Colby Community College faculty member Dr. Jeffrey Sekavec has been inducted into Marquis Who’s Who. In all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals are selected based on current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are considered during selection.

Dr. Sekavec has been affiliated with his alma mater, Colby Community College (CCC), since 2017. He also serves as the institution’s emergency response team chair and coordinator since 2018 and as the STEM division chair for all science courses since 2022. Employed by CCC on and off since 2006, Dr. Sekavec was an assistant instructor teaching chemistry with the late Dr. Max Pickerill, formerly of the Manhattan Project, and rose to chemistry instructor and adjunct instructor from 2012 to 2014 before returning to the campus three years later. He specializes in biology, microbiology, and antibiotic resistance.

Apart from his commitments in the classroom, Dr. Sekavec is also known for his work with select governmental entities, carrying a badge and overseeing bioterrorism and biological events and training as a bioterror and management consultant since 2014.

As a researcher, Dr. Sekavec has contributed articles to various professional publications on antimicrobial agents and antibiotic/antimicrobial resistance. He has also conducted studies on first responders, disaster management, and leadership model applications in law enforcement. Additionally, Dr. Sekavec had the opportunity to participate as an invited speaker at the 2016-2017 Dr. Max Pickerill Lecture Series hosted by CCC.

During an earlier stage of his career, Dr. Sekavec worked for Fort Hays State University as a graduate teaching and graduate research assistant from 2010 to 2013 and as a laboratory manager of its Western Kansas Center for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics between 2012 and 2013 while pursuing his graduate degree in microbiology. Previously, he gained experience as a communications and training officer at the Oakley Police Department from 2009 to 2014, which leveraged his ability to work in consulting.

On behalf of his local community, Dr. Sekavec has been active in giving to various veteran organizations and was the vice chair of the Local Area Emergency Planning Commission for several years. He also worked with a western Kansas county to open a first responder gym, where he was influential in getting the building ready and obtaining various donated pieces of workout equipment.

Dr. Sekavec was raised in Asia as a child of a military family. He subsequently served in the U.S. Air Force from 1999 to 2002. Dr. Sekavec graduated from Colby Community College in 2004 with an Associate of Science in Chemistry, Bethany College in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, and Fort Hays State University in 2013 with a Master of Science in Microbiology. He also received a Doctor of Management in Homeland Security from Colorado Technical University in 2016. Additionally, Dr. Sekavec received a multitude of designations in his field through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Aviation Administration, and CompTIA.

To further ensure his place at the forefront of his profession, Dr. Sekavec is a member of the American Society for Microbiology. He is also a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Air Force Association, and the American Legion as a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

In light of his accomplishments, Dr. Sekavec was honored to receive the coveted Tangeman Award for Teaching Excellence in 2022 from Colby Community College, awarded to the outstanding instructor of the year. He was previously recognized as a Collegiate All-American Scholar award winner by the U.S. Achievement Academy, and inducted into the Beta Beta Beta National Honor Society of the Biological Sciences and Beta Tau Sigma, a chemical sciences honor society. Most honorably, Dr. Sekavec was asked by a former student to pin his lieutenant bar on his uniform at his commissioning ceremony in May 2023.