Alina
Sorescu
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Year Awarded: 2011
Dr. Alina Sorescu holds a B.S. in Mathematics from University of Bucharest, a Master of Statistics from University of Florida and Ph.D. in Business Administration from University of Houston. Dr. Sorescu's research focuses on radical innovations, product portfolio decisions, branding, acquisitions and alliances, business models and measuring the financial value of marketing actions. Her research appears in the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Advertising and the Journal of Advertising Research. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Marketing. She is the recipient of research and teaching awards such as the Academy of Marketing Science Mary Kay Dissertation Award, the American Marketing Association John A. Howard Dissertation Award, the Montague Center for Teaching Excellence Scholar Award and The Association of Former Students’ College Level Distinguished Teaching Award. Dr. Sorescu teaches an undergraduate marketing research class, a research for marketing decision Master-level class and a doctoral seminar in econometric methods and multivariate techniques. In her nine years at Texas A&M she has chaired or co-chaired three doctoral dissertations, has been a member on four doctoral dissertation committees and has conducted research with many other doctoral students. She was invited by the Doctoral Student in Marketing SIG to serve as a mentor at the AMA Winter Educator's Conference. She also enjoys keeping up with her former undergraduate and MS students and occasionally assisting them with the marketing research projects that they are involved in after graduation.
A former student wrote, “She was approachable and made you feel very welcome, which is a rarity to find among college professors. When I would go to see her during office hours, 1 felt like I was chatting with a friend…. This provided my group with such a feeling of encouragement and a drive to learn!”
Another former student commented, “There is tremendous benefit to the rigors of her classroom because she is teaching her students how to methodically approach problems and think for themselves; the end result is a thorough understanding of her material and, more importantly, legitimate preparation for the business world.”
College: Mays Business School
Award Level: Teaching
Jim
Varni
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Year Awarded: 2011
Dr. Jim Varni has been a Professor at Texas A&M University since January 2003. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Society of Pediatric Psychology, and has published over 250 peer-reviewed research journal articles and numerous book chapters in pediatric behavioral medicine, and four books on children and families. He is a recipient of the Significant Research Contributions Award from the American Psychological Association. His areas of expertise are measurement instrument development, conceptual models and cognitive-behavior therapy interventions in pediatric chronic health conditions. During the past 30 years he has developed and field-tested the items comprising the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), which is being utilized internationally in research and clinical trials to measure health-related quality of life of children. The PedsQL has been translated into over 75 international languages worldwide, and there are over 550 peer-reviewed research journal publications on the PedsQL on approximately 120,000 children worldwide in the past decade. The PedsQL is the only empirically derived health-related quality of life instrument that has demonstrated databased evidence that children as young as 5 years of age, when given an age appropriate measure, can self-report their health-related quality of life. He is also conducting research and evaluation projects into the healing environment of children's hospitals, focusing on the effect of the built and natural environment on child, parent, and staff outcomes as a basis for evidence-based architectural design for pediatric healthcare facilities, including pediatric healing gardens.
Members from the College of Architecture Leadership team wrote “Dr. Varni has been instrumental in ‘hearing the voices of children’ in matters of their health and well-being. Using a sophisticated combination of state-of-the-art measurement science and clinical expertise (he practiced clinically as a pediatric psychologist for 20 years), Dr. Varni has opened up the opportunity for children with cerebral palsy and brain tumors to self-report on their health-related quality of life. Before Dr. Varni's clinical research, no quality of life measures existed that demonstrated that these children with severe chronic conditions could voice their perspectives on their health and well-being to their parents or healthcare professions.
College: Architecture
Award Level: Research
Lisa
Whittlesey '89
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Year Awarded: 2011
Ms. Lisa Whittlesey received her bachelor and master’s degrees in horticulture from Texas A&M University and has been employed by AgriLife Extension for 20 years. The primary focus of her work is providing leadership and management for the Junior Master Gardener® (JMG) program, which “ignites a passion for learning, success, and service through a unique gardening experience." Under her leadership, the JMG program was created and trademarked in 1999. The program is a recognized 4-H curriculum project and targets youth ages 9 to18. By 2000, the program had 50 JMG groups in Texas, representing over 3,500 children. In 2010, children enrolled in the JMG program numbered more than 260,000. She has received several honors, including the Superior Service Award, the highest award presented by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Her grants total more than $6.2 million from organizations such as Houston Endowment, Meadows Foundation, Dora Roberts Foundation, Heep Foundation, Minute-Maid, Inc., and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). That includes a $5 million 2011 grant from the new USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, for which she serves as a coinvestigator. In 2009, Ms. Whittlesey was contacted by the Office of the First Lady, Michelle Obama, to provide information about the JMG program to her staff. The children who participated in the much-publicized White House Kitchen Garden were in fact youth who participated in the JMG program conducted by Washington, DC Cooperative Extension at local elementary schools.
One colleague wrote, “Perhaps the most important vision she has realized is proving the value and educational impact of the JMG curriculum and activities on youth. Millions of children, millions of dollars, and highly-recognized programming are not enough in today's environment of accountability. She has helped guide and support research to measure the impact of JMG on children. Research faculties at Texas A&M University, Purdue University, and Louisiana State University have shown increased science achievement among children in schools using the JMG program.”
