April 10, 2023 — The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) recently named Reading Area Community College (RACC) Medical Laboratory Technician Professor, Ms. Alayne Fessler as one of its 2023 Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award winners.

Named in honor of former AACC President and CEO Dale P. Parnell, this designation has been established to recognize individuals making a difference in the classroom. The AACC is the primary advocacy organization for the nation’s community colleges. The association represents more than 1,000 two-year, associate degree-granting institutions and nearly 12 million students.

According to Ms. Fessler, “The inspiration that I obtain from our RACC students continues to overwhelm me. My position as the program director of the Medical Laboratory Technician Program at RACC is the perfect professional opportunity to blend my love of clinical laboratory science with my desire for educating students.”

In addition to overseeing the Medical Laboratory Technician Program, Fessler also teaches and serves as the academic advisor for all students in the program.

Alayne graduated from Susquehanna University with a bachelor’s degree in biology. After graduation, she attended the former St. Joseph School of Medical Technology and became a certified Medical Technologist. She later obtained a master’s degree in education from Penn State University.

Her career began in the chemistry department at the former Community General Hospital in Reading. At that time, RACC had an affiliation with Community General Hospital and she had the opportunity to work with the RACC students during their clinical rotations. She loved sharing her passion with the students. That sparked her interest in pursuing a career in laboratory education.

To learn more about the Medical Laboratory Technician program at RACC, contact an enrollment specialist at admissions@racc.edu, 610.607.6224 or 800.626.1665.