Peter H.
Santschi
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Year Awarded: 2013
Peter Santschi earned his Ph.D. from the University of Berne, Switzerland. He joined the Texas A&M faculty with a joint appointment in the Department of Marine Sciences and the Department of Oceanography in 1988. His pioneering work and theories on the source and fate of radionuclides and colloids in the environment have become a research standard in the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Santschi has received numerous awards and recognitions, including The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award for Research. During his career, he has advised 23 graduate students and 16 post-doctoral fellows. Many of his graduates now hold senior level positions in academia, government and the private sectors in different countries.
His nominator says that although Dr. Santschi’s achievements in research are extraordinary, his “highest achievement is the guidance he has provided to generations of students while at Texas A&M University.” He goes on to say that Dr. Santschi is true mentor in all respects of the word. And his commitment to the betterment of others is not limited to the workplace or to graduate students alone. A former student comments that Dr. Santschi challenged him intellectually to raise his understanding of the concepts taught in class. He describes Dr. Santschi as “a great mentor and role model in the classroom and in the laboratory” who has an open door policy and is always available to discuss ideas, or plan the direction of experiments and who knows the delicate balance between providing direction and allowing a student to discover. Another former student writes, “Peter instilled in me a need to give back as much as I can to colleagues, fellow students, and the public. I have mentored approximately 30 graduate students since I graduated from Texas A&M . . . . I am constantly grateful for the opportunities afforded me . . . .”
College: Texas A&M University at Galveston
Award Level: Graduate Mentoring
Peter H.
Santschi
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Year Awarded: 2004
College: Geosciences
Award Level: Research
Igor
Sarkissian
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Year Awarded: 1970
College: Science
Award Level: Research
Ronald
Sasse
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Year Awarded: 1990
College: Student Affairs
Award Level: Student Relations
Polli
Satterwhite
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Year Awarded: 2005
College: Administration
Award Level: Staff
Ashley
Saunders '98
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Year Awarded: 2016
Ashley B. Saunders, associate professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, received her D.V.M. from Texas A&M University. After completing a one-year internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Tennessee and a three-year residency in veterinary cardiology at Texas A&M, she joined the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 2002. She teaches physiology, pharmacology, and small animal cardiology to first, second, and third-year veterinary students. She also teaches principles and techniques of cardiology to fourth-year veterinary students on their clinical rotations. Dr. Saunders has been recognized with the College’s Richard H. Davis Teaching Award and Bridges Teaching and Service Award, as well as The Association of Former Students College-Level Teaching Award and a Montague-CTE Scholar Award. Her research interests are cardiovascular imaging, interventional techniques, and novel teaching methods. Her enthusiasm and energy for teaching veterinary cardiology is focused around building the confidence of her students. She is relentlessly positive, supportive, and “can do” in her approach. When students work with Dr. Saunders they can feel her excitement and understand her commitment to them, which her nominator says communicates the powerful message that they can be successful. Here are two examples of comments from student evaluations. “The only negative thing I have to say about Dr. Saunders is that she does not fit in my pocket. She is a wonderful instructor.” And, “Dr. Saunders is one of the best teachers I have ever had! She explains things in a way that makes so much sense and she respects the students and their questions.” A colleague concluded her endorsement stating, “I am fortunate to have her as a colleague and collaborator, and our students benefit immensely from her teaching.”
College: College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Award Level: Teaching
Richard
Schapery
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Year Awarded: 1978
College: Engineering
Award Level: Research
David
Schink
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Year Awarded: 1981
College: Geosciences
Award Level: Research
Thomas
Schlumprecht
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Year Awarded: 2000
College: Science
Award Level: Research
David
Schob
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Year Awarded: 1991
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
Herman
Scholthof
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Year Awarded: 2009
College: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Research
Karen-Beth
Scholthof
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Year Awarded: 2009
College: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Teaching
Ralph
Schoolcraft
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Year Awarded: 2007
Ralph Schoolcraft earned his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in French. He taught at the University of Oklahoma, where he was awarded the Cecil Woods Award for Excellence in Teaching. He was then named Visiting Professor of French for one year at the Université Blaise Pascal in France. At Texas A&M, Schoolcraft created the first university-wide reciprocal exchange in France, at the Université de Caen in Normandy.