College: Texas AgriLife Extension Service
Award Level: Extension, Outreach, Continuing Education, and Pro
Patsy
Witter
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Year Awarded: 2011
Ms. Patsy Witter has served the Galveston campus since March of 2002. She is instrumental in the day to day operations of the largest academic department on campus. As the department front line, she is the primary interface for all students, prospective students and their families, faculty, and staff. She is a dedicated employee who performs above expectations but also goes beyond her job scope to care for the students, faculty, and the campus community. She has the broad and unanimous support of the faculty. During Hurricane Ike, Ms. Witter consistently served above the level of any expectation. She relocated to College Station for the full duration where she served as the administrative support for all faculties in the area. She was often the sole point of coordination to maintain office, faculty, and class schedules, which was no small feat with classes tucked in churches, dinning halls, classrooms, and even museums as well as faculty transiting between the campuses. She coordinated office supplies, copies, test proctors, parking issues, amongst many other important matters which were escalated in difficulty due to the extreme situation. More importantly, she created a port in the storm that offered both her students and her faculty a sense of continuity and stability.
The department head of Marine Biology at Texas A&M University-Galveston wrote, “I have observed Patsy's student interactions and am amazed at the patience and sincerity that comes forth. She displays a ‘motherly demeanor’ in guiding students most times, but if the situation warrants, will gently scold them while pointing out the error of their ways. Even when other advisors are immediately available, I have seen students wait for an hour or more to see ‘Ms. Patsy’. When a recent illness kept her out of the office, the concern of students for her well-being was very evident as judged by their numerous inquiries to the MARE office.
College: Texas A&M University at Galveston
Award Level: Staff
Ryland
Young
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Year Awarded: 2011
Dr. Ryland F. Young III earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 1975 for his studies as an NSF Pre-doctoral Fellow at U.T. Dallas and MIT, bracketing service as a line officer in the U.S. Navy during the Viet Nam era. After a NIH Post-doctoral Fellowship at Harvard, his 33 years at Texas A&M began in 1978 as an Assistant Professor in Medical Biochemistry in the College of Medicine, after which he transferred to his current department, Biochemistry and Biophysics in 1986. Dr. Young’s research, focused on the molecular biology of bacteriophages, the viruses of bacteria, has resulted in more than 120 publications and book chapters, as well as in excess of 125 invited talks at conferences, universities and biotechnology industry sites. He was the first COALS recipient of an NIH MERIT Award and has been honored as a TAES Faculty Fellow as well as the Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement in Research Award. Elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Science and also the Academy Society for Microbiology, he has served as Editor of the Journal of Bacteriology. He is currently the Sadie Hatfield Professor of Agriculture and Director of the Center for Phage Technology, a translational science center created in 2010 by the System Board of Regents.
He has taught undergraduates, graduate students, and medical students in a variety of courses, including Medical Biochemistry, for which he was selected as Instructor of the year in 1982, General Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics. He is now teaching a nationally-unique undergraduate course in viral genomics funded by the National Science Foundation. Twenty-six students have earned Masters or Doctorates under his mentorship and have gone on to careers in teaching, business, biotechnology, and research, including individuals now holding faculty positions at Harvard and Imperial College London.
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Teaching
Asghar
Zardkoohi
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Year Awarded: 2011
Dr. Asghar Zardkoohi is the T.J. Barlow Professor of Business Administration in the Department of Management at Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. He came to Texas A&M in 1981. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of organizational architecture, corporate governance, decision making, business and public policy, industrial organization, financial intermediaries, and law and economics. His current research interests are in corporate governance, decision making under uncertainty, and executive compensation. His research has appeared in a variety of academic journals including American Economic Review; Journal of Finance; Journal of Law and Economics; Northwestern Law Review; Economic Inquiry; Journal of Banking and Finance; Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization; Harvard Journal on Legislation; Strategic Management Journal; and Academy of Management Review. He has received numerous teaching awards at Mays Business School, Texas A&M University: Mays Teaching Fellowship Award, 2010; Mays Teaching Performance Award, 2010; Executive MBA Teaching Excellence Award, 2009; Mays Business School MBA Teaching Excellence Award, 2009; Mays Business School, Executive MBA Faculty Recognition Award for Teaching, 2006; Association of Former Students, Mays Business School, Distinguished Teaching Award, 2003; Association of Former Students, Mays Business School, Distinguished Teaching Award, 1989. Dr. Zardkoohi team teaches a course on the economic analysis of contract law at EDHEC, a business school in Lille/Nice, France. In addition, he teaches an executive class in Saudi Arabia for Aramco's executives, at the company's Headquarters in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. He has received research grants from NASA, the American Banking Association, AT&T, and the Small Business Administration. He has won the Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University Distinguished Research Award, 1985. He is a Research Fellow at Texas A&M University's Private Enterprise Research Center
College: Mays Business School
Award Level: Teaching
Cheryl
Bridges
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Year Awarded: 2012
Cheryl Bridges joined the Mays Business School in 2003 as associate director of the Center for Retailing Studies (CRS), and as the instructor for a course in retail merchandising. Mrs. Bridges holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Woman’s University.
Before joining the Aggie family, she spent more than 25 years as a senior executive in the retailing industry. Throughout her career, Mrs. Bridges was commended for her ability to train future executives, many of whom are now at the CEO and vice president levels of major corporations. This love of teaching coupled with her retailing experience led her to Texas A&M and the Mays Business School.
As a member of the faculty in the Department of Marketing, Mrs. Bridges enjoys a reputation as an outstanding teacher who upholds high academic standards, is demanding of her students, and demonstrates a high level of commitment, dedication, and passion for teaching. She is also known to be remarkably effective in motivating students to be eager and committed learners. Her students say she is a gifted teacher, who really helps her students to understand not only the course material but how it applies to the real world of retailing. Her level of enthusiasm is amazing and it is clear to see that she loves what she is teaching.
