Distinguished Achievement Award Winners

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Walter R. Magnussen, Jr. ’03

Walter R. Magnussen, Jr. ’03
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Year Awarded: 2002

College: Liberal Arts

Award Level: Staff

Shelley Holliday ’01

Shelley Holliday ’01
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Year Awarded: 2013

Shelley Holliday earned her bachelor’s degree in architectural studies from the University of Nebraska and her master’s in civil engineering from Texas A&M. She joined the faculty of the College of Architecture in 2001. Including one year as a graduate assistant lecturer, this year marks her thirteenth year of teaching at Texas A&M and, by all accounts, it’s been an incredible year. In addition to today’s award, the students elected her to be the inaugural recipient of the Department of Architecture Undergraduate Faculty Award, and she received the 2011 Association of Former Students College-Level Distinguished Teaching Award.



Ms. Holliday’s teaching record is outstanding. She consistently garners high teaching evaluations from her students for courses at all levels in the department. Her nominators credit her expertise for the success of a new studio course that integrates architectural technology directly into the design studio experience. A top graduate student commented that Ms. Holliday’s “ability to keep aesthetically-minded design students engaged in mathematically and technically rich engineering concepts is no small feat and one that should be celebrated.” A colleague affirmed her teaching prowess saying that the juniors and seniors who take her structures course sing her praise. He summed up his thoughts with “I wish we had more faculty members with her attitude and aptitude for education.”



Before coming to Texas A&M for graduate school, Ms. Holliday served as a structural engineer for an architectural firm in Chicago. Although her time there was limited, she had the unique experience of working on several buildings that have been recognized as landmarks in contemporary architecture, most notably the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. One of her faculty colleagues says she applies this experience directly to her teaching. He points out that her experience allows her to “translate the abstract formula into the nuts, bolts and welds” the students need to understand and succeed.

College: Department of Architecture

Award Level: Teaching

Suzanne Droleskey ’00

Suzanne Droleskey ’00
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Year Awarded: 1996

College: International Student Services

Award Level: Student Relations

Kevin Jackson ’00

Kevin Jackson ’00
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Year Awarded: 1995

College: MSC

Award Level: Student Relations

Jörg M. Steiner ’00

Jörg M. Steiner ’00
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Year Awarded: 2013

Jörg Steiner received his veterinary degree from the University of Munich and after additional clinical training achieved board certification with both the American and the European Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine. He joined the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 1997 and in 2000 earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. He holds joint appointments in the Departments of Small Animal Clinical Sciences and Veterinary Pathobiology and serves as director of the Gastrointestinal Laboratory.



Dr. Steiner is involved in small animal gastroenterology research and mentors more than 10 graduate students. He has authored or coauthored more than 175 peer-reviewed articles, 70 book chapters and 270 research abstracts. He has edited a textbook that has been translated into five languages and holds the patent for a technology that is the basis for a new gold-standard test for the diagnosis of pancreatitis in both dogs and cats. Currently almost a million animals are tested every year using this technology. He was awarded the Bourgelat Award for truly outstanding international contributions to the field of small animal practice by the British Small Animal Veterinary Association. He has also received the Pfizer Animal Health for Research Excellence Award and is a Fellow of the American Gastroenterology Association. Currently there are approximately 1,900 fellows of the AGA, but only 5 of those are veterinarians and Dr. Steiner is one of only two veterinarians serving at a veterinary college rather than a research institute of a human medical facility.



His nominator concludes that Dr. Steiner is a good teacher, an outstanding gastroenterologist, and an excellent researcher. “The scope and quality of his research and the wide and continuing application of his discoveries . . . reflect positively on the College of Veterinary Medicine and Texas A&M University.”

College: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences

Award Level: Research

Carol A. Wagner ’00

Carol A. Wagner ’00
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Year Awarded: 2002

College: Education and Human Development

Award Level: Individual Student Relations

Tryon Wickersham ’98

Tryon Wickersham ’98
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Year Awarded: 2013

Tryon Wickersham earned his B.S. from Texas A&M and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Kansas State University. He joined the faculty of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2006 and teaches graduate level courses and laboratories in animal nutrition. He also directs research in ruminant nutrition.



His nominators say that Dr. Wickersham represents “one of the best of the best teachers” in the College and praise his ability to communicate with students. His mission is to reach every student and challenge each one to do his or her individual best. Although friendly and very approachable, the courses he teaches are by their nature academically challenging. He demands that students think and assimilate major concepts, and he structures exams to fairly assess their understanding while challenging them academically. His lectures bring the subject matter to life and he uses his research to make the course current.