Dr. Schoolcraft has been an exemplary classroom teacher since his arrival at Texas A&M. Outside the classroom, he has devoted himself tirelessly to mentoring students, offering them invaluable advice and support in pursuing study abroad opportunities, graduate school options and career choices. He is truly both a mentor and friend to Texas A&M students, both inside and outside the College of Liberal Arts.
In addition to his work with students, Dr. Schoolcraft has written a biography, Romain Gary: The Man Who Sold His Shadow (2002), and translated a book by Henry Rousso, The Haunting Past: History, Memory and Justice in Contemporary France (UPenn, 2002). His articles have appeared in venues such as PMLA, SubStance, MLN, Cahiers de l’Herne, and South Central Review, as well as in numerous French scholarly journals. He is currently working on three books simultaneously.
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
Friedhelm
Schroeder
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Year Awarded: 2001
College: Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science
Award Level: Research
Roger
Schultz
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Year Awarded: 2001
College: Liberal Arts
Award Level: Teaching
Courtney
Schumacher
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Year Awarded: 2011
Dr. Courtney Schumacher came to Texas A&M in 2003 after receiving her Ph.D. from the University of Washington. Dr. Schumacher studies tropical and radar meteorology with the overall goal of understanding how storm systems interact with the large-scale atmospheric circulation and climate. She is the recipient of the NSF CAREER award and NASA's New Investigator Program award. Both of these awards require demonstrated dedication to the pursuit of being an exemplary teacher-scholar. She also actively works on projects funded by the Department of Energy and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Dr. Schumacher has been a strong advocate of students and has been recognized for these efforts through the College of Geosciences Dean's Distinguished Teaching Award and Robert C. Runnels Excellence in Advising Award. Her university-wide recognition includes being a Fish Camp Namesake and special recognition by the Women Former Students' Network. Dr. Schumacher has served on numerous national committees dealing with student awards and fellowships, is active in minority recruitment in the STEM fields, and was chosen as a science hero by the MY HERO project.
One former student wrote, “…her enthusiasm, energy, and passion for teaching and research are infectious and inspiring. She has the ability to get students excited about class material, challenge them to go beyond the classroom, and even inspire them to pursue research, which are qualities that only great professors possess.”
Another former student wrote, “Dr. Schumacher has demonstrated to me that she is an extraordinary communicator and an advocate for undergraduate research and training opportunities. On top of this, she is an amazing mentor and dedicated role model who is always just an email, phone call, or office visit away.”
Another student commented, “Her priority is clearly her students, and it is evident through the time and effort she devotes in making sure they succeed. She appeals to all learning styles through the use of her clear and concise notes, explanation of concepts, and visual aids such as radar images. Her lab assignments push students to think beyond the classroom and "think outside the box" by applying techniques and ideas learned in lecture to actual real time data.”
College: Geosciences
Award Level: Teaching
John
Schwarz
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Year Awarded: 2012
John Schwarz is professor and head of the Department of Marine Biology and director of the Seafood Safety Laboratory at Texas A&M University at Galveston. He earned his Ph.D. in molecular biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1972 after which he studied deep-sea bacteria as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Maryland. He joined the faculty of Texas A&M University at Galveston in January 1976. He has taught both microbiology and genetics each semester for 30 of his 36 years with TAMUG, and continues to teach microbiology each long term.
Dr. Schwarz is known as tireless and gifted teacher who has a true passion for teaching and a contagious, positive energy that makes students eager to learn. At an island university, where the beach is always calling, his passion for his subject and his enthusiasm for teaching motivate students to come to class even when the beach is calling most loudly. To illustrate his passion and enthusiasm, two students fondly recall a specific class when he gave an animated portrayal of a centrifuge.
