A teacher might expect to earn a teaching award, but receiving the Department of Defense Patriotic Employer Award was a surprise to Pamelyn Reed, Lone Star College-CyFair Transitional Math professor and department chair.

“She is deserving of many other awards, due to her competence, compassion, and generosity; however, I could only nominate her for the Patriotic Employer Award,” said Larry Ungar, LSC-CyFair adjunct faculty member and U.S. Navy Reservist. “For the last couple of years I've had to do these missions (sometimes two-week missions) during a regular school session. Ms. Reed was more than willing to assist me and was genuinely interested in what I was doing and my safety.”

The award is given in recognition of Reed’s cooperation and support enabling an adjunct to fulfill his military commitments. The commendation states, “On behalf of the Secretary of Defense and our Committee for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, I commend you and the college for your support to the men and women serving in our nation’s reserve components. We recognize the strain and sacrifices employers are making when their employees are called to active military service and appreciate your sacrifice.”

Ungar said he really enjoys teaching mathematics at LSC-CyFair (since June 2005) due mostly in part to people like Reed.
 
“I’m excited about the award and I am proud,” Reed said. “Regardless of how anyone feels about the war, you have to support the people who are out there serving our country.

While substitutes are provided for all adjunct faculty as needed, Reed thinks Ungar feels he’s treated like family. And in Reed’s family, the business is math, whether as teachers or administrators. 

“Besides coming from a family of math teachers, I’ve always loved the logic of math. I also like working with transitional math students because they really need the help. They are scared of math and may have routinely done poorly in math. I like to see the light bulb go on when they get it.”

Reed first took a summer adjunct faculty position at LSC-Fairbanks Center in 2002 and then became a full-time instructor at the Barker Cypress campus when LSC-CyFair opened in 2003. For 10 and a half years prior, Reed was at Prairie View A&M University serving as a computer lab director and then full-time faculty.

In her spare time, Reed likes shopping, going to the beach, fishing, and reading, but there’s still more math because she also volunteers for an  after-school program at 3D Mathematics Academy in Prairie View, Texas.