Dr. Wickersham has maintained impressive student evaluations for the 26 courses he has taught. This simply confirms that students appreciate his teaching abilities. A graduate student comments that when she first met Dr. Wickersham “his energy, charisma, and dedication to student success were immediately evident.” She added that she was pleasantly surprised by his ability to relay very technical concepts in an easy-to-comprehend manner. Another student says that Dr. Wickersham values education both in and outside of the classroom while exemplifying the commitment to ensuring student success. A former graduate student concludes, “Dr. Wickersham is fervently dedicated to his job; his dedication is driven by his passion to interact with students, help them realize their career and life goals, and gives them the tools necessary to develop into individuals with the capacity to fulfill and exceed those goals.”

College: Department of Animal Science

Award Level: Teaching

Don T. Conlee ’94

Don T. Conlee ’94
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Year Awarded: 2018

Don Conlee earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisiana, Monroe, a master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a doctorate from Texas A&M University. He joined the faculty of the College of Geosciences in 2009. Dr. Conlee has more than 30 years’ experience in operational meteorology and instrumentation. Before coming to Texas A&M, he served as a department head at the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center in Monterey, California, and as a Strike Warfare Office for the U.S. Navy Enterprise Battle Group Staff. He teaches courses in weather forecasting, weather analysis, instrumentation, and severe weather. Students say these courses are rigorous, practical, and inspiring. A former student commented “his courses prepared us for the real-world applications in ways I continue to use in my career. They were challenging courses that encouraged us to think in new ways and make new connections.” His teaching extends far beyond the traditional classroom and continues long after regular business hours. He has developed several high-impact learning experiences, including a study-abroad program that focuses on meteorological phenomenon found in other parts of the world. He built a Weather Center that displays current charts and forecasts so that students could have a room of their own to study and discuss current weather situations. He actively involves freshman and sophomore students in research projects and activities, including launching weather balloons to collect data for the National Weather Service. A former student said “one of the defining characteristics is the teaching he enables beyond the classroom. He always encourages his students to get involved and shares a contagious desire to become a life-long learner.”



College: Department of Atmospheric Sciences

Award Level: Teaching

Behbood B. Zoghi ’93

Behbood B. Zoghi ’93
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Year Awarded: 2008

Ben Zoghi is a professor and Director of RFID/Sensor Laboratory at Texas A&M University. He was Leonard & Valerie Bruce Leadership Chair Professor, Director of the Thomas & Joan Read Center for Distribution Research & Education, and Program Coordinator in the Industrial Distribution Program, at Texas A&M University. Dr. Zoghi’s recent research focuses on RFID/sensor integration and emotional intelligence leadership. A member of the Texas A&M University faculty for 20 years, he has distinguished himself as a teacher, writer and researcher, and has been honored for his teaching excellence by the College and the Texas A&M University Association of Former Students. Dr. Zoghi has served as a Motorola Faculty Fellow and Faculty Fellow with Applied Materials. He became a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas in 1992. Dr. Zoghi holds a Bachelor's degree from Seattle University and a Master's degree from The Ohio State University, both in electrical engineering. He also holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi, Tau Alpha Pi and the American Society for Engineering Education.



One former student, Jeb Bell (CEO of Equipment Controls Company , Inc) said about Dr. Zoghi’s class "I am experiencing the difference between wanting to be a great leader and actually becoming one! ‘Dr Z’ breaks the mold on traditional engineering education by including the emotional intelligence."



In his professional training on Emotional Intelligence Leadership, former student John Lyons, Sr. (Marketing Engineer, CapRock Communications) said, “I have had many training opportunities throughout my career but none have left a deeper or more lasting impact. I know that many lessons I learned will continue to challenge me to be a better leader, coworker and person. ‘Seminar’ is such a lacking word to describe the profound experience that this training comprised and that was expertly conveyed by [Dr. Zoghi]. [His] work and passion for the lessons we learned are beyond compare. [He is] immensely gifted and has shared those gifts with us without reservation.”



Dr. Zoghi is married to Dr. Arezu Daftarian, a local family physician; they have two daughters, Sara, 8 and Lara 6.

College: Engineering

Award Level: Teaching

Sarah W. Bednarz ’92

Sarah W. Bednarz ’92
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Year Awarded: 2004

College: Geosciences

Award Level: Teaching

Frank D. Cervantez ’92

Frank D. Cervantez ’92
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Year Awarded: 2008

Frank Cervantez is one of those exceptional individuals who goes well beyond the realm of their normal job responsibilities and promotes good working relationships among faculty, staff and students. He served in the United States Marine Corps for over 29 years, reaching the rank of Chief Warrant Officer IV, and he is a veteran of Desert Storm/Shield. A 1993 graduate of Texas A&M University, Mr. Cervantez worked part-time as a laboratory technician while pursuing his degree and then joined the full-time technical team of the ETID department immediately after completing his degree in Engineering Technology. As a former student, he has a great appreciation for the importance of the laboratory work as it supports the theory learned in the classroom instruction and firsthand experience in the challenge of maintaining the equipment in these labs. Receiving several promotions throughout his career, he now holds the position of Technical Laboratory Manager.



