Robert Knox, a CIS computer support specialist student attending Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) has been selected as the college’s 2014 GOAL Award winner. The Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) is a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) that honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students. GOAL winners are selected at each of the state’s 24 technical colleges as well as one Board of Regent college with a technical education division.

Stephen Bullock, an Automotive Industrial Technologies instructor, has been named the 2014 Instructor of the Year for GPTC, and will receive the Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Education.

As GPTC winners, Knox and Bullock now advance to regional competitions. Regional finalists will compete for state awards, which will be announced April 24.

In addition to being selected GPTC’s GOAL Winner, Knox is a member of the President’s List and the Dean’s List. An Air Force veteran, he is an active veterans advocate and also enjoys volunteering with the Lilburn Cooperative Ministries, the Hispanic American Advisory Committee and the Youth Soccer League. His hobbies include "coin collecting and chess problems." Knox was selected from among 10 semifinalists and four finalists.

Bullock has been an instructor at GPTC for three years. A SkillsUSA Adviser, he also teaches at the College and Career Academy in Newton County. He currently has 45 ASE automotive industry certifications and is a member of the North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) and the International Association of Technicians (IATN), and is a former member of the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP) technical committee. In his spare time, he enjoys restoring and building automobiles. A father of four, he served in Operation Desert Storm as a member of the U.S. Navy.

"We are very pleased to have Robert Knox and Stephen Bullock as our award recipients," said Dr. Jabari Simama, president of GPTC.

Finalists for both GOAL and Rick Perkins awards are interviewed by a panel of judges representing business, civic, industry and higher education leaders in Georgia. Selection criteria include teaching experience and innovative learning techniques, leadership and community involvement, and a strong commitment to the technical education mission of the TCSG.