George C.
Edwards III
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Year Awarded: 2004
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Research
Yalchin
Efendiev
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Year Awarded: 2017
Yalchin Efendiev, professor of mathematics and holder of the Mobil Chair in Computational Science, joined the faculty of the College of Science in 2001. He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from California Institute of Technology and previously served as a research associate for Chevron Petroleum Technology Company and as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Minnesota. He is the director of the Institute of Computational Science at A&M and the Numerical Porous Media SRI Center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Dr. Efendiev played a leading role in the development and analysis of the "multiscale finite-element method.” Multiscale problems are those which involve physical processes acting on different time and length scales. As such, they encompass many important applications but pose extremely difficult computational challenges. Along with the development of the multiscale finite element method, he has made pioneering contributions to the application of this technique to porous-media fluid flow, including groundwater remediation and oil-recovery modeling. Dr. Efendiev's work has been recognized nationally and internationally through awards and honors, including being named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society and receiving the Fraunhofer Bessel Award from the Alexander von Humblodt Foundation. As a graduate advisor, Dr. Efendiev has had 22 Ph.D. students who have graduated under his supervision since 2004 and he is currently a chair for 6 more Ph.D. students. His nominators wrote, “…he is a great mentor to many junior people: Ph.D. students, postdoctoral associates, and young researchers within his sphere of influence. He has always encouraged them to strive for more accomplishments and never hesitated to give assistance, suggestions, and encouragement.”
College: Department of Mathematics
Award Level: Graduate Mentoring
Fred
Ekfelt
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Year Awarded: 1955
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
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
Nan
El-Sayed ’76
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Year Awarded: 1993
College: Graduate Studies
Award Level: Staff
Timothy R.
Elliott
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Year Awarded: 2017
Timothy Elliott, professor of educational psychology, earned his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Missouri. Before joining the faculty of the College of Education and Human Development in 2006, he served on the faculties of Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, which awarded him the Distinguished Service Award and the Roger G. Barker Distinguished Research Contribution Award. He has also received the Dorothy Booz Black Award for outstanding Achievement in Counseling Health Psychology from the Society of Counseling Psychology and the Essie Morgan Lifetime Research Award from the American Association of Spinal Cord Injury Psychologists and Social Workers. Throughout his career, Dr. Elliott has systematically studied the adjustment of individuals living with chronic and debilitating health conditions. This work has resulted in more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, 50 book chapters, and external funding from several federal agencies. Dr. Elliott conducted the first randomized clinical trials of a psychological intervention for family caregivers of persons with spinal cord injuries as well of those with traumatic brain injuries. Colleagues in Germany adapted his intervention protocol for use with family caregivers of stroke survivors. Dr. Elliott developed the Telehealth Council Clinic at Texas A&M, where he serves as executive director, to provide telepsychology services to remote sites in five Brazos Valley counties, each designated as a health-provider shortage area. “In my view, Dr. Elliot’s record of scholarship is unquestionably outstanding and renowned, and his recognition and leadership among his peers is extraordinary” a colleague from Oklahoma State University writes.
College: Department of Educational Psychology
Award Level: Research
Newton
Ellis ’54
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Year Awarded: 1991
College: Engineering
Award Level: Teaching
Prasad
Enjeti
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Year Awarded: 2004
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
Eduardo
Espina
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Year Awarded: 2016
Eduardo Espina, a native of Uruguay, joined the faculty of the College of Liberal Arts in 1987 after earning his Ph.D. in Hispanic-American literature from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Espina is an expert in Latin American poetry and essay from the 19th century to the present, as well as fiction, theater, and culture. He is the author of eight books of criticism, four collections of essays and more than 10 poetry collections and anthologies. In addition he has published 30 refereed articles. Dr. Espina has been the recipient of numerous national and international awards for his work and is also an active conference and event organizer. He has successfully directed four dissertations to completion, including the first one to come out of the Department of Hispanic Studies. Among his honors and awards, Dr. Espina has been the recipient of the Premio Nacional de Ensayo (National Essay Prize) by the Ministerio de Educación y Cultura of Uruguay, the Premio Municipal de Poesía (Municipal Poetry Prize) by the City of Montevideo, and the Latino Literature Prize by the Latin American Writers Institute. A supporter wrote that Dr. Espina is “one of the most important poets of his generation in Latin America” and “has made TAMU the most important U.S. University in terms of contemporary Latin American poetry and poetics.” Another supporter wrote that “He sets the international gold standard of research not only for the vastness and richness of his knowledge, but especially for his unequalled dazzling and engaging writing,” “Reading Dr. Espina’s essays is absorbing, engaging, amusing, and enriching.” Another supporter stated, “Texas A&M University is very lucky to count Professor Espina as faculty. He is a distinguished scholar and original and fruitful thinker.”
