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Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) President John M. Berry, PhD, and The Ohio State University at Newark Dean and Director Matt Smith, PhD, presented the prestigious Julius S. and Joette Greenstein Award to Asif Khan.
The Greenstein Award is given annually to a staff member, faculty member or administrator of COTC and/or Ohio State Newark. Its recipients are honored for their efforts, attitude, deeds and behaviors toward perpetuating a genuine spirit of mutual respect and cooperation between the two institutions.
Khan, associate professor of engineering/information technology (IT) at COTC, received the award during a faculty event on Aug. 18. As an alumnus of the college, “Asif is uniquely positioned to assist our students with preparing for their educational journey beyond our campus,” said Lisa Varrasso, associate professor of English and communication at COTC and one of the people who nominated Khan for this award.
He has served his alma mater for the last 11 years and became program director of its engineering and IT department four years ago. Khan has become a trusted mentor for students, providing hands-on demonstrations and training, as well as faculty, collaborating on community projects that impact COTC and Ohio State Newark. “Asif has helped build an inclusive and supportive environment where students and faculty from both institutions can thrive together,” said Kimberly Goudy, PhD, professor of business management technology at COTC.
Thomas Comisford, assistant professor of engineering technology at COTC, praised his department-mate even further. “His efforts have fostered an unprecedented level of cooperation between the two institutions, paving the way for greater collaboration and academic synergy.”
In addition to this year’s Greenstein Award, Khan has collected COTC’s Transitions Alumni Award and twice won the college’s Teaching Excellence Award. His forward-thinking and cooperative mindset perfectly matches the mission of the co-located campus. As Varrasso summarizes, “Asif improves the overall experiences of both COTC and Ohio State Newark engineering students and assists them in becoming more qualified employees.”