His nominator says that Dr. Schwarz genuinely cares for the wellbeing of his students and has an uncanny ability to notice even the most subtle indications that something is amiss. He always goes out of his way to ask how students are doing and then takes the time to advise them on academic issues or point them to resources to help them with personal issues.
A colleague writes, John Schwarz’s “reputation is often expressed in two words: hard and fair. For many years, his rigorous teaching has made TAMUG a better place for students.” In sum, “He is a distinguished teacher in the best tradition of Texas A&M University.”
College: Texas A&M University at Galveston
Award Level: Teaching
Charles
Scifres
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Year Awarded: 1980
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Research
Donald
Seaman
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Year Awarded: 1979
College: Education and Human Development
Award Level: Extension/ Continuing Education
Robert
Segner
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Year Awarded: 2007
Robert O. “Bob” Segner loves to introduce himself with the words, “It is my privilege to serve as Professor of Construction Science at Texas A&M University.” His teaching, and his love for his students, and for his university, are the centerpieces of his professional life. Present and former students name him as the faculty member who was the most influential teacher and mentor, on their road to success. Professor Segner has built a career of teaching excellence, as well as significant accomplishment in research and service, in the program where he was previously a student. He graduated from Texas A&M in 1969 with a B.S. degree in Architectural Construction, and a Master of Construction Management degree in 1972.
As a Professor, he has served his Department and College in many roles. He has developed the most highly subscribed courses in his department. He has been recognized for teaching excellence at the departmental, college, university, regional, and national levels. He is actively involved at the national level in professional associations, and is President-Elect of the American Council for Construction Education, the primary international accreditation agency for programs of construction management higher education.
College: Architecture
Award Level: Teaching
John
Shadduck
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Year Awarded: 1995
College: Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science
Award Level: Administration
Peter
Sharpe
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Year Awarded: 1984
College: Engineering
Award Level: Research
Michael
Shaub
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Year Awarded: 2012
Michael Shaub joined the faculty of Texas A&M’s Mays Business School in 2006 after service on the faculties of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Hillsdale College, the University of North Alabama, and St. Mary’s University. He earned his Ph.D. in accounting from Texas Tech University. He currently teaches a pre-internship auditing course and a post-internship ethics course, both of which are very important to the early career experiences and success of Texas A&M’s accounting students.
Dr. Shaub is an unusually dedicated and exceptional teacher who is highly respected by current and former students both for his teaching ability and his genuine concern for his students’ development. In addition to being an exceptional teacher and motivator, Dr. Shaub is also always willing to spend significant time out of the classroom for both the academic and personal development of his students.
His unusual effectiveness in teaching is driven by the four elements in his teaching philosophy. First, each individual matters. Second, it is imperative for him to stimulate creativity in his students. Third, one of his objectives is to help his students realize their potential. And fourth, beyond the search for knowledge, he wants to help his students grow in wisdom as well as to be life-long learners.
He prepares his students for the real world by using true-to-life business and professional scenarios in the classroom. His strategies clearly enhance students’ understanding of internal controls and the fraud assessment process that they will likely use in real-life situations. He also prepares them to deal with real-life ethical issues.
Dr. Shaub has unusual enthusiasm for his students and his work, which is strengthened by an extremely positive attitude and a caring personality. He is considered to be an exceptional faculty member and a very important asset to the accounting students at Texas A&M University.
College: Mays Business School
Award Level: Teaching
Winston
Shearon, Jr.
