Black River Technical College (BRTC) has named Derek Clements, chair of the Social Sciences Department, its 2026 Outstanding Faculty Member, and Erin Mathews, admissions counselor/recruiter, its 2026 Outstanding Staff Member.

Dr. Clements has spent nearly his entire career teaching history in Northeast Arkansas, where he was raised and educated. He has taught at BRTC for 15 years and spent 15 years before that teaching high school. He also serves as the college’s History Concurrent Credit Liaison.

An enthusiastic world traveler, Clements brings his experiences into the classroom, using his own travels and photography to bring history to life for his students. Beyond BRTC, he has served on the Board of Trustees for the Arkansas Historical Association and the Board of Directors for the Arkansas Humanities Council.

Mathews grew up the oldest of three on her family’s cattle farm, where her leadership skills first took root. She and her husband, Greg, still live on the farm.

She earned an associate degree in business with honors from BRTC in 2005 and went on to build a career alongside a long record of community service. She has served as president of the Randolph County Chamber of Commerce and as president of the local Rotary Club. She was also named Rotary’s Assistant Governor of the Year for 2023-2024 while serving as an assistant district governor.

The recognitions are nominated and voted for by BRTC faculty and staff, and then awarded by Arkansas Community Colleges. The honors recognize one faculty member and one staff member from each of the state’s community colleges.

For more information about Arkansas Community Colleges, visit https://www.arkansascc.org/.