisted one of his neighborhood friends with a
homework assignment they were struggling with. That was his first
experience doing what would ultimately become his lifelong
passion.
Many students will know Wilson from their speech courses at COTC where he teaches Public Speaking, Fundamentals of Communication and Small Group Communication.
Benjamin Anyigbavor
Radiologic Science Technology
When he moved to the United States from his home country of Ghana, Ben Anyigbavor had a degree in geodetic engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and 10 years of experience in land surveying. In terms of careers, the healthcare field was not on his radar.
Kris Bowman
Nursing Technology
Professor Kris Bowman has been a
member of the nursing faculty at COTC since 2009. In addition
to teaching at COTC, she teaches basic life support for the
American Heart Association and provides health education
development for faculty, staff and students at Newark City
Schools (NCS). Bowman previously worked at NCS as a school nurse
and also spent many years working at Genesis Health Care in
Zanesville as a nursing hospital supervisor, telemetry staff
nurse and registered respiratory therapist.
Cindy Washington
Nursing Technology
Associate Professor Cindy Washington is a teacher, a nurse and an author. She has been a faculty member at COTC since 2007, where she currently teaches the advanced adult health nursing course at the Newark campus. In 2022, Washington was one of the contributing authors in the Columbus Black Nurses Association’s (CBNA) first book: “The Voices of Black Nurses Our Challenges and Triumphs During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Book sales support scholarships for CBNA nursing students.
Asif Khan
Engineering Technology
Asif Khan’s list of achievements in academia is second to none. With three degrees to his name — a bachelor’s in information technology from AL-Khair University, Pakistan; an associate degree in electrical engineering technology from COTC; and a master’s in engineering and technology from Ohio University — and eight years of teaching at COTC, Khan has reason to be proud.
Kristen Eblin
Diagnostic Medical Sonography Technology
The fall after she graduated from Chillicothe High School, Kristen Eblin started a radiologic sciences degree at a four-year university. About halfway through, she realized that she was in the wrong major at the wrong school. Fortunately, she discovered a new passion, and today she’s found her match with the diagnostic medical sonography technology (DMS) program at Central Ohio Technical College (COTC).
Patrick Courtney
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Assistant Professor Patrick Courtney has been teaching at COTC since 2003, but his teaching history dates back to 1978. Prior to COTC, he was a secondary school teacher and administrator as well as a district administrator. He now teaches at all four COTC campus locations and online.
Katherine McCoy
Associate of Arts in Psychology
After being diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder alopecia universalis in 2016 and losing her hair to it, Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) student Katherine McCoy thought she had lost herself.
“Initially it was devastating for me. I felt as if I had lost my identity. Throughout the years, I have grown to accept and embrace my hair loss,” she said.
McCoy realized that a career helping others through their own difficulties would be the perfect way to redefine the possibilities of her life.
Samuel Wolf
Radiologic Science Technology
In celebration of National Radiologic Technology Week® this November, COTC recognizes the vital work of faculty, students and alumni.
Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) radiologic science technology student Samuel Wolf is well on his way to his dream career as a pediatric radiology technologist thanks to the college’s highly regarded program and the connections it offers to students.
Beth Eyster
Diagnostic Medical Sonography Technology
In recognition of Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month this October, COTC celebrates the impact that the many alumni, current students and faculty of its diagnostic medical sonography technology program have on the lives of their patients.
Instructor Beth Eyster started teaching at COTC in 2011 as part of the diagnostic medical sonography technology (DMS) program. She teaches many course topics including basic sonography scan skills, human anatomy, echocardiography, abdominal sonography and sonographic physics. She also serves as the clinical coordinator for the DMS program.