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STC honors Debra Geiger as the 2016 Instructor of the Year

Debra Geiger

SAVANNAH – Debra Geiger, Esq. has been selected as the Savannah Technical College 2016 Instructor of the Year and is the College’s Rick Perkins Award winner. The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction honors outstanding faculty members at each of the Technical College System of Georgia institutions. Geiger will represent Savannah Technical College in regional and statewide events.

“Debra is a creative and innovative educator, who is committed to providing the best educational experience possible for our students, as evidenced by the many professional and civic activities she offers each semester,” said STC President Dr. Kathy S. Love. “Under her leadership, the recruiting, retention, graduation and placement rates have progressively and consistently increased each year in Paralegal Studies. Her continued dedication and commitment to our students, along with support for our faculty, position her as an ambassador to promote technical education in Georgia.”

Geiger has been the Paralegal Studies department head at Savannah Technical College since 2012. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Georgia and has general practice experience.  Geiger earned her law degree from the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida and is a member of the Georgia Bar Association, Savannah Bar Association, and Port City Bar Association. Last year, Geiger was elected to serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors for American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE) as Director of Associate Programs.

By utilizing her partnerships and affiliations in the legal community, Geiger helps Paralegal students find internships and employment opportunities in the legal field. One of the most successful examples of her innovative projects is the Paralegal Experience Program (PEP). In 2014, Geiger formed an exclusive partnership with the Savannah Regional Office of Georgia Legal Services Program (GLSP), a statewide non-profit law firm serving 154 counties in Georgia, to allow STC Paralegal students to gain legal work experience each semester.

By participating in PEP, STC students not only gain practical work experience, but they also give back, in a significant way, to the community through dedicated volunteer service. PEP gives STC students a competitive advantage when seeking employment, because they will have experienced at least a year of legal work experience and community service in addition to a Paralegal Studies degree, making them more marketable to employers. In fact, GLSP has hired three STC Paralegal graduates and more than half of the currently-enrolled Paralegal students who have participated in this program have already been hired by local law firms.

The award has been an ongoing statewide event since 1991 and is designed to recognize technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields.  Formerly known as the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence, the Rick Perkins Award was renamed in memory and honor of Thomas “Rick” Perkins, an instructor at West Central Technical College, now West Georgia Technical College, who received the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence prior to his untimely death. The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) provides oversight for the Rick Perkins Award program through the System Office’s programming staff, the presidents’ Academic Improvement committee and the state planning committee.

STC’s Paralegal Studies program prepares students for a career in the paralegal profession. The knowledge and skills emphasized in the Paralegal Studies program include ethical obligations; research in state and federal law; legal correspondence preparation; family law matters; basic concepts of real property law; criminal law and procedure; civil litigation; substantive contract law; and wills, trusts and probate. Paralegals, also called legal assistants, work closely with attorneys, judges, prosecutors or public defenders. Graduates receive a Paralegal Studies Associate of Applied Technology degree. Contact Geiger at 912.443.5715 ordgeiger@savannahtech.edu for more information or visit:www.savannahtech.edu/ParalegalStudies.

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#1624 | January 28, 2016

Paralegal Studies: Debra Geiger
912.443.5715 or 
dgeiger@savannahtech.edu 

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or  
ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

Savannah Technical College serves Coastal Georgia with quality, market-driven technical education with campus locations in Chatham, Effingham and Liberty Counties. Serving more than 10,000 credit and non-credit students annually, Savannah Tech offers nearly 150 different instructional programs in Aviation Technology, Business and Professional Services, Industrial Technology, and Health Sciences in addition to Adult Education classes, industry-specific training and continuing education. The College serves as an economic and community development partner for the region, offering corporate and customized training and assessment programs for business and industry.

Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates of credit. Questions about the accreditation of Savannah Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).