Cynthia
Hurt
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Year Awarded: 2014
Cynthia “Cindy” Hurt came to Texas A&M in 1983 and joined the staff of Department of Anthropology in 2004. She has 23 years of experience at Texas A&M University. She earned an associate’s degree from Blinn College and is a Certified Administrative Professional.
Her nominator describes Ms. Hurt as the go-to person for the department’s faculty, staff and students. As assistant to the department head “she wears a lot of hats and actually does much more than her title suggests.” She is the Human Resources Liaison handling all employment, payroll, and personnel matters for 24 faculty, 3 staff and more than 40 graduate and undergraduate student employees. She is the building proctor, maintaining the department’s facilities, including more than 15 scientific research and teaching labs. She is the facilities and equipment manager, administering keys and maintaining the department’s equipment inventory. She is the department’s office manager, supervising two full-time staff and four part-time student workers. She is the visiting scholar facilitator, administering campus visits of invited lecturers, faculty job candidates, Fulbright Fellows, etc. She is the student scholarship, fellowship, and assistantship administrator, chronicling graduate student eligibility for assistantships, processing graduate student tuition waivers, posting scholarships, and facilitating graduate assistantship assignments. She is the travel and purchasing manager, reviewing and approving faculty, student, and staff travel and significant equipment purchases. Finally, she is assistant to the department head, maintaining the department’s budget and gathering and analyzing data to be used in annual reports to the dean. He concludes saying, “My head spins every time I think about Ms. Hurt’s various roles in the department. She’s the glue that holds not just the department office together, but the whole department—its faculty, staff and students.”
College: College of Liberal Arts
Award Level: Staff
Arul
Jayaraman
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Year Awarded: 2014
Arul Jayaraman has been a member of the faculty of the Dwight Look College of Engineering since 2004. He is the holder of the Ray B. Nesbitt I Professorship in Chemical Engineering. After earning concurrent degrees in chemical engineering and physics from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science in Pilani, India, Dr. Jayaraman went on to earn an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of California, Irvine. He has been recognized for teaching excellence with the Celanese Teaching Excellence Award and the Tenneco Meritorious Teaching Award.
Dr. Jayaraman’s teaching philosophy puts the student at the center of the learning experience. Put simply, he strives to create an interactive and highly effective learning environment where students actively engage in the learning process. This is important in the graduate and undergraduate courses he teaches related to his field of research, but it is critical in the sophomore-level course “Elementary Chemical Engineering” that’s required for all chemical engineering majors. To meet the range of learning needs in this large and diverse class, he has introduced technology and innovative teaching approaches, such as the online problem solving system, Sapling Learning. These approaches have proven to be immensely successful and, despite the size of the class and the spectrum of abilities and—ultimately— grades, he repeatedly achieves extraordinary instructor ratings. In addition to his regular teaching and research, Dr. Jayaraman has mentored 30 undergraduates and 3 high school students in his lab. This level of involvement is extremely significant and requires a major time commitment, which clearly demonstrates his passion for mentoring undergraduates.
College: College of Engineering
Award Level: Teaching
Ann
Kier
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Year Awarded: 2014
Ann B. Kier earned her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri?Columbia and her DVM from Texas A&M. She joined the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 1993 where she serves as the Director of the NIH T32 and R25 Training Programs for graduate veterinarians. In research, Dr. Kier collaborates with her graduate students to develop mouse models used in research with fatty acid, cholesterol, and glucose metabolism. She is the author more than 200 publications and book chapters and has served on numerous editorial boards and NIH study sections. Over the span of her career, Dr. Kier has been advisor, committee member, and/or mentor for more than 95 graduate and professional students. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the CVM Bridges Teaching and Service Award for Outstanding Student Mentoring, the NIH Scientific Review Evaluation Award, and the Texas A&M Women’s Week Administrator Award.
Dr. Kier has devoted extensive time and effort to mentoring graduate students at Texas A&M. One former student credits her for single-handedly changing the culture and paradigm for graduate education in the department while she was department head. A point proved by a five-fold increase in the department’s graduate enrollment over of two years. Students and faculty know her as a person of integrity and focus with a love for mentoring students and a talent to inspire them to do their best. Invariably her students comment about her passion, encouragement and commitment to their success. She has also inspired her students to become mentors themselves. One of those former students wrote, “She is brilliant, kind, remarkable, excellent and much esteemed…. However as a mentor, she is truly the best one a student could ever ask for…. She has inspired me, even at this stage, to mentor those students in need: those students who have small time beginnings yet have big time dreams.”
College: College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Award Level: Graduate Mentoring
Andreas
Klappenecker
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Year Awarded: 2014
Andreas Klappenecker earned his Ph.D. from the University of Karlsruhe (now called Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) in Germany. He joined the faculty of the Dwight Look College of Engineering in 2000. His research interests include the design and analysis of algorithms, in particular quantum algorithms, randomized algorithms, and dynamic distributed algorithms. He teaches mainly in the area of theoretical computer science, where his courses range from very large undergraduate core courses to cutting edge research courses. He has received a National Science Foundation CAREER award, a TEES Select Young Faculty award, and an Undergraduate Faculty Teaching Excellence Award. He was also named a Halliburton Faculty Fellow and Fellow-at-Large of the Santa Fe Institute.
