Clark College Grants Tenure to Three Educators

For Immediate Release
March 27, 2024

VANCOUVER, Wash. — Clark College Board of Trustees unanimously granted tenure to three outstanding educators. These newly tenured faculty members are:

Tenure is awarded by the college’s board of trustees based on professional excellence and outstanding abilities in their disciplines. The granting of tenure is based on the recommendations of tenure review committees to the Vice President of Instruction, which are then forwarded to the President, who presents a final recommendation to the board of trustees. Recommendations are based on self-evaluations, tenure review committee evaluations, student evaluations, supervisory evaluations, and peer evaluations. The final decision to award or withhold tenure rests with the board of trustees.

Portrait image of Heidi Fay, Pharmacy Technician tenured professor

Heidi Fay, Pharmacy Technician

Heidi Fay began teaching at Clark College as an adjunct in 2009. She has been a full-time professor since 2010. Fay is the department head, lead instructor and clinical coordinator. She began her tenure-track position in 2021 after the program returned from hiatus.

Fay has taught nearly every course in the pharmacy technician program at Clark College and developed two new courses recently added to the program, Pharmacy Capstone and Pharmacy Advanced Simulation Lab.

She said, "As the program’s department head, I am responsible for all aspects of the program including scheduling of classes, ordering equipment and supplies, participating on committees and in recruitment activities, maintaining the state credential, and preparing for program accreditation."

She worked as a certified pharmacy technician at Legacy Health including Legacy Good Samaritan and Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Centers for 15 years.

Fay earned her Associate of Arts degree at Clark College. She earned her pharmacy technician certification from Clark College.

She is an active member of several pharmacy professional organizations including the Washington State Pharmacy Association, Oregon Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and Pharmacy Technician Educator's Council.

Teaching philosophy: "As someone who completed the Clark College Pharmacy Technician program years ago, my goal as an instructor is to bring a positive attitude, enthusiasm about pharmacy and healthcare, and real-life experiences. I strive to motivate students to be their best by providing a safe, welcoming environment for them to learn through hands-on, real-world simulations, and studies."

Portrait image of Mackenzie Loyet, tenured Biology professor

Mackenzie Loyet, Biology

Mackenzie Loyet earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology and biology at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois. She attended graduate school at Indiana University, earning a Master of Arts in biological anthropology and a Master of Science in anatomy education.

Loyet joined Clark College as a tenure-track biology professor in September 2021. Previously, she taught anatomy to medical and dental students at Midwestern University in Chicago. She was instructor and laboratory coordinator at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois for seven academic years and an adjunct instructor at City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College, Chicago for one academic year.

At Clark, she teaches General Biology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II. She is an active member in the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS) and a certified yoga instructor. She published the book “Yoga and Anatomy: An Experiential Atlas of Movement” and has led several yoga/anatomy sessions at HAPS meetings in previous years.

Loyet has completed both the Clark Universal Design for Living certificate and the Clark eLearning professional certificate. She values the scholarship of teaching and learning and plans to complete more eLearning workshops.

Teaching philosophy: "My goal is to make sure all course materials and content are accessible to students. I recognize that students have different learning styles and come from different educational backgrounds. I truly believe that education is a fundamental human right. As I continue my career at Clark College, I want to ensure that courses are accessible and that students have a strong, supportive environment in the classroom."

Portrait image of Heather Reynolds, tenured Nursing professor

Heather Reynolds, Nursing

Heather Reynolds earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at University of Washington and her Master of Science in Nursing Education at Western Governors University.

She started her nursing career in a burn center and has worked in critical care and emergency nursing. She was part of the opening of Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center.

Reynolds said, "In all my roles, I have always had a passion for teaching."

She started teaching nursing at Clark as an adjunct professor in Fall 2015. She left to teach full time at Portland Community College, where she was on faculty for two years and director of nursing for three years. Desiring to return to the classroom, Reynolds returned to Clark College as a tenure-track faculty in nursing in September 2021.

Reynolds is co-lead of the sixth quarter (final quarter) of Clark’s Nursing program. She teaches students a course on ethics and policy in healthcare and in their final clinical practicum.

She said, "I enjoy volunteering and getting involved around campus to build community with colleagues and to support students. I enjoy ushering at Clark College theater productions, volunteering at graduation, and being a volunteer patient for the dental hygiene program students. I am also passionate about encouraging youth to consider a career in nursing and have been involved in several programs including Clark’s Healthcare Pathways Camp and the Alliance of Black Nurses Association of Oregon’s Mini Nurse Academy."

Teaching philosophy: "I am a nurse educator who is passionate about empowering future nurses to recognize their own value and worth and their capacity and duty to improve themselves, the lives of others, and the healthcare system to create a more equitable and just world. I do this through modeling authenticity, vulnerability, and continual personal and professional growth with empathy, humor, and grace. I strive to approach others with curiosity and care."

About Clark College

Founded in 1933 and celebrating its 90th year, Clark College provides residents of Southwest Washington with affordable, high-quality academic and technical education. It is a public community college offering more than 100 degree and certificate programs, including bachelor’s and associate degrees; professional certificates; high school diplomas and GED preparation; and non-credit community and continuing education. Clark serves a wide range of students including high school students, displaced workers, veterans, parents, non-native English speakers, and mature learners. Approximately half of its students are in the first generation of their families to attend college.

About Clark College Board of Trustees 

Appointed by the Governor of Washington, the Clark College Board of Trustees consists of five members who serve a five-year term and must live in the college’s service district. The Board seeks to ensure the quality and relevance of college programs and provide stewardship of public resources. In this role, the Board is responsible for strategic planning; development and approval of college policies; and approval and oversight of the operating budget. The Board of Trustees meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Learn more about Board of Trustees

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For additional information (media inquiries & photo requests): 
Maureen Chan-Hefflin, Clark College Communications & Marketing
T: 360-992-2243 E: mhefflin@clark.edu