In a letter of support, one of her colleagues says, “Cheryl Bridges is the consummate educator. Blessed with a high level of intelligence and with twenty five years of industry experience, Cheryl is absolutely wonderful in the classroom and as a resource for students. She always has time for students and takes advantage of every opportunity to teach.” Summing up, he writes “From her own outstanding classroom teaching to the outstanding teaching she provides from retail executives, the retailing education our students receive is unmatched anywhere in the world.”
College: Mays Business School
Award Level: Teaching
Marcetta
Darensbourg
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Year Awarded: 2012
At an early age Marcetta Darensbourg discovered science to be a passion that led her to pursue graduate studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana. After earning her Ph.D. in chemistry, academic appointments followed and she eventually rose through the ranks at Tulane University. In 1982, she and her husband joined the faculty at Texas A&M’s College of Science where she built a strong research program in synthetic and mechanistic organometallic chemistry while mentoring nearly 50 graduate students through to Ph.D. status. In addition, she has mentored 13 post-doctoral fellows and has regularly hosted international visiting scientists and exchange students.
Dr. Darensbourg has lectured worldwide and has served as editor-in-chief and co-editor of several inorganic source materials, including a textbook in general chemistry. She has also published more than 220 peer-reviewed journal articles. Her vitae and list of publications attest to her active research career. Although her leadership in research is a major legacy, her most visible “product” is the raft of graduate students who are enjoying successful careers in academia and other professions in the chemical community.
As a testament to her mentoring capabilities, former students write in glowing terms about Dr. Darensbourg’s energy and enthusiasm for her students and profession. One says, “Although my days as a student have been over for many years, Marcetta continues to be a mentor to me as well as to her other former students.” Another says, “Every day I aspire to provide the same supportive but rigorous mentoring that Marcetta gave to me. She instilled in me a thirst for quality, and an appreciation for the sublime in science and in my life. I feel quite lucky to have a mentor of her dedication at a crucial stage of my life.”
College: Science
Award Level: Graduate Mentoring
Kim
Dunbar
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Year Awarded: 2012
Kim Dunbar earned her Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1984 and was a postdoctoral research associate at Texas A&M in 1985-86. She has been a member of the Texas A&M faculty since 1999 and is the Davidson Professor of Science in the College of Science. Her research program spans several areas of interest in fundamental and applied research. The projects are in three general areas: magnetic and electronic molecular materials, supramolecular chemistry of anions, and metal complexes in medicinal applications.
During her distinguished career as an inorganic chemist, she has published more than 300 articles in top-tier journals and the mentored more than a hundred undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting students and scholars. These numbers include 29 Ph.D. students and 6 master’s students who have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry.
Dr. Dunbar is one of the most productive inorganic chemists in the world with 9,380 citations to her credit. In addition to her research, she is a very conscientious member of the scientific community, playing a major role in national and international professional activities. She is recognized throughout the world both for her creativity and excellence in research and for her energetic participation in meetings, professional organizations, and the publication of research.
Dr. Dunbar has received many honors and awards for teaching and research. To name a few, she received the premier Teaching Award for freshman chemistry from Michigan State University, a Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, a Sigma Xi Research Award, and two NSF Creativity Extension Awards. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Chemical Society. She is the first woman in the College of Science at Texas A&M to be named a Chaired Professor.
College: Science
Award Level: Research
Mahoud
El-Halwagi
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Year Awarded: 2012
Mahoud El-Halwagi has served as professor and holder of the McFerrin Professorship in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering in the Dwight Look College of Engineering since July 2002. He earned his Ph.D. from UCLA. Dr. El-Halwagi is known for his seminal contributions in the development of novel educational concepts, principles, and tools in the areas of sustainable design and process integration.
Dr. El-Halwagi demonstrates a remarkable level of dedication to his students, using a variety of methods to reach each and every student. His pioneering efforts have been recognized with numerous awards for teaching and scholarship, including the Faculty of the Year Award from the Texas A&M University Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Research Excellence Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Sustainable Engineering Forum, and the Excellence in Engineering Teaching Award from Lockheed Martin.
Dr. El-Halwagi believes in teaching his students as individuals. In a letter of support, a colleague remarked that it is common to see groups of students in and around Dr. El-Halwagi’s office, waiting to ask a question or receive personalized instruction. Here is a sampling of what students have to say about Dr. El-Halwagi in their evaluations of his teaching. “He helps unconditionally; spends hours explaining materials if needed.” “Dr. El-Halwagi is one of the best professors I have ever had. He is able to get the concepts across and really makes the class understandable. I applaud him for a job well done.” “He is very concerned with whether the students really understand the questions. He is always willing to take time to help a student. He is a great professor.” And, “He has really made a positive impact on my life.”
College: Engineering
Award Level: Teaching
Tatiana
Erukhimova
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Year Awarded: 2012
Tatiana Erukhimova, earned her Ph.D. from the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1999, and came to Texas A&M in 2001 as a postdoctoral research associate, later an assistant research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences in the College of Geosciences. She joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Science in 2006. During the first part of her teaching career she taught “Atmospheric Thermodynamics: Elementary Physics and Chemistry.” She now teaches first year physics for engineers. In addition, she teaches physics during the summer for the LEEP program, which helps incoming engineering freshman prepare for their freshman year.
Dr. Erukhimova also serves as the outreach coordinator for the Department of Physics and Astronomy. For the past five years she has organized and run the annual Physics Festival that annually attracts several thousand people of all ages to campus for an entertaining and informative day of lectures and funny, puzzling, and fascinating hands-on experiments. She also has developed the traveling Physics Show and makes presentations to off-campus organizations, ranging from elementary school classes to adult clubs and former students groups. Needless to say, Dr. Erukhimova is in high demand as a speaker at local schools, libraries, and summer camps.
