​Stevenson and Thigpen named as 2026 Outstanding Faculty Award recipients

Kankakee Community College is proud to announce Dr. Cari Stevenson, Professor of Psychology within Liberal Arts & Sciences, as the recipient of the 2026 Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award.

A full-time faculty member at KCC since 2012, Stevenson is being recognized for the transformative, student-centered work that shapes her teaching and mentorship. This is the second time she has earned the honor, having also received KCC's Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award in 2014.

In her classroom, Stevenson emphasizes that education is a transformative process and that every student brings unique experiences and strengths. She incorporates service-learning, action-based activities, and participatory research to help students apply knowledge in meaningful, real-world ways. As a Community Psychologist, she takes a holistic approach to student success, supporting learners inside and outside the classroom while fostering critical thinking, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the human experience.

Stevenson also supports colleagues across the college through her work as a Faculty Development Champion at KCC's Teaching and Learning Center, where she shares her knowledge and passion to strengthen teaching and learning.

She has also been recognized as KCC Distinguished Faculty (2014) and received the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Teaching and Mentoring Excellence Award (2023).

Kankakee Community College is pleased to recognize Tishauna Thigpen, instructor for Foundations for Student Success, as the recipient of the 2026 Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award.

Thigpen has served KCC as adjunct faculty and staff for nearly two years, building strong relationships with students and contributing to collaborations focused on student success. She says she is most proud of the connections she has made at KCC, the partnerships she has been part of on behalf of students, and her development as an instructor. She was also recently promoted to Assistant Director of Retention Services.

In and beyond the classroom, Thigpen focuses on helping students continuously expand their toolkit academically, professionally, and personally. She helps students connect what they learn to their goals, emphasizing how skills can be adapted to strengthen academics, careers, and everyday life. Recognizing that students learn in different ways, shaped by their backgrounds and experiences, she prioritizes meeting students where they are and working alongside them to find new paths toward their goals.

“I thoroughly enjoy teaching,” Tishauna shared, “but I enjoy learning from our students just as much.”