The Georgia Perimeter College 2014 Cole Fellow award winner is regarded widely as an educator among educators. Yet recipient Michael Bradley humbly sees himself as both teacher and student.

“Early in my career, it became clear to me that teaching well is an art with an extended apprenticeship,” he says. “While I have made significant progress as a teacher, I have much to learn.”

Even so, Bradley, an online philosophy and religion instructor, is taking time to celebrate the distinction of being this year’s Cole Fellow. Named for former college president Dr. Marvin Cole, the award spotlights a professor with exemplary dedication to teaching, scholarship and serving students and the college community. It is considered the highest teaching distinction at the college.

Part of the honor includes carrying the traditional mace during commencement, as Bradley did at GPC’s recent graduation ceremony. In addition, he’ll lead various discipline-related and professional development sessions for faculty and staff over the next year.

Andrea Scott Morgan, GPC Online department chair for arts and humanities, is among those who nominated Bradley for the prestigious award. She calls Bradley one of GPC’s “most outstanding faculty members,” while acknowledging his role in growing the online program. Bradley, she says, designed common-course templates and established online policies and practices for Georgia Perimeter, in accordance with Quality Matters standards.

“QM standards are industry-approved standards for online course design,” Morgan explains. “He…is now considered a Quality Matters reviewer and expert.”

Students are equally enthusiastic about Bradley as an online instructor. Nicole Johnson admits being somewhat afraid of religions outside her own before taking Bradley’s class.

“I chose to research a religion that actually intimidated me,” she says of the service-learning and research project Bradley requires of students. “Had he not pushed me to step outside of the box and challenge myself, I would have probably taken the easy path and stayed in my comfort zone.”

Over the past few years, the tenure-track professor also has been instrumental in procuring grants for the college, some in collaboration with GPC’s library staff. One of the most recent, from the National Endowment for the Humanities, enabled Bradley to lead a series of discussions on Muslim life and culture.

Two years ago, Bradley and Georgia Perimeter professor Marilyn Otroszko began participating in an NEH-sponsored program at Chicago’s Newberry Library that focused on religious pluralism in America and resulted in a project, “Atlanta: Religious History, Religious Diversity,” which is housed online.

Bradley is married to Emory professor Elizabeth Bounds and is preparing to defend his Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David next year.