Mr. Cervantez has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of the laboratories while maintaining a safe working environment. He uses his military training expertise to improve the training of student workers and graduate students in the operation of equipment and lab procedures. Dr. Richard Alexander, former department head, states “from time to time his leadership training and experience in the Marine Corps came in handy when he was dealing with particularly challenging people or situations.” Mr. Cervantez is committed to ensuring that the students gain valuable experience in the laboratory and that the faculty can pursue research in a functional and safe environment. “He is a truly outstanding role model for what hard work and determination can do in achieving one’s goals, states Dr. Joseph Morgan, Victor H. Thompson Endowed Professor.

College: Engineering

Award Level: Staff

William L. Kibler ’91

William L. Kibler ’91
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Year Awarded: 2002

College: Student Affairs (Vice President's Office)

Award Level: Individual Student Relations

Qi Li ’91

Qi Li ’91
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Year Awarded: 2013

Qi Li earned his Ph.D. in economics from Texas A&M in 1991 and began his academic career at the University of Guelph. He returned to Texas A&M as a faculty member in 1999 where he is Hugh Roy Cullen Professor in Liberal Arts. He is a Fellow of the Journal of Econometrics and currently is associate editor for six leading journals. Dr. Li is a theoretical econometrician who specializes in nonparametric econometrics. His frequently cited book Nonparametric Econometrics is the definitive text of the subfield and is a common reference source for top researchers and a textbook of choice in top graduate programs. He has published more than 100 articles in refereed journals and his publications have garnered more than 3,500 citations.



Advances in theoretical econometrics are fundamental to the advance of economic science. Econometricians are those who apply mathematics and statistics together with economics to verify economic theories. Qi Li is a leading econometrician, particularly in the area of nonparametric econometrics. He is internationally recognized for two lines of research that have had a major impact on the direction of scholarship in nonparametric econometrics. In the first case, he cracked a fundamental problem in applying the nonparametric regression modeling approach to situations involving both categorical and continuous data. This breakthrough is of huge value to all social scientists who work on problems involving discrete data. In the second case, he has developed consistency tests in the context of the nonparametric regression model that can be used to guide the choice of functional form and the choice of regressors for the regression function. These tests greatly enhance the attractiveness of the nonparametric approach to a wide audience of potential users, including non-economists. A supporter says that Li “ . . . is arguably the world’s leading researcher in nonparametric econometrics.”

College: Department of Economics

Award Level: Research

Anne M. Reber ’91

Anne M. Reber ’91
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Year Awarded: 2004

College: Student Affairs

Award Level: Student Relations

Janet Winniford ’91

Janet Winniford ’91
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Year Awarded: 2000

College: Student Affairs

Award Level: Student Relations

Todd Sutherland ’90

Todd Sutherland ’90
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Year Awarded: 2009

College: Texas A&M University at Galveston

Award Level: Individual Student Relationships

Ben D. Welch ’90

Ben D. Welch ’90
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Year Awarded: 1994

College: Business

Award Level: Student Relations

Ben D. Welch ’90

Ben D. Welch ’90
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Year Awarded: 2005

College: Business

Award Level: Teaching

Salvador Hector Ochoa ’89

Salvador Hector Ochoa ’89
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Year Awarded: 2001

College: Education and Human Development

Award Level: Teaching

Mary K. Bielamowicz ’88

Mary K. Bielamowicz ’88
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Year Awarded: 2004

College: TAEX

Award Level: Continuing Education/Extension

Mark Johnson ’88

Mark Johnson ’88
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Year Awarded: 2009

College: College of Veterinary Medicine

Award Level: Teaching

Sharon Kerwin ’88

Sharon Kerwin ’88
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Year Awarded: 2009

College: College of Veterinary Medicine

Award Level: Teaching

Julie S. Rogers ’88

Julie S. Rogers ’88
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Year Awarded: 2005

College: Architecture

Award Level: Teaching

Jacqueline Beasley ’87

Jacqueline Beasley ’87
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Year Awarded: 1992

College: Business Services

Award Level: Staff

Joe L. Outlaw ’87

Joe L. Outlaw ’87
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Year Awarded: 2008

Joe Outlaw is a Professor and Extension Economist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Department of Agricultural Economics. He also serves as the Co-Director of the Agricultural and Food Policy Center, consulting with Congress about the likely consequences of agricultural policy changes.



