Peninsula College journalism professor Rich Riski and multimedia professor Marina Shipova have been selected as 2015 recipients of John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Awards.

The awards, presented annually to outstanding community college instructors from across the county by the League for Innovation in the Community College at its spring Innovations conference, celebrate outstanding contributions and leadership by community college faculty and staff.

Recipients are recognized in a series of activities and promotions, and honored at special events at the League’s Innovations conference each spring.

This year’s Innovations Conference will be in Boston from March 8-11.

Riski, who is the faculty advisor to the student newspaper and teaches journalism and Introduction to Mass Media, co-developed a class on Social Media & Society with Professor Eric Waterkotte. The course involves an exploration of social web networks, developing students’ critical thinking around these topics while at the same time engaging students with social media tools. Students taking the course generate a multimedia essay with text, audio and video and read case studies regarding the disruption and opportunities generated by networks.

Shipova is being recognized for her outstanding work in developing a class on digital publishing designed for students interested in design, illustration and writing. The course taught not only graphic design, illustration and book layout, but also destination publishing and distribution.

The course made innovative use of YouTube video tutorials and demonstrations, and through the class, students were able to publish their own work.

“Faculty innovations, illustrated by the exemplary work of professors Riski and Shipova, become a major way we enhance student educational experiences. Their work blends important concepts in their fields with modern technology to provide a unique focus on contemporary society,” Brinton Sprague, interim vice president of instruction at Peninsula College, said.

The League for Innovation in the Community College is an international, nonprofit association dedicated to catalyzing the community college movement.

The league serves community colleges around the world by hosting conferences and institutes, developing print and digital resources, and leading projects and initiatives with member colleges, corporate partners and other agencies.