A supporter says, regardless of the level or the size of the class, Dr. Klappenecker consistently receives impressive teaching evaluations. One of the qualities that makes him a great teacher is his desire to focus on student learning and improving teaching methods. For example, he has been particularly interested in improving students’ problem-solving skills. So, last fall, he overhauled an algorithms course required for all computer science undergraduates, introducing a flipped classroom model where students learn new content online by watching video lectures outside of class and work on assigned problems in class. This allowed him to interact with students and provide personalized guidance in problem solving. Student comments indicate the technique worked exceptionally well and student performance on midterm exams improved in comparison to previous versions of the course. In the words of his nominator, Professor Andreas Klappenecker “is an outstanding and gifted teacher, a brilliant researcher, and an individual who is committed to serving his profession and the students of Texas A&M University.”
College: College of Engineering
Award Level: Teaching
Dimitris
Lagoudas
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Year Awarded: 2014
Dimitris C. Lagoudas is a University Distinguished Professor and the inaugural recipient of the John and Bea Slattery Chair in Aerospace Engineering. He serves as associate vice chancellor for engineering research for The Texas A&M University System, senior associate dean for research in the Dwight Look College of Engineering and deputy director of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), and the director of the Texas Institute for Intelligent Materials and Structures. He received his Ph.D. from Lehigh University. Dr. Lagoudas joined the Texas A&M faculty in 1992. His research involves the design, characterization and modeling of multifunctional material systems at nano, micro, and macro levels. His research team is one of the most recognized internationally in the area of modeling and characterization of shape memory alloys (materials that undergo a reversible thermo-mechanical phase transition so they “remember” their shapes) that are giving rise to applications in the aerospace, automotive, and medical areas.
Dr. Lagoudas has co-authored more than 400 scientific publications with 165 in archival journals. He has also co-authored a textbook with his graduate students. He is a TEES fellow, a Texas A&M University Faculty Fellow, and a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Institute of Physics. In addition, he has received numerous other significant awards.
A colleague at another university commented that the impact Dr. Lagoudas “has had on the aerospace profession and industry is profound.” The smart memory alloys framework his team developed has been an enabling step toward integrating active materials into commercial and military aircraft for increased fuel economy, increased performance, and decreased noise. Another colleague adds, “For any significant recognition the requirements can be boiled down to two words: quality and impact. Professor Lagoudas’ contributions have these in abundance.”
College: College of Engineering
Award Level: Research
Rafael
Lara-Alecio
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Year Awarded: 2014
Rafael Lara-Alecio joined the faculty of the College of Education and Human Development in 1991, after earning a Ph.D. from the University of Utah. He is the director of the Bilingual Education Program and the Center for Research and Development for Dual Language and Literacy Acquisition in the Department of Educational Psychology. He has published more than 100 refereed manuscripts, including journal articles, book chapters, and technical reports. He is co-editor of the Handbook on Educational Theories, which serves as the first comprehensive collection of some of the most influential theories guiding research for graduate students, professors, and practitioners. He has received numerous awards, including the Texas Higher Education Honoree from the Texas Association of Bilingual Education, the Outstanding Research Award from the Department of Educational Psychology, and the Diversity Award from the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity.
An external supporter describes Dr. Lara-Alecio as “one of a small handful of founding fathers” in the field of multiple language acquisition, adding that he has been central to the growth and development of the field. Another supporter credits Dr. Lara-Alecio with adding substantially to the basic body of knowledge in multiple language acquisition, which has contributed significantly to the improvement of education conditions for English learners in the United States and abroad. A colleague concludes “Dr. Lara-Alecio has the broad-range strengths of an invigorating scholar whose ideas and work impact schools and communities in healthy ways. His long and championing leadership has strengthened a successful curriculum development for educators and schools and contributes to the growth of a culturally responsive K?12 pedagogy.”
College: College of Education and Human Development
Award Level: Research
Jean Marie
Linhart
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Year Awarded: 2014
Jean Marie Linhart earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. She joined the faculty of the College of Science in 2008. She has received a college-level Teaching Award from The Association of Former Students at Texas A&M and recognition as Instructor of the Quarter from ITT Technical Institute in Austin. She is co-principal investigator on two National Science Foundation grants that foster interdisciplinary undergraduate research.
Dr. Linhart was nominated by the Student Council of the College of Science based on her outstanding success in engaging undergraduate students in research, which is demonstrated by the awards her students have won at both local and national levels. A colleague revealed that much of her success with student engagement is rooted in her reputation for being “the campus expert on predicting the spread of zombie epidemics,” a favorite project for students in Math 442, Mathematical Modeling. Highlights from just two semesters of Math 442 include students winning: first place for an undergraduate mathematics poster in A&M’s Student Research Week, first place for a video project in the Writing Center’s 10th Anniversary Contest, two prizes at the Mathematical Association of America’s MathFest, and a Goldwater Scholarship.
Another colleague reported that Dr. Linhart has been an exceptional asset to the Math department. In addition to teaching, she has been instrumental in summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates and in the department’s outreach activities. She was the main organizer of the very successful Math Mini-Fair, a daylong event where 150 K?12 students (together with their friends and family) participated in Problem Solving Contests, a Mathematical Art Room filled with Math art and activities, a puzzle/geometry room, and various Math movies and presentations.
College: College of Science
Award Level: Teaching
E. Lisako
McKyer
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Year Awarded: 2014
E. Lisako J. McKyer earned her master’s in public health and her Ph.D. from Indiana University, Bloomington. She joined the faculty of the College of Education & Human Development in 2006 where she is a Read Faculty Fellow and director of the Transdisciplinary Center for Health Equity Research. She also founded and directs the Child & Adolescent Health Research Lab.
