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
James
McNamara
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Year Awarded: 1999
College: Education and Human Development
Award Level: Teaching
Arnold
Mediltz
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Year Awarded: 1980
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
Kenneth J.
Meier
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Year Awarded: 2003
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Research
Kenneth J.
Meier
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Year Awarded: 2013
Kenneth Meier earned his Ph.D. from Syracuse University. He joined the faculty of the College of Liberal Arts in 1998 and holds the Charles H. Gregory Chair in Liberal Arts. He is a leading authority in two areas of research—the role of public organizations in public policy and race and politics. He is the author of 20 books and more than 230 articles, essays and book chapters. His career achievement awards include the H. George Frederickson Award, the C. Dwight Waldo Award, the John Gaus Award, the Charles Levine Award and The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award in Research.
Dr. Meier has devoted extensive time, effort, and resources to mentoring graduate students at Texas A&M He has chaired 21 completed dissertations and served as a member on an additional 18 completed dissertations. He chairs three dissertations in progress and serves as the major advisor for nine other graduate students. His mentoring process begins before the student even arrives on campus. He aggressively recruits students for the graduate program and uses his own funds to bring to campus 8 to 12 students per year. When students enter the graduate program, his mentoring system focuses not just on research but on a full range of career-enhancing opportunities, ultimately including assistance with placement. His mentorship does not end when the students graduates. He has created an active network among his current and past students. They meet for dinner every year in Chicago during a national convention. The success of his mentoring is proved by the success of his students.
His contributions have been recognized nationally by the Women’s Caucus of the American Political Science Association, by the Latino Caucus of the American Political Science Association and by the Public Policy Section of the American Political Science Association.
College: Department of Political Science
Award Level: Graduate Mentoring
Sue
Melton
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Year Awarded: 1999
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Staff
Linda
Menn-Fritcher
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Year Awarded: 1994
College: Architecture
Award Level: Staff
Jennifer
Mercieca
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Year Awarded: 2016
Jennifer Mercieca, associate professor in the Department of Communication, earned her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois and joined the faculty of the College of Liberal Arts in 2003. She has taught 51 courses including graduate seminars, mass lecture undergraduate courses, and writing-intensive undergraduate courses. Her teaching record is outstanding. Her colleagues say that Dr. Mercieca’s exceptional dedication to her students is evident in her career-long commitment to high-impact teaching and in her work establishing the Texas A&M Agora, which provides opportunities for students throughout campus to learn political skills outside of the classroom. Dr. Mercieca has developed seven different high-impact undergraduate courses that merge theory with practice and enable students to solve real-world problems. Her students have gone out into the community to solve problems for local charities and to register voters. In addition, some of her students have written political campaign plans and served as speechwriters for their representatives in Congress. Under her direction, Aggie Agora has established engaged citizenship workshops and hosted guest lectures on political topics ranging from issues of civil liberties to food security. In short, she seeks to create a vibrant culture of learning both inside and outside of the classroom, enabling her students to be future leaders and problem solvers. A former student wrote, “I loved this class. It really made me aware of what is going on in the world today, and there are a lot changes that are needed.” Another student commented, “For the first time ever, I felt like an active citizen.” A former student, now a doctoral student in Georgia, wrote “Mercieca’s commitment to the success of her students, her ability to inspire her students intellectually, and the priority she places on mentorship continues to play an instrumental role in my life.”
College: College of Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
Morris
Merkle
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Year Awarded: 1986
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Teaching
Stjepan G.
