Professor Mohebbian Receives Gussler Award

Professor Hossein Mohebbian received the prestigious Gussler Fellow Award in Mathematics and Science for 2015. The award was announced at ACTCs Graduation Ceremony.

I feel honored to be selected for such an important award and greatly appreciate the support of my students and colleagues, Mohebbian said.

He has taught mathematics for more than 30 years. Originally from Tehran, Iran, he came to the United States at age 18 to continue his education. In 1990, I proudly became a United States citizen and a few months later was hired as an Assistant Professor at ACTC, he said.

Mohebbian earned a Master of Art Degree in Mathematics at Marshall University in 1983 and completed 37 hours of work toward a Ph.D. at Ohio University in Athens. He has computer certifications in A+ and Microsoft Windows (MCSE). He taught at Marshall University and West Virginia Institute of Technology before starting at ACTC. He became a full Professor in 2000.

At ACTC he has served on the Graduation, Student Support, Technology and Distance Learning Committees. He is a currently on the Professional amp; Organizational Development and General Education Assessment Committees. He received an Exceptional Merit Rating in 1999 and has received numerous Teaching Excellence Awards.

To inspire success in students is my greatest passion and enabling them to find the importance of being life-long learners has always been my goal, Mohebbian said. I am grateful for the opportunity at ACTC to improve student abilities and motivate them for success in their future careers.

Inspiring students is what the Gussler Fellow Award is designed to recognize and encourage. The award was established in 2007 by Dr. C. Gordon Gussler and his wife, Dixie Gussler as a way to honor two teachers who inspired Dr. Gussler when he was a student at Ashland Junior College in 1944.

Their endowment of more than a million dollars to the Community and Technical College Foundation of Ashland, Inc. was established to reward and encourage outstanding math and science faculty who inspire and motivate students to exceed their own expectations. Each award recipient receives a financial stipend equal to two percent of the value of the endowment fund for two years.

In addition to receiving the award, Mohebbian has another reason to feel proud about graduation this year. His son Eric graduated from ACTC with high distinction and has transferred to Marshall University with the goal of earning a Ph.D. in Psychology.

I am extremely proud of my son in achieving graduation status at ACTC, Mohebbian said. ACTC was the perfect starting point for him to adjust to college, learn successful study skills, learn how to better manage his time and discover his major.