According to her students, Dr. McKyer’s philosophy for graduate student training and mentoring is anchored by her strong belief that graduate students are to be treated as ‘junior colleagues-in-training.’” They say that her “enthusiasm” and “passion” for her chosen field of health promotion, child health, and health inequities is evident in her teaching style, her passion to collaborate and her drive to involve her students in research opportunities, all tailored to the specific needs and strengths of her students. As a result, during her time at Texas A&M, she has mentored a diverse group of more than 50 graduate students, involving them in her research and scholarly publications and presentations, often listing them as first authors. A current student wrote, “Her enthusiasm and passion is exhibited in all she does, she has the biggest of hearts, always has a smile on her face and is always ready to chip in a good word ….She is infectious in a good way.” He credits her positive attitude for motivating him and others to emulate her good work. “You just want to sit and listen to her all day.” Another student wrote, “I leave an exchange with Dr. McKyer fired up about my research, my teaching, and the many things going on under her umbrella of influence. Her enthusiasm is contagious to say the least.” A former student now at Baylor College of Medicine concludes, “she provided me with opportunities to present at conferences, publish in journals, and connect to others…. Not only did she provide external resources and connections to help me achieve my goals, she instilled internal motivation and confidence.”
College: College of Education and Human Development
Award Level: Graduate Mentoring
Joseph A.
Morgan '80
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Year Awarded: 2014
Joseph A. Morgan earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees from Texas A&M. He served 22 years in the US Air Force; his last assignment was as a member of the electrical engineering faculty at the US Air Force Academy. He joined the faculty of the Dwight Look College of Engineering in 1989. He has received numerous awards at the department and college level recognizing him as a master teacher and student mentor.
His nominator commented that in his two decades with the department, Dr. Morgan’s leadership as a program director for the Electronic Systems Engineering Technology (ESET) Program, associate department head for undergraduate studies and as an active senior faculty member has made a profoundly positive impact on the students in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution. Even in his capacity as a researcher or in service to national organizations, he finds ways to involve undergraduate students in value-added activities. Dr. Morgan consistently ranks among the highest rated instructors in his department. Student comments from teaching evaluations most often site his vast industry experience, exceptional organization and communication skills, and state that he is demanding but fair.
As a teacher, Dr. Morgan has earned the respect of his colleagues many times over. He has an unparalleled enthusiasm for working with undergraduate students, sparking their passion for learning, and motivating them to do more than they thought possible. He also has an endless supply of new and creative ways to teach and ensure student learning. His current efforts in recruiting and developing tools for teaching engineering to high school students will have a significant impact on the ESET Program, its incoming freshmen and outgoing graduates for years to come.
College: College of Engineering
Award Level: Teaching
Walter Gillis
Peacock
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Year Awarded: 2014
Walter Gillis Peacock earned his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. He joined the faculty of the College of Architecture in 2003 where he is director of the Hazard Reduction and Recover Center and assistant director of the Texas Census Research Data Center. He is locally, nationally, and internationally recognized for his research on disaster recovery, resiliency, and social vulnerability. He has been awarded the Sandy and Bryan Mitchell Master Builder Endowed Chair and the Rodney L. Dockery Endowed Professorship in Housing and the Homeless from the College of Architecture. Nationally, he was awarded the Quarantelli Award for Social Science Disaster Theory, and he was elected president of the International Research Committee on Disasters. He has published 2 books and more than 160 journal articles, book chapters, research monographs, and professional papers. He has given briefings on household, housing, and community disaster recovery, resilience, and vulnerability to local, state, and federal officials, including programs for the White House Conference Center on resiliency research, the National Academy of Science, and the National Science Foundation.
A supporter noted, Dr. Peacock’s contribution to the human dimension of disaster recovery “has become the foundation for the fields of disaster sociology and social vulnerability.” Furthermore he “is a pioneer in introducing new analytical methods into the field…especially...his Domestic Assets Index…a breakthrough in quantifying household recovery after a disaster event. Another supporter noted, “Dr. Peacock’s works [methodological] are used as standards for conceptualization and measurement, for understanding substantive areas within the study of disasters….” A colleague concludes, “Peacock’s passion for his topic and his ability to articulate the need for and utility of further research on the social impacts of disasters have heavily influenced the national, and even international, research agenda.”
College: College of Architecture
Award Level: Research
Christopher
Quick
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Year Awarded: 2014
Christopher Quick received his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Rutgers University. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, he took the unusual step of turning to the study of physiology and joining the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology in Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 2002.
According to his nominators, Dr. Quick turned his lab into an incubator for developing novel approaches to break down the mutually-reinforcing barriers separating the disciplines of engineering and physiology, the processes of research and education, and the activities of students and professors. In this environment, he worked directly with students to develop the “Research-Intensive Community” model. The community is composed of teams that pair an experienced student seeking leadership experience with an interdisciplinary team of students seeking research experience. Dr. Quick applied this model to create the DeBakey Undergraduate Research Program in 2004, which has since steadily grown to create research opportunities for more than 100 students per semester. By working with students to adapt this model in new ways, he has developed research-based classes, K?12 outreach activities, and large-scale summer research programs. Dr. Quick’s efforts to integrate the disciplines of engineering and physiology were recognized by an NIH Quantitative Research Career Award and a Microcirculatory Society Award for Excellence in Lymphatic Research. His efforts to integrate process of research and education were recognized by the award of four competitive grants from the NIH and NSF. Most importantly his efforts to integrate what students learn in the classroom with what professors do in the lab was recognized by a Richard H. Davis Teaching Award, a college-level Teaching Award from The Association of Former Students, and a Sigma Xi Outstanding Science Communicator Award.
College: College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Award Level: Teaching
James B.