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Year Awarded: 1991
College: Business
Award Level: Teaching
Bala
Shetty
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Year Awarded: 2016
Bala Shetty, professor and holder of the Cullen Trust for Higher Education Chair and Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Programs in Mays Business School, earned his Ph.D. in operations research from Southern Methodist University (SMU). After holding faculty positions at SMU and the Madrid Business School in Spain, he joined the Texas A&M faculty in 1985. He subsequently has served twice as a research fellow at Princeton University and held a number of leadership roles within Mays Business School. Dr. Shetty’s research interests include supply chain management, optimization, and finance. He has published extensively in premier scholarly journals in business. Dr. Shetty has taught with distinction at both the graduate and undergraduate levels in multiple programs, including the BBA, Full-Time MBA, Professional MBA, Executive MBA, Ph.D., and in the Center for Executive Development.
He is the recipient of The Association of Former Students College-Level Teaching Award, multiple Outstanding Faculty Awards, the Alpha Kappa Psi Undergraduate Teaching Award, and the Mays Business School Distinguished Achievement in Research Award. His teaching motto is “to deliver the very best educational experience the students can possibly receive anywhere in the country,” and his goal for the classroom is “strengthening the analytical problem-solving skills of business leaders.” His students praise him as an “incredibly gifted professor. Passionate about teaching and leadership development,” and “Very engaging.” A colleague credits him with “the outstanding preparation and insights that he gives our students.”
College: Mays Business School
Award Level: Teaching
Dorothy E.
Shippen
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Year Awarded: 2008
Dorothy Shippen joined the Texas A&M faculty in 1991 and serves as a Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics. She is recognized for her pioneering research in the exciting field of telomerase, an enzyme that has special significance to aging and cancer. In the last 5 years, Dr. Shippen has published 18 papers with 4 or more “in the pipeline.” These articles chronicle a movement of her research focus using the simple plant organism Arabidopsis. Dr. Shippen is rapidly carving a unique scientific niche as she essentially pioneers this specific telomerase subfield which may serve as an important model of mammalian behavior.
An active member of the Faculty of Genetics, Dr. Shippen’s work is signified by her many invitations to speak at major scientific conferences as well as her 2001 publication in Science that essentially made the case for the relevance of plant telomers to human health. She currently enjoys over $1.7M in research grant support from NIH, NSF and the State of Texas. Eight students have received their doctoral degree under her mentorship, and over 30 undergraduates have trained under her tutelage. Her laboratory has attracted 6 other Ph.D. students, 3 postdoctoral fellows and 4 undergraduates.
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Award Level: Research
Dorothy E.
Shippen
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Year Awarded: 2015
Dorothy Shippen joined the faculty in Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics in the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences in 1991 after earning a Ph.D. in biology at the University of Alabama and completing postdoctoral fellowships at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, San Francisco. She established the plant Arabidopsis thaliana as a model for understanding the structure and function of telomeres, which are the “caps” on the ends of chromosomes. She has received numerous awards, including the Texas A&M Faculty Fellow award, the AgriLife Research Senior Faculty Fellow award, the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research, and The Association of Former Students’ Distinguished Achievement Award for Research. These accomplishments would not have been possible without her dedication to mentoring graduate students. She has mentored 23 graduate students, and 17 have earned their doctorates so far. Fifteen of these students continued their research careers as postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Shippen is one of the most successful graduate mentors in the department: on average, her Ph.D. students publish 4.5 papers (twice the departmental average) and graduate in 5.7 years (one year less than the departmental average). Recognizing that successful graduate students need more than scientific mentoring, Dr. Shippen developed courses and workshops on building lab management skills. Uniformly, her graduate students praise her mentorship, declaring that she treated them as colleagues, both respecting their ideas and placing high expectations on them. One former student writes, “The most important value I acquired from Dorothy is perseverance.” Another says, “She always listens and considers every idea, and truly celebrates and cheers every success.” Still another adds, “…there is always some part of our spirit that stays in Dorothy’s lab. …I believe this is due to Dorothy’s personal charm, her charitable mentorship, friendship, encouragement, and inspiration.”
College: College of Science
Award Level: Graduate Mentoring