COLUMBIA, SC: Three Columbia College faculty members have received top honors for excellence in teaching.

Dr. Lynne S. Noble, associate professor of education, received the 2007 Columbia College Faculty Excellence Award. Noble joined the faculty of Columbia College in 1999, prior to which she worked in the College of Education and College of Social Work at the University of South Carolina. A graduate of the University of Michigan, she holds master's and doctoral degrees in education from the University of Virginia.

Dr. Joyce W. Fields, associate professor of child and family studies, received the 2007 South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) Excellence in Teaching Award. Fields joined the faculty of Columbia College in 2000, and serves as assistant director of the Honors Program. A graduate of Longwood College, she holds a master’s degree in speech pathology and audiology from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in family relations and counseling from Florida State University.

Dr. Edward R. Sharkey Jr., associate professor of political science, received the 2007 Undergraduate Students' Choice Award for Teaching Excellence. Sharkey joined the faculty of Columbia College in 2000. He holds BA and MA degrees in political science from the University of Montana and a Ph.D. from Northern Arizona University. The Students’ Choice Award is organized by the Columbia College Student Government Association and the recipients determined entirely by students.