Students know Dr. Erukhimova for her passion and enthusiasm for teaching, as well as for being generous with her time helping them outside the classroom. She brings creative demonstrations to class; she posts old tests on her website—with the solutions; and she is constantly introducing novel ways to explain difficult concepts. One student concludes her letter of support like this “I learned more than just physics during my freshman year in Dr. Erukhimova’s classes: I learned vital study skills, and gained an incredible role model and mentor.”
College: Science
Award Level: Teaching
Fidel
Fernandez '02
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Year Awarded: 2012
Fidel Fernandez has been a senior academic advisor with the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the Dwight Look College of Engineering for the past 13 years. He previously served as an academic advisor with General Academic Programs and in the Department of Student Affairs and in the Office of Graduate Studies. He earned his Ph.D. in educational administration from Texas A&M in 1987.
Students, colleagues, and parents have described Dr. Fernandez’s advising and individual student attention as caring, inspiring, compassionate, high quality, enthusiastic, dedicated, engaging, resourceful, resilient, and overall very helpful. He distinguishes himself through his leadership, personal interest, and demonstrated willingness to meet the needs of the students he advises. He works well with all stakeholders: students, parents, faculty, and administrators.
As senior academic advisor he works with more than 450 undergraduate students and assists with nearly 90 graduate students. He also plans undergraduate field trips and assists with data collection for program evaluation. He has even filled in as the receptionist when the department was short staffed. Outside the office, he advises A-Battery in the Corps of Cadets.
The accolades for Dr. Fernandez’ service to students is amazing! Here are a few examples. The students in the department have created a blog and named it “Fidel is the Man.” One student’s father claimed that his daughter chose A&M on the strength of hearing just one of Fidel’s presentations. The department receives several letters and emails each semester from parents expressing appreciation for the work and personal attention that Fidel has given their sons, daughters, and/or them. From all the evidence, Dr. Fernandez’ dedication, time, and effort toward student growth is clearly demonstrated and goes above and beyond the call of duty, regardless of the measure used.
College: Engineering
Award Level: Individual Student Relationships
Edward
Fry
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Year Awarded: 2012
Ed Fry is the George P. Mitchell Professor of Physics and Associate Head for Development in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Science. He was Department Head for almost ten years. He has been employed in the department for 42.5 years. Dr. Fry is a recognized international leader in the foundations of quantum mechanics, in experimental laser physics, and in studies of light scattering phenomena. He is the author of more than 100 publications and has a long record of external funding. He is an excellent research mentor; 19 students have received the Ph.D. under his supervision. He is a Fellow of both the American Physical Society and the Optical Society of America. He was awarded the EG&G medal of the Society for Optical and Quantum Electronics and received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Texas A&M chapter of the Society of Sigma Xi.
As Department Head, Dr. Fry led a major resurgence of the department—dramatic increases in the number of faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and endowed chairs, as well as a new Physics building and the establishment of a new Astronomy program. His accomplishments are nothing short of exceptional. He played a major role in hiring two senior Nobel Prize winners and several leading faculty members in Astronomy. Overall, the department hired 25 tenured/tenure track faculty members during his term as Department Head. In addition, graduate enrollment increased by about 50 percent and external research funding increased by 81 percent. The number of endowed chairs increased from 2 to 12.
Ed Fry is recognized among administrators for his enthusiasm and tenacity, which have played a major role in his noteworthy successes. In short, he changed the culture in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in ways that simply do not appear in other departments.
College: Science
Award Level: Administration
Barbara
Gastel
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Year Awarded: 2012
Barbara Gastel has been a faculty member at Texas A&M for 22 years, currently serving as a faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Specializing in biomedical writing and editing, she coordinates the master’s program in science and technology journalism. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Yale and M.D. and master of public health degrees from The Johns Hopkins University, she completed an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) mass media fellowship at Newsweek. She then worked at the National Institutes of Health, taught science writing at MIT, and spent two years as a visiting professor at Peking University Health Science Center.
Dr. Gastel is contributing in a unique and extraordinary capacity to national and international outreach and professional development in science communication. She does so by writing textbooks in wide circulation, articles that help working scientists practice science communication, presenting workshops at professional meetings, and training graduate students for careers in science writing. More importantly, she has pioneered programs that teach science writing and editing to researchers and medical professionals not only in the United States but also in China, Mexico, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Rwanda, Ghana, and other developing nations. Her work has increased the ability of scientists around the world to share their research with each other across language barriers and to communicate science effectively to the public.
Dr. Gastel has accomplished more in the realm of science editing than nearly any other person. As such, she was recognized by the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences as an Honored Editor in the Life Sciences. This award is given to individuals who have distinguished themselves in the field. Only three other individuals have received this award since its establishment 17 years ago.
College: Veterinary Medicine
Award Level: Extension, Outreach, Continuing Education, and Pro
R. Duane
Ireland
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Year Awarded: 2012
Duane Ireland joined the faculty of Texas A&M’s Mays Business School in July 2005 and holds the Conn Chair in New Ventures Leadership. He earned his Ph.D. from Texas Tech University. He has authored or co-authored more than 20 books and published more than 90 articles in journals, such as the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Executive, Strategic Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Decision Sciences, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practices, and the Journal of Business Venturing.
Dr. Ireland is one of the premier scholarly contributors in strategy, entrepreneurship, and management. In fact, his research has been instrumental in creating the field of strategic entrepreneurship. Through his research, he has highlighted the crucial relationships between privatization, globalization, and corporate entrepreneurship and spurred the launch of a new journal dedicated to the study of these topics, the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal.