Rainer '93
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Year Awarded: 2014
James B. Rainer earned his B.S. and M.S. from Texas A&M. Mr. Rainer was hired by the Safety and Health Office as a Student Worker I in 1991. He has been a loyal employee through multiple reorganizations, a department name change, several office moves around campus, and three different directors. Throughout that time, James advanced his professional career with a specialty in fire and life safety. He is directly responsible for the fire and life safety program and oversees the environmental program. He has received certifications and licenses in various areas, including Fireworks Flame Effects Operator, Fireworks Pyrotechnic Operator, Certified Fire Inspector I, II, and III, among others. He is the university’s Fire Marshal and is the guiding force in Kyle Field Command, ensuring a joint cooperative effort between emergency management, law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services, ensuring a safe game-day experience. With his leadership, Texas A&M committed to investing $33 million over ten years to upgrade fire and life safety systems on campus. These upgrades included the installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems, replacing automatic fire detection and notification system, installing or upgrading emergency lights, exit signs automatic door closers, fire-rated doors, and similar items.
A supporter wrote, “James’ expertise in his field and his sense of professionalism are only surpassed by his love for Texas A&M. His dedication to this University, working his way through the ranks of Environmental Health and Safety positions over his 20 year career, is evident in all he does. His selfless service to the school we love is reflected in his genuine care for the students, faculty, staff and visitors to this fine institution. James is a great ambassador for Texas A&M and truly embodies the Spirit he has embraced for more than half of his life.”
College: Division of Finance and Administration
Award Level: Staff
Helen L.
Reed
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Year Awarded: 2014
Helen L. Reed, Regents Professor and Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, joined the faculty of the Dwight Look College of Engineering in 2004. She earned her Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. She has been named a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA), the American Physical Society, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and she has received numerous significant awards. But one award stands out as the mark of a truly great teacher. In 2012, the May and December graduating seniors selected her for the McElmurry Teaching Excellence Award, citing her as “exemplifying dedication and commitment to developing students professionally and academically by displaying a desire for students to succeed, creatively presenting classroom material, and offering opportunities for mentorship and guidance outside the classroom.”
Dr. Reed founded and directs the Texas A&M AggieSat Lab Satellite Program. AggieSat is an extracurricular student-driven organization, which to date has involved roughly 1,000 students and multiple departments and colleges. Through this program, students designed, launched, and operated Texas A&M’s first satellite in 2009, with the next mission planned for this year, 2014. A former student wrote, “It is without question that Dr. Reed’s small satellite program was the primary factor in my choice of undergraduate universities...I am sincerely grateful for the considerable impact Dr. Reed has had on my entire post-secondary education and subsequent career. I value not only the opportunities she provided, but also the unceasing optimism and support with which she interacts with all of her students.”
A colleague commented that her “overarching concern is providing her students with the best level of education possible.” He feels privileged to have had her as a mentor. But her nominator says it most succinctly; Dr. Reed’s classroom performance is “truly top notch.”
College: College of Engineering
Award Level: Teaching
Larry
Reynolds
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Year Awarded: 2014
Larry J. Reynolds, University Distinguished Professor of English and Thomas Franklin Mayo Professor of Liberal Arts, has been a faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts since 1974. Since receiving his Ph.D. from Duke University, he has gone on to become one of the most productive and influential scholars of the period of mid-19th century American literature known as American Renaissance. His nine books and numerous articles initiated the transnational and new historicist approaches that fundamentally altered traditional understanding of 19th century American literary history. Dr. Reynolds’ awards include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars, and the United States Information Agency. As a Fulbright Scholar, he has lectured in Portugal, Italy, and Belgium. He serves on the editorial boards of five journals and is currently associate editor of the South Central Review.
His nominator says, “Professor Reynolds is one of the very few literary scholars to earn repeated acclaim for work that has dramatically changed our approach to the practice of literary scholarship as well as our understanding of major writers.” The importance of his scholarly achievements is reflected in his letters of support. The consensus opinion is that Dr. Reynolds is clearly among the most productive and most influential scholars working in American Literature. One supporter wrote that he is “known internationally as one of the most important scholars of American Romanticism, and certainly one of the half dozen best of his generation.” The letters frequently refer to his work as “seminal,” a term rarely used in literary studies. Others describe him as “a pioneer” or praise his “long, energetic, and continually developing career.” One supporter proclaimed that “there is no scholar in the field of American literature whose work I admire more.”
College: College of Liberal Arts
Award Level: Research
Ghada
Salama
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Year Awarded: 2014
Ghada Salama earned her Ph.D. from Cairo University and completed postdoctoral study at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Cincinnati, Ohio. She joined the faculty of Texas A&M University at Qatar in 2006. She has taught several undergraduate courses and has consistently received good student evaluations. She received the Distinguished Faculty Appreciation Award from the class of 2012.
Dr. Salama established a student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) at the Qatar campus. The chapter has been very active since its inception and has gained international recognition in a short time. Each year, Dr. Salama secures travel funds for student officers to attend the AIChE Annual Meeting in the U.S., encouraging them to take part in the poster competition. The TAMUQ team has done well. For two consecutive years, they won second place, and, this past year, they took first! With her support, the chapter has built its first ChemEcar and successfully participated in the AIChE ChemEcar competition. In support of women engineering students, Dr. Salama also serves as the advisor for the Society of Women Engineers, for which she received the advisor of the year award for 2013. But that’s not all. Dr. Salama also serves as advisor to the Engineers Without Borders student organization and works with the Student Affairs Department on outreach to high school students.
Her nominator writes, “As the only woman on the chemical engineering faculty, Dr. Salama occupies an especially important position in our program. She serves as an outstanding role model for our students, especially young women. Because of her Middle Eastern background, our students view Ghada as an Arab woman, much like themselves, who has achieved success in the international engineering community. Ghada provides a fine example which young women in our program can emulate as they build their own careers.”
