March 21, 2017
To the selection committee:
I would like to nominate my colleague, Mr. Bob King, Associate Professor of Political Science, for the Academic Advisor of the Year Award.
Bob is an excellent educator, colleague, and friend. He devotes his working day and much of his free time to the good of Perimeter College, his fellow teachers, and students. Literally from the moment he and I met 17 years ago, Bob has worked tirelessly to create and sustain one of his favorite projects called the History and Politics Club-Clarkston. The HaP Club encourages students to develop their interest in international current events and their historical antecedents. Besides meeting weekly, HaP members regularly engage in service learning projects from volunteering at local refugee centers in Clarkstonto yearly voter registration drives to the recent successful fundraiser for the American Cancer Society when he shaved his luxurious mane of hair. Bob helps students organize high-level events of educational value, which have often brought notoriety to PC.
This year, HaP hosted Alan Abramowitz to discuss his presidential predictive model which is designed to analyze presidential elections. Dr. Abramowitz is a nationally renowned political science professor from Emory University and every election cycle graciously accepts our invitations to talk to the PC student community. This year’s voter registration drive signed up about 200 new voters in the 2016 elections. A third excellent example of HaP’s activity and Bob’s leadership is the American Cancer Society fundraiser. He intentionally grew out his hair for about a year planning to have himself publically sheared in March 2017. The fundraiser lasted about 3 weeks and ended with the “God Shave the King” event. We brought in more than $1500! Students manned a donation table four days a week and Bob created a “Crowdrise” page that increased the reach of the fundraising. In each case, Bob’s organizational skills and manpower are critical to the success of everything HaP does.
I have personally witnessed Bob nurture students’ fascination with political science. Numerous graduates of PC return to say hello and visit HaP Club events. Bob deserves much credit for the impact he has had. One good example came to my attention only recently when the Assistant Director of the Research Library of the Southern Center of International Studies contacted me to let me know that they hired a former PC student who said in his interview that it was PC and Bob King who had influenced him to pursue a career in international relations. No greater praise can come from a student when they say how much a teacher has influenced their important life decisions.
Lastly, Bob is also a good colleague and friend. We began to work full-time in the Department of Business and Social Science in the fall of 2000. He even helped my family move into our home when we came to Atlanta!
I am pleased to support my friend, Bob King, for the 2017 the Academic Advisor of the Year Award. Please contact me at the address below if you require any further information.
Yours sincerely,
Marc Zayac
Associate Professor of History
Associate Chair of History and Political Science-Online
Department of Business and Social Science –Clarkston
Perimeter College at Georgia State University
555 N. Indian Creek Dr.
Clarkston, Ga 30021
(678)891-3289