He is the Vice-President Elect and Program Chair of the Academy of Management, a world-wide association with close to 20,000 members. Previously, he served as a member of the Academy’s Board of Governors, as a member of its Executive Committee, and as Secretary of its Business Policy and Strategy Division. He recently completed service as the Editor of the Academy of Management Journal and also has served as an Associate Editor for Academy of Management Journal and for the Academy of Management Executive and as a Consulting Editor for Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice.
He is a Fellow of the Academy of Management, a Fellow of the Strategic Management Society, a Research Fellow in the Global Entrepreneurship Consortium, and a Falcone Fellow in Entrepreneurship. He has been a frequently invited participant for doctoral and new faculty consortia for the Business Policy and Strategy and Entrepreneurship Divisions of the Academy of Management.
College: Mays Business School
Award Level: Research
Timothy
Jacobs
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Year Awarded: 2012
Timothy Jacobs earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 2005 and joined the faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the Dwight Look College of Engineering in September 2006. His teaching interests include thermodynamics, internal combustion engines, and experimental methods. He is currently involved in a major redesign of the content and structure for the first course on thermodynamics that will improve students’ understanding of entropy and available energy.
Dr. Jacobs is the recipient of numerous teaching and research awards, including the Montague/CTE Scholars Award, the John Weese Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Texas A&M Chapter of Pi Tau Sigma, the Peggy L. and Charles L. Brittan Teaching Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching, and the Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award from SAE International.
Dr. Jacob’s effectiveness as a teacher is driven by the three pillars of his teaching philosophy: clear, organized lectures that forge a professional atmosphere between educator and students; linking concepts and applications that enable career-long retention; and modeling techniques and strategies for learning that help students become life-long learners.
In testament to his dedication, one of his students writes, “He is the most organized, well-spoken, knowledgeable, and personable professors I have come in contact with thus far at A&M. His teaching methods are beyond what any student will expect and the structure of our class was unbeatable. He is truly a wonderful professor who is very concerned with his students learning the materials.” Another student writes, “Excellent professor, always open to questions and deeply cares that his students are learning and enjoying the material. I feel like I learned and retained the most than from any course I have taken.”
His nominator concludes that he is looking forward to Dr. Jacobs’ continued development as an educator and a scholar.
College: Engineering
Award Level: Teaching
Yue
Kuo
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Year Awarded: 2012
Yue Kuo joined the faculty of the Department of Chemical Engineering in the Dwight Look College of Engineering in 1998. He is the Dow Professor of Chemical Engineering and holds joint appointments in the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering. Dr. Kuo earned a doctorate in engineering science from Columbia University in 1979. Before coming to Texas A&M he served in industry for nearly 20 years.
Dr. Kuo's research concentrates on nano and microelectronics with special interests in semiconductor materials, processes, and devices as well as thin films and plasma technology. In his thin film nano and microelectronics research laboratory, he develops new materials, novel processes, and advanced devices with the ultimate goal of creating high-performance, highly reliable, manufacturable devices for current and future applications. The results of his research are published in technical papers, proceedings, and patents. Many of his publications are credited as being among the most downloaded, editor selected, poster awarded, or news media quoted papers. His technical contributions have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, such as the Electrochemical Society’s Electronics and Photonics Division award and IBM awards. He is a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society and the IEEE Electron Devices Society.
As a leader in the worldwide thin film transistor and related solid-state community, Dr. Kuo has been very active in the Electrochemical Society and other professional organizations for 25 years. In addition he has been involved in organizing or chairing 70 international conferences. He is a much sought after speaker who has delivered nearly 130 keynote, plenary, and invited speeches to audiences at international conferences, universities and research and development centers around the world.
College: Engineering
Award Level: Research
Kerry
Litzenberg
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Year Awarded: 2012
Kerry Litzenberg joined the faculty of Texas A&M’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 1979 after earning a Ph.D. from Purdue University. During his tenure at Texas A&M, he has taught more than 10,000 students and has received numerous teaching awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Association of Agricultural Economics and the national teaching award from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. His love of teaching has led him to present to university, national, and international groups and to publish several journal articles about the scholarship of teaching.
A colleague comments that over the years he has had numerous opportunities to observe and participate in classroom sessions with Dr. Litzenberg. He says that three aspects of Dr. Litzenberg’s teaching stand out. First, he uses an interactive approach, encouraging students to participate, question and debate the concepts presented. Second the concepts are presented and explained in a true-to-life context that facilitates understanding and retention. And, third, and most importantly, he provides a high level of out-of-class support to facilitate student learning.
A student writes that Dr. Litzenberg conveys his dedication and enthusiasm in all that he does. He is always willing to help, whether explaining information related to a homework assignment or speaking at leadership forum for students. The student describes Dr. Litzenberg as one of the most giving professors at Texas A&M, who wants his students to succeed in his class and to succeed in their professional careers. "He truly cares for us.” His nominator concludes that a great teacher truly cares about students and demonstrates that care daily. Dr. Litzenberg demands his students' personal best, stimulates their curiosity and sets the stage for lifelong learning. “He epitomizes excellence in teaching.”
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Teaching
Debra
Maceo
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Year Awarded: 2012
Debra Maceo joined the faculty of Texas A&M University at Galveston in 1994 as a part-time lecturer for the physical education program. When she was recruited, the initial thought was that she could offer kinesiology electives, such as aerobics and dance that would be more appealing to young women. After 15 years, it’s safe to say that hiring Mrs. Maceo was a decision that changed the culture of TAMUG for the better.