College: Texas A&M Qatar
Award Level: Individual Student Relationships
Evelyn
Tiffany-Castiglioni
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Year Awarded: 2014
Evelyn Tiffany-Castiglioni currently serves as head of the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences and as associate dean for undergraduate education—Biomedical Medical Sciences program. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and completed postdoctoral studies at UCLA. She joined the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 1982. Dr. Castiglioni is currently a member of the editorial board for International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience and associate editor for Neurotoxicology. She is a member of the External Advisory Committee for the NIH SuperFund Program at the Harvard School of Public Health & Harvard Medical School. She is editor and co-author of a book and has published 82 peer-reviewed papers and 15 book chapters. She received the Distinguished Achievement Award for Research from The Association of Former Students in 2008. Her primary research interests are neurotoxicology and in vitro toxicology, particularly the mechanisms by which brain cells called astrocytes handle toxic metals.
As associate dean for undergraduate education, Dr. Castiglioni manages the largest undergraduate program on the Texas A&M campus. The program includes 1,858 undergraduate students and 56 faculty members/advisors. As department head, she oversees a research-intensive and teaching-oriented department with 48 full- and part-time faculty, 23 postdoctoral fellows and research associates, 71 graduate students, 17 staff members, and more than $4.1 million in contracts/grants annually. Her nominators say Dr. Castiglioni exhibits extraordinary competence, vision, poise, patience, and determination in parallel supervision of these programs and has been an active contributor to the success of Texas A&M via various platforms including her service on university committees and student/staff organizations. Her dean concludes, “Truly, Dr. Evelyn Castiglioni’s sincerity, warm personality and special human touch make her one of few administrators who do not simply leave an impact, but create a legacy.”
College: College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Award Level: Administration
Jay R.
Walton
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Year Awarded: 2014
In addition to being a Professor of Mathematics, Jay R. Walton is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering and deputy director of the Institute for Applied Mathematics and Computational Science. He has been a faculty member in the College of Science for 40 years. He earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University.
His nominators say that Dr. Walton has had a transformative effect on the pedagogical mission of the Math department ever since he directed its graduate program from 1994 to 2000. Subsequent to that, he founded the department’s Research Experience for Undergraduates, serving for ten years as principal investigator on the supporting grant from the NSF and as a teacher and mentor each summer for five to ten students in mathematical ecology and physiology. In a second NSF-supported initiative, he collaborated with colleagues in biology and ecology to develop an interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree in mathematical biology. Dr. Walton has supervised many student research projects through that program. A former student, now in medical school, commented that Dr. Walton was “an absolutely indispensable part of my education at Texas A&M.” Another former student said, “It was impossible not to learn something new every week, and in my four years I don’t think he ever repeated a topic.” Dr. Walton also has helped develop courses on mathematical biology at all levels.
In the words of still another former student, who is currently a doctoral student at the University of Chicago, “Dr. Walton’s unique ability to maintain a clear and natural flow of ideas inside and outside of the classroom is an ability I can only hope to attain. To say that Dr. Walton has left an impression on me is an understatement. Not only did I learn new mathematics, but I learned timeless traits of a first class educator and scholar.”
College: College of Science
Award Level: Teaching
Vickie M.
Williamson
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Year Awarded: 2014
Vickie M. Williamson earned her Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. She joined the faculty of the College of Science in 1997. She has been recognized with a Student-Led Award for Teaching Excellence and a college-level Teaching Award from The Association of Former Students, and was named a Fish Camp namesake. She serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Science Education and Technology, as a reviewer for the Journal of Chemical Education and as regional director for the Associated Chemistry Teachers of Texas.
In the words of her nominator, Dr. Williamson has an “uncommon ability as a classroom teacher.” Since joining the department, she has taught large lecture sections of Chemistry 101 and 102. Remarkably, during the 16 academic years that she has been at Texas A&M, she has worked with almost 19,000 students! Students give the highest praise for these courses, as reflected in student evaluations which are always high and among the best in the department. In particular, her classroom demonstrations of chemistry concepts consistently win high marks from students. A former student wrote that she “knew it was going to be an exciting day in chemistry class when [Dr. Williamson] rolled in her cart with the protective shield.” From demonstrating exothermic reactions by igniting aluminum and iron oxide in a soda can to creating a rainbow with indicators to visualize acid and base reactions, she engages her students in learning that makes the point hard to forget. Another former student commented that “waking up early for her lectures was never a problem” and added that “her enthusiasm and teaching style made General Chemistry nothing to be afraid of.”
A former student, now a Chemistry teacher herself, sums it up, “Dr. Williamson is incredibly intelligent, has a heart for her students, and a talent for teaching. I am thankful for all that she did to prepare me for my career in teaching science.”
College: College of Science
Award Level: Teaching
Ahmed
Abdel-Wahab '03
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Year Awarded: 2015
Ahmed Abdel-Wahab is professor of chemical engineering and holder of the Itochu Professorship in Engineering at Texas A&M University at Qatar. He joined the Qatar faculty after earning his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in 2003. Dr. Abdel-Wahab is known as an absolutely inspirational teacher. His students laud his unique ability to clearly present challenging engineering concepts with spirited enthusiasm that makes learning a truly exciting and rewarding experience. He is also a visionary faculty member. Soon after the Qatar Campus initiated its Chemical Engineering Program, Dr. Abdel-Wahab recognized the need to include environmental issues in the curriculum and moved to develop the first environmental engineering course in 2007. Implementation of the Graduate Studies Program in 2010 provided an opportunity to sharpen focus on environmental education and Dr. Abdel-Wahab characteristically stepped up. Largely as a result of his vision and determination, Texas A&M has established one of the finest environmental programs in the Arabian Gulf Region. Dr. Abdel-Wahab is also known as an exceptional student mentor, advocate, and role model. He has a genuine interest in students’ well-being and helps them work through the challenges they face pursuing an engineering education. His caring and concern as a teacher and mentor are clearly described in his students’ own words, “He is one of us; humble character; available and open to all of our concerns and doubts; approachable personality; unmatched devotion to his students; genuine care for us; close to us as students; maintains a friendly relationship; very kind, loving, caring person; friendly nature; pervasive caring for his students; maintains a friendly attitude toward all students; gives positive encouragement.” Dr. Abdel-Wahab has contributed in a major way to the unqualified success of Texas A&M University at Qatar during its first 11 years of successful operation.
