Harford Community College President Honored With Prestigious Paragon Award; 65th Annual Commencement Celebrated

HARFORD COUNTY - The President of Harford Community College, Dr. Theresa B. Felder, has been honored with the 2023 Paragon Award for New Presidents by the esteemed Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

The accolade was bestowed upon Dr. Felder during the society's annual convention in April, recognizing her commitment to fostering student success. She was among 28 community college presidents to receive recognition at the event.

Phi Theta Kappa is a renowned honor society for community college students boasting a success rate of 91%, including graduation and transfer to four-year colleges. The organization has a membership of over 3.5 million students both in the U.S. and overseas.

College presidents must be within their first three years of service to be eligible for this award. The recipients, nominated by the Phi Theta Kappa students at their respective institutions, are recognized for encouraging academic excellence, leadership, and service amongst high-performing students.

Expressing her gratitude, Dr. Felder shared, "Receiving this award is an honor, and it's a testament to the outstanding achievements of our PTK students at Harford Community College. I can confidently say that our entire faculty and staff are dedicated to supporting our students in reaching their academic aspirations."

The community college also marked its 65th Annual Commencement on Thursday, May 25, with two ceremonies at its APG Federal Credit Union Arena.

The morning ceremony recognized graduates of the Arts and Humanities and the Behavioral and Social Sciences divisions. The afternoon ceremony was for graduates from the Business and Applied Technology, Nursing and Allied Health Professions, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math divisions. Dressed in traditional academic regalia, the Class of 2023 received their associate degrees and/or certificates. Approximately 340 of the over 900 Harford Community College graduates participated in the ceremonies.

Both ceremonies were ushered in by Dr. Felder and included a welcome address from Richard P. Streett III, DVM, Chair of the Harford Community College Board of Trustees.

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