Her warm and welcoming personality as well as impressive teaching ability allowed her to bond with the students. And her passion for dance quickly ignited a passion for the fine arts and artistic expression that had been fairly dormant before her arrival. After one semester, word spread about the witty, engaging dance instructor and registration sky rocketed. The one class a semester offering turned quickly into a three-to-four classes a semester offering. Young men who had never formally learned to dance were signing up for additional classes. Mrs. Maceo used the dance class to build students’ confidence. It wasn’t long before she was working with the students to develop a Fine Arts Association that rapidly grew to be one of the largest student organizations on campus.
From a student development standpoint, the skills and confidence that Mrs. Maceo builds within many of the students is just as important as the knowledge they acquire in the classroom. She is so highly respected by the student body that she was one of the first to be selected as a SALT Camp namesake. In addition, she has been selected as advisor of the year, and continually rates among the best in her teaching evaluations. Mrs. Maceo has truly distinguished herself through her incredibly powerful relationships with students.
College: Texas A&M University at Galveston
Award Level: Individual Student Relationships
Edward
Massingill
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Year Awarded: 2012
Edward Massingill joined the staff of Texas A&M University in 1980 as a custodial worker I for Physical Plant Custodial Services. In 1988, he was promoted to custodial worker II. He has been a senior custodian for the past 23 years. Altogether, Mr. Massingill has dedicated 31 years of outstanding service to the university.
For the past 15 years, Mr. Massingill has worked in the Large Animal Surgery in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The area consists of four operating rooms, two patient preparation rooms, seven recovery stalls, and the entire Central Sterile Supply area. He is specifically responsible for keeping the area clean, disinfected, and decontaminated. The wellbeing and recovery of the patients depends on a number of factors, but one of the most important is the overall cleanliness of the surgical suite. As the surgery custodian, Mr. Massingill employs a unique set of skills to perform his job; these include strong customer focus, accountability, initiative, attention to detail, pride in his work, and a conscientious work ethic. He is a valued and important member of the team in the Large Animal Surgery and contributes greatly to the team’s success.
Mr. Massingill’s outstanding service has been recognized by Custodial Services many times throughout his career as the Employee of the Year for Crew B. In addition, he was nominated by his colleagues for the Employee of the Year award for all of Custodial Services. In 2011, he received the Candle Light Award from the Office of the Vice President for Administration.
College: Facilities
Award Level: Staff
Mohamed
Nounou '95
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Year Awarded: 2012
Mohamed Nounou received his Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in 2000, after which he worked for two years in industry, served on the faculty of the United Arab Emirates University for four years, and joined the faculty of Texas A&M University at Qatar in 2006. During his five years on the TAMUQ faculty he has consistently received exceptional student evaluations that reflect the quality of his teaching.
Dr. Nounou is first and foremost an inspirational teacher. Students laud his unique ability to clearly present challenging engineering concepts. In the classroom, his spirited enthusiasm creates a stimulating atmosphere that makes learning both exciting and rewarding for his students. He routinely incorporates the results of his academic research into his courses, which allows his students to have front-row seats to observe the way his research unfolds. In addition, Dr. Nounou involves a number of his students in the research process, which has led to his mentoring several students through their own research projects. In fact, one of his former undergraduate students won the Richard E. Ewing Research Award for his work with Dr. Nounou, and is now continuing his graduate study at Stanford University.
Most importantly, Dr. Nounou is an outstanding role model for TAMUQ students. They can identify with his Middle Eastern heritage and view him as a person much like themselves who has achieved success in the international engineering community. He provides a fine example for them to emulate as they build their own careers.
Dr. Nounou is a truly valuable asset to the professional community in Qatar and the community of chemical engineering students, faculty, and professionals worldwide.
College: Texas A&M - Qatar
Award Level: Teaching
John
Schwarz
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Year Awarded: 2012
John Schwarz is professor and head of the Department of Marine Biology and director of the Seafood Safety Laboratory at Texas A&M University at Galveston. He earned his Ph.D. in molecular biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1972 after which he studied deep-sea bacteria as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Maryland. He joined the faculty of Texas A&M University at Galveston in January 1976. He has taught both microbiology and genetics each semester for 30 of his 36 years with TAMUG, and continues to teach microbiology each long term.
Dr. Schwarz is known as tireless and gifted teacher who has a true passion for teaching and a contagious, positive energy that makes students eager to learn. At an island university, where the beach is always calling, his passion for his subject and his enthusiasm for teaching motivate students to come to class even when the beach is calling most loudly. To illustrate his passion and enthusiasm, two students fondly recall a specific class when he gave an animated portrayal of a centrifuge.
His nominator says that Dr. Schwarz genuinely cares for the wellbeing of his students and has an uncanny ability to notice even the most subtle indications that something is amiss. He always goes out of his way to ask how students are doing and then takes the time to advise them on academic issues or point them to resources to help them with personal issues.
A colleague writes, John Schwarz’s “reputation is often expressed in two words: hard and fair. For many years, his rigorous teaching has made TAMUG a better place for students.” In sum, “He is a distinguished teacher in the best tradition of Texas A&M University.”
College: Texas A&M University at Galveston
Award Level: Teaching
Michael
Shaub
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Year Awarded: 2012
Michael Shaub joined the faculty of Texas A&M’s Mays Business School in 2006 after service on the faculties of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Hillsdale College, the University of North Alabama, and St. Mary’s University. He earned his Ph.D. in accounting from Texas Tech University. He currently teaches a pre-internship auditing course and a post-internship ethics course, both of which are very important to the early career experiences and success of Texas A&M’s accounting students.
Dr. Shaub is an unusually dedicated and exceptional teacher who is highly respected by current and former students both for his teaching ability and his genuine concern for his students’ development. In addition to being an exceptional teacher and motivator, Dr. Shaub is also always willing to spend significant time out of the classroom for both the academic and personal development of his students.