College: College of Engineering-TAMUQ
Award Level: Teaching
Yasser
Al-Hamidi
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Year Awarded: 2015
Yasser Al-Hamidi is a laboratory manager in the Mechanical Engineering Program at Texas A&M University at Qatar. Mr. Al-Hamidi began his career at there in 2007. He earned a Master of Science degree in Micro-Mechatronics and Microsystems from the University of Fanche Comte in France. He has previously held positions in laboratories in both higher education and private industry. His professional interests include precision and micro-mechatronic systems, combustion engine control, vibration suppression using input shaping control techniques, and real-time and networked control systems design. He recently won the branch campus Big Idea campaign—launched to promote and encourage innovation, creativity, and productivity—with a proposal to spread knowledge of 3-D printing and its likely impact. In addition, he is a recipient of STAR award to recognize him for his distinguished Service, Team spirit, Attitude and Responsibility. Mr. Al-Hamidi is a member and a former chair of the Staff Advisory Council. His nominators say that he not only manages the teaching labs, he also helps plan and develop experiments. His dean writes that “in addition to his commitment, initiative, innovation and professionalism, he has served in all of his activities as a superior role model and did so for many constituencies…TAMUQ faculty, staff and students…community members…and even high level officials. His calm, patient nature coupled with his knowledge and expertise have made only the most positive of impacts on those with who he interacts.” Another supporter comments that “he is an exemplary employee whose work demonstrates commitment to the Texas A&M University core values.…he leads initiatives that are beyond his job responsibilities to promote the university within the community, enrich the students’ educational experience, and support faculty members.”
College: College of Engineering-TAMUQ
Award Level: Staff
Deborah
Bell-Pedersen
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Year Awarded: 2015
Deborah Bell-Pedersen earned her Ph.D. at the State University of New York at Albany. Following postdoctoral work at Dartmouth Medical School, she joined the College of Science faculty in 1997. Her research investigates how the circadian clock regulates daily rhythms in behavior, physiology, and biochemistry. Defects of the human clock are associated sleep disorders, and for unknown reasons, epilepsy, cerebrovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, headaches, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Understanding how biological clocks function can lead to new ways to improve human health. Dr. Bell-Pedersen is well respected in her field. She has published more than 50 articles in top journals, garnering more than 5,900 citations, and she is frequently invited to present her work at scientific meetings and seminars across the country. Among her awards and honors, Dr. Bell-Pedersen has received the Jo Ann Treat Award for Excellence in Research and the Texas A&M Women Former Students’ Network Eminent Scholar Award. In 2014, she was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Microbiology. A colleague writes, “…the results of her research efforts have added substantially to the basic body of knowledge of how clocks drive an organism, and she is already making sure that these findings can be used to improve the quality of life.… Deb stands out as a distinguished researcher.” A department head at another university writes, “Dr. Bell-Pedersen has made significant research contributions to the filamentous fungal and clock research communities and is a highly-respected leader in these fields.… She is on a steep upward trajectory and we will continue to see her accomplish great things in the future.” Another colleague sums up, “Simply stated she’s among the best there is…in the field of circadian rhythms, in the entire world.”
College: College of Science
Award Level: Research
Oral
Capps
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Year Awarded: 2015
Oral Capps, Jr., Regents Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, earned his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. After stints teaching at Virginia Tech and the University of Minnesota, he joined the faculty of the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences in 1986. He is nationally recognized for his scholarship in demand analysis, econometric modeling, and forecasting methodology with large data sets. But, the students in the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences recognize him as one of the best teachers at Texas A&M University. As a leader in agricultural economics, Dr. Capps works closely with professional organizations in the food-producing industries. The major upside of all these connections is his ability to bring real world scenarios to the classroom and show students the most current industry developments. Dr. Capps has been a master teacher and superb mentor to undergraduate and graduate students during his almost 30 years at Texas A&M. He has taught more than 90 sections in 7 subject matter areas to approximately 6,000 students! Most students are familiar with Dr. Capps as the teacher for Introductory Agricultural Economics. He volunteered to teach this large course because he understands how critical the course is to freshmen students. His passion for the course led him to write an Introduction to Agricultural Economics textbook, which is now in its sixth edition. In the classroom, Dr. Capps brings lecture material to life, helping students to remember and apply the concepts discussed. A supporter says students leaving Dr. Capps’ class possess “knowledge they can leverage in their future careers and lives.” His nominators sum up, saying that an excellent teacher brings out the best in students. Dr. Capps cares about them as individuals, their learning, and their future success. He is an “amazing teacher and true friend of the students.”
College: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Teaching
James C.