Mes?trovic´
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Year Awarded: 2015
Stjepan G. Meštrovic earned his Ph.D. from Syracuse University and taught at Lander College before joining the faculty of the College of Liberal Arts in 1991. He is well known for his work on social theory, culture and war crimes. He has served as an expert witness at The Hague for the International Court of the Tribunal for Yugoslavia, at courts martial pertaining to abuse at Abu Ghraib, and at multiple other courts martial and clemency hearings. He is the author or editor of 18 books as well as more than 70 articles, chapters, or essays. He has garnered numerous awards and honors for his research. But, along with his incredibly productive research record, Dr. Meštrovic has always been known for his inspiring teaching. His quantitative teaching evaluations are always among the very highest in the Department of Sociology, and his students often remark that he has inspired and transformed their thinking. His nominator says that a large part of what makes Dr. Meštrovic such an effective teacher is his ability to explain incredibly complex issues and analyze them in ways that do not completely overwhelm his students. In addition, he is well known for taking time to talk to students both inside and outside of class. A current student credits Dr. Meštrovic with changing his whole outlook on his college experience, writing, “I became far more interested in school when I found a professor that actually taught through conversation and application as opposed to a professor that simply talked at me. I found a professor that left me constantly thinking about theory and its true application.” A graduate student summarizes, “He has repeatedly modeled the type of professor that I would like to be one day; compassionate but not a pushover, humorous yet serious about education and about fostering a love of learning—esteemed yet humble.”
College: College of Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
Katherine I.
Miller
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Year Awarded: 2010
College: College of Liberal Arts
Award Level: Graduate Mentoring
Haskell
Monroe, Jr.
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Year Awarded: 1964
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
Daryle
Morgan
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Year Awarded: 1999
College: Engineering
Award Level: Teaching
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
William Pat
Morrison
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Year Awarded: 1989
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Extension/ Continuing Education
John
Morse
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Year Awarded: 2000
College: Geosciences
Award Level: Research
Saqib
Mukhtar
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Year Awarded: 2013
Saqib Mukhtar earned his Ph.D. from Iowa State University. He has been with Texas A&M for more than 14 years. He carries multiple titles, but chief among them is extension agricultural engineer. Dr. Mukhtar is renowned for his contributions in extension education, technology transfer and research to reduce the air and water quality impacts of manure and wastewater from animal feeding operations. Since 1998, his efforts have received $15 million in grant support. He has 156 publications, which are referenced by producers, technicians, engineers, and scientists worldwide. In fact, his publications on proper lagoon closure, animal mortality management, and managing odors and dust are part of the guidance provided by Texas and other states to help poultry and livestock operations meet regulatory requirements.
Dr. Mukhtar and colleagues developed the first-ever annual emission factors (EFs) regarding ammonia from dairies in the southwestern United States. Producers use these EFs to meet federal reporting rules. Dr. Mukhtar has served on expert panels regarding ammonia emissions control for the National Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, the National Dairy Air Quality Taskforce, and the Oregon Dairy Air Quality Taskforce. He was early adopter of eXtension, a national online learning environment in which he helped establish the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center in 2008. In 2011, Dr. Mukhtar and several other university leaders working with the center received an eXtension team award for Outstanding Community of Practice. Dr. Mukhtar speaks often at livestock and poultry industry conferences, including keynote addresses or consultations in Brazil, El Salvador and Pakistan. He has earned the AgriLife Extension Superior Service Award and the G.B. Gunlogson Countryside Engineering Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
College: Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Award Level: Extension, Outreach, Continuing Ed. and Prof. Dev.
John
Mullet
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Year Awarded: 1993
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Research
Steven
Murdock
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Year Awarded: 1994
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Research
William
Murphy
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Year Awarded: 2010
College: College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Award Level: Research
Henry
Musoma '00
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Year Awarded: 2017
A native of Zambia, Henry Musoma is assistant director of the Center for International Business Studies (CIBS). After earning his doctorate in educational leadership at Texas Christian University, he joined the faculty of the Mays Business School in 2012. His nominator wrote, “His students are inspired by him to make a positive difference, and Dr. Musoma, himself, personifies his oft-repeated exhortation: ‘You can count the number of seeds in an orange, but you can never count the number of oranges in a seed.’ If the seeds in the orange represent the number of students Henry has served and influenced, that number may be nearly uncountable; but the good work those students are inspired to accomplish (the oranges in the seed) is so vast as to be beyond measure.” In addition to his duties with CIBS, his supporters say that Dr. Musoma helps students internalize a vision of who and what they can be by helping them raise their vision beyond the immediate. He inspires students to be better people. As one former student put it, “Dr. Musoma cares…about helping students discover themselves and to become extraordinary people in life.” He models what he envisions for his students. By being generous with his time, story and resources; he helps students see what is possible. He creates opportunities. A good example is the annual trip to Africa. Each year, Dr. Musoma creates a life-changing opportunity for Regents Scholars and convinced leaders at Philip’s 66 to fund the trip. The result is a two-week international experience for students who would not otherwise be able to travel ? including many who have never left Texas. And, he listens ? witness the continual flow of students to his office. These are not just students in his classes, they are also students who hear him speak in other venues and believe he is someone with whom they can connect.