His unusual effectiveness in teaching is driven by the four elements in his teaching philosophy. First, each individual matters. Second, it is imperative for him to stimulate creativity in his students. Third, one of his objectives is to help his students realize their potential. And fourth, beyond the search for knowledge, he wants to help his students grow in wisdom as well as to be life-long learners.
He prepares his students for the real world by using true-to-life business and professional scenarios in the classroom. His strategies clearly enhance students’ understanding of internal controls and the fraud assessment process that they will likely use in real-life situations. He also prepares them to deal with real-life ethical issues.
Dr. Shaub has unusual enthusiasm for his students and his work, which is strengthened by an extremely positive attitude and a caring personality. He is considered to be an exceptional faculty member and a very important asset to the accounting students at Texas A&M University.
College: Mays Business School
Award Level: Teaching
James
Smith '70
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Year Awarded: 2012
James Smith has enjoyed a richly diverse set of careers since graduating from The John Hopkins University in 1961. Following graduation, he served on active duty in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and later worked as a professional staff member for the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, advising on military construction. In 1985, he moved to the construction industry and worked with both design and construction firms with worldwide responsibilities. Along the way, he earned both master’s and Ph.D. degrees in civil engineering from Texas A&M. He joined the faculty of Texas A&M’s College of Architecture in 1996.
Dr. Smith is known for leveraging his broad experience to develop assignments that are realistic and that partner students with industry professionals to bring real-world projects into the classroom. This strategy enhances the learning experience for the students and provides them an opportunity to “shine” for potential employers. Dr. Smith demonstrates his commitment to teaching excellence through the substantial investment of time and energy it takes to identify projects that are current, relevant, and on a scale the students can digest, as well as finding industry volunteers to participate.
His assignments require students to work together in teams. He teaches them to recognize everyone’s individual talents and gives them strategies on how to work toward a common goal. These skills pay dividends in the professional world but also in working on group projects during their academic careers.
In addition, Dr. Smith is notorious among his students for the “red pen” on writing assignments. He believes that excellent written and oral communications are essential to success in the construction industry.
His nominators conclude that Dr. Smith is completely dedicated to his students, putting in the preparation and planning needed to integrate multiple disciplines in a single class. “He is a truly special teacher.”
College: Architecture
Award Level: Teaching
Nicholas
Suntzeff
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Year Awarded: 2012
Nicholas Suntzeff joined the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy in Texas A&M’s College of Science in 2006. He presently holds the Mitchell/Heep/Munnerlyn Chair in Observational Astronomy. He earned his Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of California at Santa Cruz and Lick Observatory. Before coming to Texas A&M, he was the associate director for science at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Chile.
In 1994 he co-founded the high-Z Supernova Team, which discovered the accelerating expansion of the universe through observations of distant supernovae in 1998. This discovery revolutionized cosmology and our understanding of the universe and identified an entirely new and unanticipated component of the universe, now commonly referred to as “dark energy.” This work was the basis for the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics. Overall, the body of his research results has helped reveal a universe that was mostly previously unknown. The findings demonstrated that our knowledge of the universe is wildly incomplete and helped to point the direction for major astronomy and particle physics experiments in the coming decades.
At Texas A&M, Dr. Suntzeff established an astronomy component in the Department of Physics and coordinated Texas A&M’s participation in the Giant Magellan Telescope Project. He plays major leadership roles in the astronomy research community. He has published more than 230 articles in refereed journals and has more than 25,000 citations. His awards include the ISI Highly Cited Scientist Award in 2003 and the Gruber Prize for Cosmology in 2007. In 2010, he began a 3-year term as Vice President of the American Astronomical Society. In 2011, he was a Jefferson Senior Science Fellow in the Office of Human Rights at the U.S. Department of State.
College: Science
Award Level: Research
Michael
Walters
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Year Awarded: 2012
Michael Waters earned his doctoral degree in geosciences from the University of Arizona in 1983 and was hired by Texas A&M’s Department of Anthropology (College of Liberal Arts) and Department of Geography (College of Geosciences) in 1986. He holds the Endowed Professorship in First American Studies and is the associate director of the Center for the Study of the First Americans and the executive director of Texas A&M’s North Star Archaeological Research Program.
He is known for his expertise in First American Studies and geoarchaeology, and has worked on more than 60 archaeological projects in the United States, Mexico, Russia, Jamaica, and Yemen. His current research projects include sites in Tennessee and Mexico, as well as several sites in Texas. He has authored numerous journal articles and book chapters and is the author of Principles of Geoarchaeology: A North American Perspective. This book, now a standard archaeological reference, is used in classrooms across the nation and was recently translated into Japanese. Dr. Waters has published seven articles in the journals Science and Nature. His two 2011 Science articles provided unequivocal evidence of human occupation of the Americas before 13,000 years ago, overturning a long-held paradigm of Paleoindian scholars and setting a new direction in American archaeology.
Also in 2011, Dr. Waters and his colleagues published Clovis Lithic Technology: Investigation of a Stratified Workshop at the Gault Site, Texas. This book is the first comprehensive study of a 13,000-year-old, stone-tool workshop. He has received the 2003 Kirk Bryan Award and the 2004 Rip Rapp Archaeological Geology Award from the Geological Society of America. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society and Smithsonian Magazine named his work on Pre-Clovis tools as one of the Top Ten Hominid Discoveries of 2011.
