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Carmen Shurtleff
Instructor of Sociology and Social Work
Department: Social Work
Phone: 903-434-8307
Email: cshurtleff@ntcc.edu
Office: H-128C

Carmen Shurtleff is a life time resident of Texas. Graduating from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1996, Carmen attended Texas A&M University – Commerce where she earned her Bachelor of Social Work in 2001 followed by her Master of Social Work in 2004. In 2018, Carmen returned to her alma mater to study Sociology where she earned an additional 18 graduate hours in the field.

Carmen is currently serving as full time faculty member with �������� (NTCC) where she teaches in the area of Sociology and Social Work. In addition to her teaching role, Carmen serves as Faculty Advisor for the NTCC Social Work Club, and Director of the Eagle Food Pantry. In 2019, Carmen secured the Innovation Solutions for Hunger Relief and Student Success grant which assist students with food insecurities at ��������.

Carmen has worked for Texas A&M University – Texarkana as Academic Advisor. She has worked in several different position at NTCC including Communities in Schools as CIS Coordinator, Director of Students Activities for NTCC and Grant Coordinator. In her position as Grant Coordinator Carmen has secured over 2.1 million dollars in grant money for ��������. In addition, Carmen works for Texas A&M University – Commerce as Adjunct Instructor at both the undergraduate and graduate level. She has over 15 years of dedicated service in the area of higher education.

Carmen’s on going passion is serving others! She believes in hard work, integrity, and celebrating cultural differences. Carmen enjoys traveling abroad, linguistics, self-care, and environmentally friendly practices. Outside of her professional role, Carmen’s biggest commitment is to her two children, Caeden and Daniela.

Dixie Anders
Associate Faculty
Department: Social Work
Phone: 903-434-8255
Email: danders@ntcc.edu

Hello!! My name is Dixie Diane Anders. This is my twenty-fifth (wow!!) year at NTCC. I am a part-time, associate professor. I recently retired from my twenty-two year, full-time employment at Pittsburg High School where I taught sociology, special topics, psychology, U.S. History, World History, World Geography, and even one year of Spanish I. Before P.H.S. I taught sociology and social problems for two years as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas A & M at Commerce. I have not been a teacher all my life ~~ I changed careers midlife. I worked for fourteen years in law enforcement as a dispatcher and report writer for two police agencies in southern California. Before that ~ I assisted the Fire Marshall and taught CPR, emergency first aid, conducted inspections, and helped set-up fire escape plans in homes and businesses for two fire departments.

I was born and raised in southern California. My father was stationed in Orange County as a gunnery sergeant with the Marine Corps (Oo-rah!!) and my mother worked as a civilian with the military. I have an older brother (who very recently passed away) and a younger sister who I nick-named "Wonder Buns" (long story!!). I was a flower child of the 1960's. I still love to wear flowers in my hair and I still have my many strands of "love-beads"!! All of my public education was in California, as well as my first two years of college completed at the California State University at Fullerton. I moved to Texas thirty years ago to recover from cancer treatments and to be closer to family. I finished my college education at the University of Texas A&M at Commerce where I earned a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in sociology. I also earned four different, life-term teaching credentials. I currently live in Leesburg on land I inherited from my mother and her parents. I live with six cats, 2 dogs (my guardians!), and more squirrels and rabbits than I can count.

I've never been married...…….but I've been engaged three times!! Which means I have some lovely rings since the break-ups were never my fault. The cancer meant no children, hence, the furr-babies. I suppose I have two claims-to-fame. One is that for two years I worked at Disneyland in Anaheim, California as I finished high school and started college. Fun fact, Disneyland and I premiered to world the same month and year ~~ August 1955. The other claim is that in 1978 I went on the game show "Hollywood Squares" in Los Angeles, California. I won over 35,000.00 plus prizes, which, at 23 years of age, was a brilliant experience.

I thoroughly adore working with my students. Especially when many of them say to me, at the end of a semester, that they have come to enjoy the science of sociology!!!!!