Cathey '91
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Year Awarded: 2015
James Cathey earned his Ph.D. from Texas Tech University. Chief among his many roles is extension wildlife specialist for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service—a role he fulfills as associate professor and associate department head in the Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences. He joined the department in 2002 and AgriLife Extension in 2005. He has authored 68 publication and fostered development of many social media outlets. He provides expertise to Texas landowners, agricultural producers, and county extension agents in 71 counties, often about grassland restoration, northern bobwhite, wild pigs, Rio Grande wild turkey, and urban deer. He is a member of the Wildlife Society and past president of the Texas chapter. He has been Texas Wildlife Association director since 2008 and serves as an instructor for education events in its Conservation Legacy program. Dr. Cathey provides leadership to the Texas Master Naturalists program, which has received several national and state awards. His technical articles have been recognized by the Texas Section of the Society of Range Management and the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society, while his teamwork earned the 2014 national extension “Working Differently in Extension” award for achievements of the Feral Hogg Community of Practice. His nominator says Dr. Cathey is “energetic, personable, highly motivated, and committed to excellence,” and an “exemplary extension educator with exceptional mastery of wildlife science, outstanding communication skills, extraordinary productivity, resilient team leadership, and commitment to outreach education.” A supporter credits his leadership for the success of the state’s award-winning “rainwater harvesting task force.” Another supporter concludes, “…the impact of his vision, innovative strategies, and accomplishments is seen now and will continue in the years to come from the next generation of landowners and natural resource professionals he has prepared and empowered to ‘carry the torch.’”
College: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Extension, Outreach, Continuing Ed, & Prof Dev
Darren L.
DePoy
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Year Awarded: 2015
Darren DePoy is an astronomer and holder of the endowed Rachal/Mitchell/Heep Professorship in Physics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy. He also serves as deputy director of the Munnerlyn Astronomical Laboratory. He joined the faculty of the College of Science in 2008. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii. Dr. DePoy is a world leader in the development of astronomical instrumentation for ground-based telescopes. Before coming to Texas A&M he was the director of Astronomical Instrumentation at The Ohio State University. While there, he was project scientist for the Dark Energy Survey camera—the world’s largest digital camera—that is now working in Chile. Although it is common for astronomers who are experts in instrumentation to not do science along with instrumentation development, Dr. DePoy actively uses the instruments he builds. His main field of work has been the study of active galactic nuclei fueled by the enormous black holes, and the discovery of exoplanets using “microlensing,” the rapid brightening and fading of a distant star by a foreground object. He is also involved with other initiatives, including the Giant Magellan Telescope. His leadership in astronomical instrumentation has positioned Texas A&M as a premiere institution in astronomical instrumentation. His international impact is expressed by a few quotes from colleagues. “Darren’s contributions to astronomical research…have expanded the frontier of astronomical observations,” “His work has enabled, or aided, the research of hundreds of professional research astronomers world-wide,” and “By training the next generation of instrumentalists DePoy is making a contribution to the future of astronomy that will endure.” His nominator sums up, saying, “We were incredibly fortunate to bring Prof. DePoy to Texas A&M.”
College: College of Science
Award Level: Research
Sue C
Geller
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Year Awarded: 2015
Sue Geller earned her Ph.D. from Cornell University. She has been on the faculty of Texas A&M for 33 years, serving as a professor of mathematics in the College of Science with a joint appointment in the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. She has published research on both abstract algebra and on biostatistics. Dr. Geller has had a transformative effect on the pedagogical mission of the Department of Mathematics. She founded the department’s undergraduate honors program—one of the first such programs on campus—and has served for many years as its director. Her extensive and effective work with honors students was recognized in 2012 by the University Honors Program, which presented her the Director’s Award for Outstanding Service to Honors Programs. She also helped create a specialized track of the Master’s degree program in mathematics intended for prospective teachers. Her exemplary record of innovative teaching and effective mentoring was recognized in 2014 by the Texas Section of the Mathematical Association of America. Here are some comments from her former students. “I just got a job as an accountant at the school administration office in my hometown. I believe the skills I learned in your class played a huge role in helping me secure the job.” “Dr. Geller possesses several qualities that set her apart as an outstanding supporter of students… [She] strove to foster students’ learning outside of coursework. …Dr. Geller still stands out as one of the most influential and inspiring people I have met. I visited her fairly recently, and true to form, her office was filled with students. Even in that visit, she offered me advice and guidance for my academic career.”
College: College of Science
Award Level: Individual Student Relationships
Eleanor M.
Green
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Year Awarded: 2015
Eleanor Myers Green has held the Carl B. King deanship of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences since 2009. She is the first woman to serve as dean in the college’s nearly one hundred year history. Dr. Green is a board certified specialist in both large animal and equine practice as a Diplomate of both the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. After receiving her BS degree in Animal Science from the University of Florida, Dr. Greened earned her DVM from Auburn University (1 of 3 women in her graduating class of 100). She has served as the first woman president of three national organizations: the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians, and the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Her nominator says that “Dean Green’s administrative record at TAMU is one of sustained leadership and service.… She has brought about positive, enduring change to our college, as well as to the university and her profession. …Quite simply, we are a different place than we were six years ago. We are more enthusiastic, optimistic, and successful.” Her supporters endorse her as “a person of great integrity and compassion, and a visionary leader among her peers.” “There is no one better at listening to the needs and wants of others than Dr. Green. She is an amazing facilitator and consensus builder.” “The culture of Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science has changed, and is well on a path to even more progressive change.” “…She has a wholesome, heartfelt, and effective concern for her students and colleagues. She genuinely cares for them; their well-being is her top priority. I can think of no higher tribute to be paid to an educator and/or administrator.”
College: College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Award Level: Administration
Donna J.