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Research
C. Jane
Welsh
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Year Awarded: 2012
Jane Welsh received her Ph.D. from London University in the United Kingdom and completed postdoctoral research at King’s College Hospital and Cambridge University. She joined the faculty of Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 1990. In addition to her faculty appointments, she serves the College as assistant dean for graduate studies. She is known as an outstanding scientist and teacher who fosters the love of science in her graduate students and strengthens their commitment to scientific discovery. She and her students have made substantial contributions to neuroimmunology and understanding of diseases in which the immune system attacks the nervous system, notably multiple sclerosis.
She is an exceptionally gifted mentor, who is currently serving as the major professor for one Ph.D. student, and has served as the major professor or co-chair for 13 master’s or Ph.D. students. She has also served on 58 graduate advisory committees in 10 departments in both Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M Health Science Center. In addition, she has served on 15 graduate advisory committees for the Master of Biotechnology and 20 non-thesis master’s degree committees. She serves on this remarkable number of committees because both students and their advisors know that she will provide students with practical and timely advice on their research problems, faithfully attend graduate committee meetings, and provide critical input on the content of students’ theses or dissertations.
Although Dr. Welsh is kind and generous with her time, she holds high expectations for her students to perform to the highest levels. Most students need much molding to reach their potential, but those who wrote in support for Dr. Welsh describe their experiences with delight and gratitude. Former graduate students who are now mentors and colleagues cite her as a role model for their own mentoring.
College: Veterinary Medicine
Award Level: Graduate Mentoring
Ruby
Williams
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Year Awarded: 2012
Ruby Willams’ outstanding loyalty, commitment to excellence, and vivacious personality have made her a favorite among not only University Dining personnel but also among her customers—both student and staff alike. She has dedicated 24 years to Texas A&M University Dining, starting as an entry-level food service worker and working her way up to a managerial position in one of University Dining’s busiest and most profitable units—The Grill at the Pavilion. At The Grill, Ms. Williams and her team have achieved revenue growth of more than 65 percent since their new menu launch and facility facelift in 2010, providing more than 3,300 customers a week with exceptional food and service. It is not rare for customers to her as their friend, Ruby. Her superior customer service and commitment to going the extra mile set her apart from others.
Her energy and enthusiasm have earned her an ongoing invitation to be a part of the staff for the President’s suite during each home football game for the past 11 years. She brings to the suite the same commitment to excellence and cheerful disposition that is in evidence at The Grill each week. In addition, the student volunteers who help her in the suite feel comfortable and well-trained to offer their best for some of the university’s most important guests and dignitaries. In recognition of her outstanding service, University Dining has awarded Ruby Williams with notable awards, such as the Grand Employee of the Year in 1992, Employee of the Year in 2000. Ms. Williams is an invaluable asset to the university community.
College: Facilities
Award Level: Staff
Sherry
Yennello
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Year Awarded: 2012
Sherry Yennello has taught students and led an internationally recognized research program at in Texas A&M’s College of Science for the past 19 years. She is passionate about ensuring equity and access to education and professional advancement for all, both creating opportunities and motivating students to take advantage of existing opportunities.
After earning her Ph.D. in nuclear chemistry from Indiana University, Dr. Yennello served as a research associate at Michigan State University. She joined the Texas A&M faculty in 1993. Her research in accelerator-based, heavy-ion reactions is supported by six federal grants and has been recognized by numerous awards. She is a Fellow of both the American Chemical Society and the American Physical Society.
Dr. Yennello teaches a dynamic range of courses from first year chemistry for non-science (predominately elementary education) majors and a freshman seminar course in Kitchen Chemistry to graduate courses in nuclear chemistry. Over the course of her career, she has involved 31 undergraduate and 16 graduate students plus 14 postdoctoral fellows in her research. She also has initiated and runs several programs aimed at increasing educational opportunities for students from groups that have not traditionally been part of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce.
Uniformly, Dr. Yennello is known for making chemistry meaningful to her students. For example, one of her classroom activities, “Chemistry in My Life,” requires each student to give a 3 to 5 minute presentation on an everyday application of chemistry. These have included how vapor pressures affect the application of nail polish to the optimum oxygen mix in fuel for cars.
Her nominator—a former student—concludes, “if I can become half the teacher Sherry is now, my students and I will benefit immeasurably.”
College: Science
Award Level: Teaching
Renyi
Zhang
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Year Awarded: 2012
Renyi Zhang joined the faculty in Texas A&M’s Departments of Atmospheric Sciences (College of Geosciences) and Chemistry (College of Science) in 1997. He earned a Ph.D. from MIT in 1993 and completed postdoctoral work at Caltech/NASA. He is holder of the Harold J. Haynes Endowed Chair in Geosciences. His early research contributed to the understanding of stratospheric ozone depletion and thunderstorm electrification.
His research at Texas A&M has led to breakthroughs and paradigm shifts in several atmospheric fields—photochemical oxidation of hydrocarbons; formation, growth, and properties of aerosols; urban and regional air pollution; ambient measurements of trace gases and aerosols; and assessment of aerosol-cloud-climate interaction—and provided critical insights into the impacts of human activities on the environment, weather, and climate. He has published 141 papers in peer-refereed journals and his work has been cited more than 3,800 times.
Currently, Dr. Zhang serves as director of the Center for Atmospheric Chemistry and Environment at Texas A&M, chairs the American Meteorological Society’s Atmospheric Chemistry Committee, is editor of the Journal of Geophysical Research–Atmospheres, and is a member of the International Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution. He has chaired 12 Ph.D. dissertations and 8 master’s theses. He has received several awards, including honorary professorships at Fudan University and Peking University in China, the Outstanding International Collaboration Researcher Award from the China National Science Foundation, the Bush Excellence Award for Faculty in International Research, and the Cheung-Kong Distinguished Scholar Award from the Ministry of Education–China. He is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union.
College: Geosciences
Award Level: Research