Dr. Outlaw is a leader in agricultural and renewable energy policy analysis and education. He also is on the leading edge of farm-level agricultural policy analysis, biofuels, alternative technology assessment, and development of risk-based farm management decision aids. His work has made significant impacts on the viability of agriculture and rural communities across the nation. Wayne Cleveland, Executive Director, Texas Grain Sorghum Association, writes, “Joe’s ability to convey a non-sugar coated review of policy and its effect is really what sets him apart…His analyses and presentations leave very little room for misinterpretation and for these reasons he is a highly sought after speaker and has a very high acceptance level in the country as well as Washington, D.C.”



In 2002, he led a team of Extension economists who received awards for their 2002 farm bill education efforts from the American Agricultural Economics Association, the Southern Agricultural Economics Association, the National Public Policy Education Committee, USDA-FSA, and the Texas A&M University System Vice Chancellor for Agriculture.



Dr. Outlaw is originally from Devine, Texas. He received his B.S (1987), M.S. (1988), and Ph.D. (1992) degrees from Texas A&M University, all in agricultural economics. He is married to Natalie (’98) and has three children, Stephanie, Layne, and Dylan.







College: Agriculture and Life Sciences

Award Level: Continuing Education/Extension

Gabriel Carranza ’86

Gabriel Carranza ’86
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Year Awarded: 2001

College: International Student Programs

Award Level: Student Relations

James D. Herman ’86

James D. Herman ’86
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Year Awarded: 2008

James Herman’s teaching excellence is evidenced by the numerous recognitions he has received, including The Association of Former Students College-Level Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching (2006), Montague--Center for Teaching Excellence Scholar (2004-2005), Outstanding Professor of Biomedical Science Teaching Award (1999), and the Richard Davis Teaching Award (1997).



His teaching philosophy can be summed up as follows: “The student drives the educational process; we must design a learning environment and situations which enhance the student’s educational experience….As an educator, my role is not simply to impart knowledge, but to train students to learn, to teach students to think, and provide students with valuable tools that can be used in the classroom and their future careers.” This philosophy is exemplified in comments on student evaluations. A former student stated, “Dr. Herman stood out from all my other professors as someone with a genuine interest in me individually, and in his passion for teaching.”



James Herman is married and has 3 sons. When he is not in the classroom, he is busy with his son’s activities and serves as a Young Life leader. Dr. Herman feels that he can have the greatest impact on the world by challenging future veterinarians, physicians, dentists, etc., to think, understand, and reason in their careers. He has been in the classroom fulltime for 12 years, and enjoys it all tremendously.



College: Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science

Award Level: Teaching

Kenita Rogers ’86

Kenita Rogers ’86
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Year Awarded: 2013

Kenita Rogers earned her B.S. from West Virginia University and her D.V.M. from Louisiana State University. She completed an internal medicine residency at Texas A&M, earned her M.S. and joined the College of Veterinary Medicine faculty 26 years ago. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Internal Medicine and holds the Dr. Charles H. and Mildred Kruse Bridges Chair in Veterinary Medical Education in the Office of the Dean.



Her nominator writes, “Dr. Rogers’ record in the CVM is one of sustained leadership and service to students that is superlative both in terms of breadth and effectiveness.” In a nutshell, she is outstanding because she: builds strong relationships with students based on trust, caring, respect, and fairness; helps students step out of their own boundaries; is passionate about creating and maintaining a climate that is welcoming to all; is creative and visionary in structuring the best possible learning experience; is a quintessential role model for these future veterinary professionals; and has a highly developed sense of humor that never fails to engage students in a most productive way. These interrelated qualities give her exceptional skills as a mentor and make her a visionary leader in veterinary medical education.



A supporter writes that even early in her career, “Kenita displayed the uncanny ability to both encourage her students, yet hold them accountable for their preparation and actions.” A colleague adds that she is “. . . a gifted clinician, teacher, and administrator, who has focused her considerable talents to help our veterinary students achieve their individual goals and dreams. She is tireless in her efforts for each of our students. . . .” Her nominator concludes, “. . . she is a woman of principle, integrity, and humility who helps make the CVM a great place to be.”

College: College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Award Level: Individual Student Relations

Richard Timothy Dye ’85

Richard Timothy Dye ’85
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Year Awarded: 2006

College: Business

Award Level: Teaching

George Peterson ’85

George Peterson ’85
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Year Awarded: 1993

College: Engineering

Award Level: Teaching

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