Dan Norris
Dan Norris of Berlin, a general studies student at Wor-Wic Community College, was recently selected as the 2011 winner of the Portz award for an outstanding honors student at a two-year college in Maryland.
An honors student at Wor-Wic, Norris and fellow honors students recently presented a research project at the Maryland Collegiate Honors Council conference. He is also a member of the Wor-Wic’s Alpha Nu Omicron chapter of Phi Theta Kappa national honor society.
Norris owns Studio Framing in Berlin, where he hand carves and gilds frames for artists and galleries. When he down-sized his business a few years ago, he decided to begin working on his bachelor’s degree.
Norris plans transfer to Salisbury University after graduating from Wor-Wic in May of 2012.
Norris’ interests include volunteering with a local addiction recovery group, tutoring English, practicing Tai Chi Chuan and sailing.
Two annual awards, one for a community college student and one for a four-year college student, were endowed by Dr. John Portz, former director of the honors program at the University of Maryland College Park, through the Maryland Collegiate Honors Council (MCHC). Dr. John and his wife, Edith, created the Portz award to honor the achievements of honors students in Maryland, their home state. Every higher education institution in the state that is an MCHC member can nominate one student as a candidate for the annual award.
Norris is the ninth Wor-Wic student to receive the Portz award in the past 14 years.
“No other school has had as many Portz award recipients as Wor-Wic,” said Dr. Ray Hoy, president of Wor-Wic. “This speaks volumes for the quality of our honors program.”
Nicole Bata received the award in 2010, Cassandra Dasher in 2009, Valerie Edwards in 2006, Joy Andrews-Hooker in 2005, Jordan Nichols in 2004 and Kimberlee Bermont in 2003. Other former Wor-Wic student recipients were Mary Chalanick in 2000 and Robin Finley in 1998.