Purdy selected 2024 Outstanding Faculty at PCCUA
Her passion for guiding students in their educational journey is what drives Charlotte Purdy in her work as an educator at Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (PCCUA) and has led to her selection as 2024 Outstanding Faculty member. She will also be honored as PCCUA’s outstanding instructor by Arkansas Community Colleges in October.
Since 2020, Purdy has served as a network technology instructor at PCCUA for the program she graduated from in 2018. Not knowing then that she would step into the role of instructor in the Division of Business & Information Systems, Purdy quickly found that she had a love for teaching and assisting students in their educational journey. As a young child, she always played “teacher” with her baby dolls, and, now, Purdy fills that role of instructor in information systems technology.
In this capacity, her duties include reviewing and designing curriculum to teach students in programming/coding and cyber security. She also advises multiple programs across campuses, including information systems, business management, HVAC, welding, CDL, advanced manufacturing, medical coding, and graphic communications. Purdy serves in an advisory role for the newly formed Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) student chapter, which is the only student chapter in the state of Arkansas. She worked with other faculty to establish the chapter in 2023 and takes great pride in offering students the opportunity to expand their knowledge of cyber security, as well as network with fellow like-minded individuals across the globe.
Purdy graduated from PCCUA in 2018 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in information systems technology and then again in 2020 with her Associate of Arts in general education. From there, she received her Bachelor of Science degree from eVersity in late 2021 and her Master of Science in information technology in 2023 from the University of Arkansas Grantham.
“PCCUA opened doors for me that I had never considered, but I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to take my passion for helping others and integrate it into being an instructor at the place that got me started in my educational journey. With no intention of ever being a college student, that changed in 2018 and has been one of the best things to ever happen!” stated Purdy.
Purdy is married to Mack Purdy and has two daughters, four bonus daughters, and five bonus grandchildren. Outside of working at PCCUA, Purdy is an active volunteer within the community and is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, DeWitt Chamber of Commerce, Arkansas Press Women, Friends of Arkansas Post National Memorial, Arkansas County Night of Hope, and the Arkansas County Fair Board. In her spare time, she enjoys wildlife photography, specifically photographing alligators at Arkansas Post National Memorial.