Hajash
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Year Awarded: 2015
Donna Hajash, instructional associate professor in the Department of Visualization in the College of Architecture, earned her master’s from Siena Heights University. She has been employed by Texas A&M University since fall 1983, when she was hired as a graphic designer in a publication design office on campus. In fall 1984, she was hired as a lecturer in the Department of Journalism to teach the only course in graphic design. This was a lecture/lab course in which 60 students were enrolled each semester. When the Department of Journalism was eliminated, she was hired by the architecture department to teach graphic design. Later she moved to the visualization department as part of the ARTS program. She now teaches Graphic Design 1, 2, and 3 as well as a Senior Graphic Design Studio. She is the advisor to the student group of AIGA, the Professional Association for Design, which she formed at Texas A&M in 2007. She is also the Visualization Department’s Study Abroad coordinator for the Santa Chiara, Italy, program, advising students and preparing them for their semester abroad. Endorsements from her former students demonstrate Ms. Hajash’s impact on students. “I cannot say enough good things about Professor Hajash. As a professor, she is one of the most amazing I have ever had. There is not a day that goes by where I am not reminded of what I learned from her.” “Donna is more than simply a professor—she is a mentor, friend and inspiration to many of her students. She has a true passion for what she does and commits time and energy above and beyond what is expected of her.” “Had it not been for those formative design courses taught by Donna at A&M, I would never have fallen in love with design and been willing to pursue my current career path.”
College: College of Architecture
Award Level: Individual Student Relationships
John C.
Keyser
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Year Awarded: 2015
John Keyser, professor and associate head for academics in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, joined the faculty of the Dwight Look College of Engineering after earning his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000. His nominators say that he is an outstanding and gifted teacher, a brilliant researcher, and an individual who is committed to serving his profession and the students of Texas A&M. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in computer graphics, including the required undergraduate courses, Programming Studio and Analysis of Algorithms, and seminar courses. His department head credits him as a key contributor to the wholesale revision of the department’s undergraduate curriculum. She says he came up with the big picture of how the courses could fit together, providing greater flexibility and preparing students for internships, earlier; both of which helped improve retention. Dr. Keyser generously contributes time to students outside the classroom. He coached the student programming team that won first place in the south-central U.S. region in 2004 and competed in the international finals in 2005. He also served as the advisor for the Texas Aggie Game Developers, the advisor for the Texas A&M Computing Society, and coordinator for the department’s high school contests. Dr. Keyser is a devoted research mentor to both undergraduate and graduate students. He has graduated 9 Ph.D. students and 11 master’s students, as well as mentoring 4 undergraduate students in research. Dr. Keyser consistently receives glowing feedback from his teaching evaluations and his students credit him with helping them build successful careers. One former student writes that, even years after graduation, he still seeks Dr. Keyser’s advice. “Am I still his student? Not in the traditional sense, but I still value his opinion greatly. And he continues to teach me things. Does all this make Dr. Keyser a great teacher? It does to me.”
College: College of Engineering
Award Level: Teaching
Michael R.
Kinney
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Year Awarded: 2015
Michael Kinney is an associate professor and KPMG Faculty Fellow in the Department of Accounting in the Mays Business School. He began his career at Texas A&M after earning a Ph.D. at the University of Arizona. He has received several college and departmental teaching awards and has been a Price Waterhouse Teaching Excellence Professor. Over his career, he has taught courses at all program levels spanning multiple content areas. But for the past eight years, he has been teaching exclusively in the Mays MBA programs in College Station and Houston and also playing a substantial role as subject matter expert in the required capstone projects undertaken by all MBA students. In addition, since 2007, he has served as coordinator of the Ph.D. program in accounting. Because students in the Executive and Professional MBA programs are full-time employees and the program is taught in Houston, faculty mentoring is particularly important. His nominator explains that Dr. Kinney is always willing to spend an extraordinary amount of time outside of class to help his students develop academically and personally. “He aspires to establish a personal relationship with each one” even though he usually teaches more than 150 MBA students and approximately 20 Ph.D. students each year. Following up, a colleague comments that Mike Kinney is the perfect balance of encouragement and truth for his students, “unafraid to confront when necessary, but always urging them on to greater things.” In conclusion, his nominator says, “He is a very important asset to our MBA and Ph.D. students and I am confident that he will continue to make significant contributions to our students and programs throughout his career.”
College: Mays Business School
Award Level: Graduate Mentoring
Nancy L.
Klein
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Year Awarded: 2015
Nancy Louise Klein is associate professor in the Department of Architecture. She earned her Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College and taught at Indiana University and the University of Missouri at Columbia before joining the faculty of the College of Architecture in 2006. Dr. Klein’s courses in architectural history change the way students see the world, introducing them to cultural context, design, and technology in a global setting. Her nominators say she is truly an outstanding teacher, who draws on her passion, knowledge, and expertise, providing students with tools for building knowledge while seeking a deeper understanding of the world. Despite teaching large lecture classes, she is able to engage her students in reading and understanding the language of architecture. And, she consistently receives high marks on her student evaluations (4.7 or better out of 5), which is particularly notable considering the rigor of her courses and the number of large section courses she teaches. One of her former students writes, “Her passion inspired me to continue learning about how architecture can shape the human experience…. Every class lecture is another adventure into the ancient world.” A former graduate student says Dr. Klein “helped us to find ways to relate the history of thousands of years ago to current events, and more personally to our own interests and current architectural design projects.” Her colleagues in the College of Architecture also hold Dr. Klein in high esteem, both as a scholar and as a teacher with an extraordinary reputation in the classroom, commenting that her advanced undergraduate classes and graduate seminars allow students to develop skill sets that are essential for any career, such as the ability to communicate effectively in writing and speech and to always have a critical approach to knowledge.
College: College of Architecture
Award Level: Teaching