College: Center of International Business Studies
Award Level: Student Relations
Jeffrey
Musser
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Year Awarded: 2016
Jeffrey Musser, clinical professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, earned his D.V.M. from Virginia Tech and his Ph.D. in pharmacology from North Carolina State. He joined the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 2000. Dr. Musser teaches in the undergraduate, graduate, and professional curriculums and has been training the next generation of professionals and scientists for more than 15 years. The emphasis of his teaching and research is the development of the clinician scientist, which is undergraduate and professional students continuing on to graduate programs and research experiences. Dr. Musser teaches both here and abroad and was instrumental in the development of the Texas A&M University Costa Rica Biomedical Science Semester Abroad Program and the BIMS Germany Summer Abroad Program. He has developed many new undergraduate and professional/graduate courses, mentored more than 30 Texas A&M students in independent research projects, mentored international faculty in curriculum development and teaching skills, and been invited to serve as an external evaluator, examiner, and thesis reviewer at many international universities. Among his awards and honors, Dr. Musser has been a recipient of The Association of Former Students College-Level Teaching Award, the Montague-CTE Scholar Award, and the Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award. His nominator describes his teaching style as passionate, compassionate, personal, creative, animated and indefatigable. A former student describes him as an extraordinary professor who “ignites a passion for learning in his students that they were unaware they possessed.” Another former student describes him as a superior teacher who “instills in his students the knowledge and desire necessary to thrive in both the classroom and life.”
College: College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Award Level: Teaching
Krishna R.
Narayanan
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Year Awarded: 2018
Krishna Narayanan earned a bachelor’s from Coimbatore Institute of Technology, a master’s from Iowa State University and a doctorate from Georgia Institute of Technology. He joined the faculty of the College of Engineering in 1998 and is the holder of Eric D. Rubin ’06 Professorship. Dr. Narayanan has been an innovator in education, an inspiring and caring teacher to thousands of students at Texas A&M, and a personal mentor to several undergraduate and graduate students. In the last few years, he has distinguished himself as a passionate advocate of activities that enhance and personalize the educational experience of students at Texas A&M. His research interests are in coding theory, information theory, and signal processing with applications to wireless networks, data storage, and data science. He is passionate about technology-enabled teaching and innovative pedagogical approaches. Among his honors and awards are the National Science Foundation Career Award and the Best Paper Award from the IEEE Signal Processing for Data Storage Technical Committee, recognizing his work on soft decision decoding of Reed Solomon codes. He was elected a Fellow of the IEEE for contributions to coding for wireless communications and data storage, and he serves as an editor for coding techniques for the IEEE Transactions on Information Theory. He was elected to the board of governors of the IEEE Information Theory Society in 2015. He has also received the Professional Progress in Engineering Award given each year to one outstanding alumnus of Iowa State University who is under the age of 44. In addition, The Association of Former Students College-Level Award in Teaching, and a Dean’s Excellence Award from the College of Engineering.
College: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Award Level: Teaching
William
Nash
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Year Awarded: 1988
College: Education and Human Development
Award Level: Extension/ Continuing Education
Jack
Nation
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Year Awarded: 1995
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
Joseph
Natowitz
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Year Awarded: 1988
College: Science
Award Level: Research
Robert
Nevels
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Year Awarded: 2000
College: Engineering
Award Level: Teaching
H. Joseph
Newton
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Year Awarded: 2005
College: Science
Award Level: Administration
John
Nielsen-Gammon
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Year Awarded: 1996
College: Geosciences
Award Level: Teaching
Gerald
North
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Year Awarded: 1993
College: Geosciences
Award Level: Research