College: College of Liberal Arts
Award Level: Research
Eduardo
Espina
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Year Awarded: 2007
Considered by the critics as one of the most important and original writers of the Spanish language, Eduardo Espina (Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis) was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1954. He has published more than ten books of poetry and criticism. He won prestigious international literary awards, and doctoral theses have been written about his poetic works. His poetry is studied in universities in the United States, Europe, and Latin America, and his poems have been translated partially to English, French, Italian, Portuguese, German and Croatian. He is included in the Encyclopedia Britannica.
For 20 years he has taught a wide variety of courses, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, receiving consistently very high student evaluations. Professor Espina feels the reason of his success is very simple: “Teaching to me is a vocation, not just profession. It is a labor of love. I love to teach, and students can see this. I have even more energy and passion than 20 years ago, and more desire to keep growing both personally and intellectually.” Professor Espina strives to be an intellectual role model and inspiration for his students, making a positive difference in their lives. He says, “I seek to help individuals of every belief, race, gender, sexual preference, and color to develop critical thinking talents beyond imagined boundaries.”
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
Joe
Estill ’57
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Year Awarded: 1986
College: Physical Plant
Award Level: Staff
Philip
Eubank
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Year Awarded: 1983
College: Engineering
Award Level: Research
Margaret
Ezell
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Year Awarded: 2000
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
John
Fackler
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Year Awarded: 2007
John Fackler joined the faculty of Texas A&M in 1983, serving as Dean of the College of Science until 1992. He currently holds the rank of Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. Dr. Fackler has been a leading international figure in inorganic chemistry for over thirty years, and his work in gold chemistry is recognized among the leading two or three chemists worldwide in this field. His work on organometallic gold chemistry, in particular, evolved fundamental structural concepts that are now being used to understand the role of gold in catalysis, a vibrant area of chemistry. He has advised 33 doctoral students and over 40 postdoctoral researchers, and published over 345 research papers.
Among his major honors and awards are a Fulbright Award, J. S. Guggenheim Fellowship, and three major awards from the American Chemical Society: Morley (1987), Southwest Regional (1990) and Distinguished Service to Inorganic Chemistry (2001). He has served as member and chair of the Board of Trustees of the Gordon Research Conferences, a world-renowned series of scientific conferences. A colleague from Harvard says of him, “John Fackler is an outstanding scientist, science administrator, teacher, mentor, and university citizen. Few persons I have known have been as accomplished in combining these elements into a distinguished and altogether commendable career as has John Fackler.”
College: Science
Award Level: Research
Davis
Fahlquist
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Year Awarded: 1992
College: Geosciences
Award Level: Student Relations
Chester P.
Fehlis ’69
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Year Awarded: 2003
College: Texas Cooperative Extension Service
Award Level: Continuing Education/Extension
Leslie H.
Feigenbaum ’80
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Year Awarded: 2008
Leslie Feigenbaum received both his Bachelor’s degree in Building Construction and Master’s degree in Construction Management from Texas A&M University. He has been on the faculty in the Department of Construction Science for 20 years. His teaching and publishing emphasis is in construction project planning and controls. In addition, Leslie has authored one of the most adopted textbooks in the area of construction estimating.
Peers laud Leslie’s ability to mentor countless students on academic and career planning, and former students praise him for his interest in their personal and professional development, and the time that he dedicates to make them successful. One colleague says, “Leslie – if he can in any way be of assistance to any student, he will do so, no matter when or where.” The nomination letter from the College of Architecture Student Advisory Council states “a unique moment occurs when a faculty member takes the time to listen to a student and show genuine interest in their wellbeing. The effort it takes to be available, the willingness to come early and stay late to help a student, the readiness to mentor student activities … these actions speak louder than the letters you will read.”
College: Architecture
Award Level: Student Relations
Roger
Feldman
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Year Awarded: 1988
College: Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science
Award Level: Student Relations
Richard
Feldman
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Year Awarded: 1990
College: Engineering
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
Robert
Field ’61
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Year Awarded: 1987
College: Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science
Award Level: Teaching
L. Paige
Fields
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Year Awarded: 2000
College: Business
Award Level: Teaching
Richard
Finnell
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Year Awarded: 1997
College: Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science
Award Level: Research
Robert
Fletcher
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Year Awarded: 1970
College: Engineering
Award Level: Student Relations
Archie
Flowers ’42
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Year Awarded: 1980
College: Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science
Award Level: Extension/ Continuing Education