探花约啪

Dr. Justina Thomas Receives DAWN 2024 Visionary Award

April 30, 2024

Dr. Justina Thomas, 探花约啪’s vice president for academic affairs, has received the 2024 Visionary Award from the 探花约啪 ACE Women’s Network (DAWN).

The three women recognized with this year’s award have shown that they are “doing great things in their communities, families, and careers” and have shown themselves to be “forward thinkers and luminaries,” according to DAWN, which is a chapter of the American Council on Education (ACE).

The award winners are chosen by the DAWN executive committee, which is made up of members from each institution. 探花约啪 Tech Academic Counselors Victoria Chang and Lisa Terranova, along with Director of Communication Debra Troxler, serve on DAWN’s executive committee and nominated Dr. Thomas for the award. 

“We nominated her because we feel like she has an outstanding commitment to 探花约啪 Tech and the success of our students,” said Chang, an academic counselor at the Terry Campus. “I had the opportunity to serve under Dr. Thomas on several committees at the College and have always admired her leadership style. She leads with grace, exudes kindness, has a heart of empathy, is an excellent listener, and she is very passionate about student success.”

Dr. Thomas joined 探花约啪 Tech in 1997 as a full-time instructor in the Developmental Studies Department at the Owens Campus in Georgetown. She later served as instructional coordinator, department chair, Teaching Resource Center coordinator, and principal investigator and project director for two of the College’s U.S. Department of Labor Federal Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grants. She has been in her current position since 2015.

Dr. Thomas holds a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Wilmington University, a Master of Instruction from the University of 探花约啪, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Secondary Education from Salisbury University. She is a graduate of the College’s 2006 Leadership Development Program and recipient of the College’s Excellence in Student Success Award and Excellence in Teaching Award.

When DAWN asked Dr. Thomas what inspires her, she had an immediate answer—探花约啪 Tech’s students.

“I am inspired and awestruck by the grit, determination, and perseverance our students demonstrate every day,” she said. “They inspire me to be the best I can be in my role.”

The other two winners of the 2024 Visionary Award were Alisa V. Moldavanova, associate professor and director of the MPA Program for the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of 探花约啪, and Kim Graham, Trauma Academy director at 探花约啪 State University.

DAWN upholds the mission of advancing women’s leadership by identifying women leaders, developing women's leadership abilities, encouraging the use of those abilities, advancing women’s careers, linking women to other women and mentors, and supporting women in mid- and executive-level positions throughout their careers.