AACC names William Weppner 2022 Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award recipient

February 20, 2022

For more information, contact: Diana Fedinec, Director of Public Relations and Media at (901) 333-4247 or dfedinec@southwest.tn.edu.

Professor Bill Weppner stands beside a NASA photo
of Apollo 11's historic moon landing of the Eagle in 1969

The American Association of Community College (AACC) has awarded William Weppner, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Southwest Tennessee Community College, the Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award for his outstanding leadership, dedication to students, illustrious career and community service.

Weppner joined Southwest in 1988 as a part-time mathematics instructor and was promoted to full-time instructor in 1993. His compassion and concern for his students go beyond the classroom. He has helped students through difficult life-challenges to ensure their academic success and his spirit of perseverance and tenacity has inspired students to do their very best, regardless of their social and economic backgrounds. He sees this recognition as a reflection of Southwest’s mission to help students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for rewarding careers and continued success.

“This is a pretty big deal and I am humbled to receive this award,” Weppner said. “What I teach actually encompasses more than mathematics—it includes the STEM sciences, the arts, humanities, social sciences and more,” Weppner added. “Inspiring them with a love of learning no matter what the subject has always been my end-of-semester reward.”

President Tracy D. Hall says this prestigious faculty recognition is a fitting tribute to the profound impact Weppner has had on Southwest, higher education and the enumerable students he has taught and advised over the decades. “Bill is an innovative faculty member who has truly made a difference in our classrooms for more than 30 years,” Dr. Hall said. “We are grateful for every day that we and our students share with him.”

Weppner has worked on various committees and supported student organizations. Currently, he serves on Southwest’s Faculty Development and Evaluation Committee where he helped create the most recent faculty evaluation instrument. He also serves on the Academic Appeals Committee where he routinely tempers justice with mercy for students.

Prior to joining Southwest, Weppner served in the military earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering. His credentials and Air Force experience landed him at NASA in Houston where he began the journey of a lifetime as a member of the Apollo spaceflight program, Missions 7 through 13. In service to the community, Weppner often visits local schools and colleges to share his NASA experiences.