Dozens of Texas Tech University faculty members received awards today (April 22)
for their quality teaching and research during the annual Faculty Honors Convocation.
Receiving the President’s Academic Achievement Awards, which go to three faculty members
who have demonstrated distinction in teaching, research and service, are: Mindy Brashears,
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; Laura Beard, College of Arts
and Sciences; and Brian Shannon, School of Law.
Winners of the President’s Excellence in Teaching Awards are: Phillip Johnson, College
of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; Brian Rex, College of Architecture;
Ken Baake, Nathan Collie, Bolanle Olaniran and Magdalena Toda, all College of Arts
and Sciences; John Masselli, Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration; Hansel
Burley, College of Education; Mohammad Saed, College of Engineering; Charlie Adams,
College of Human Sciences; Gabriel Eckstein, School of Law; Bill Dean, College of
Mass Communications; and Lisa Rogers, College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Seven faculty members received Outstanding Research Awards, they are: Warren Ballard,
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; Clifton Ellis, College of
Architecture; Hafid Gafaiti, College of Arts and Sciences; Alfredo Benavides, College
of Education; Du Feng, College of Human Sciences; Susan Saab Fortney, School of Law;
and Sankar Chatterjee, Museum Science.
The Texas Tech Association of Parents Barnie E. Rushing, Jr. Faculty Distinguished
Research Award went to Sindee Simon in the College of Engineering. The association
also presented awards to: Vickie Sutton, School of Law, the Faculty Distinguished
Leadership Award; Andrew Farley, Department of Classical and Modern Languages and
Literature, the Hemphill Wells New Professor Excellence in Teaching Award and Laura
Beard, Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literature, the Spencer A.
Wells for Creativity Award.
The President’s Book Awards, given to outstanding faculty authors, went to: Michael
Borshuk, Department of English, for his book "Swinging the Vernacular – Jazz and African
American Modernist Literature;" John Beusterien, Department of Classical and Modern
Languages and Literatures, for "An Eye on Race – Perspectives from Theater in Imperial
Spain;" and "Stefan K. Estreicher, Department of Physics, for "Wine from Neolithic
Times to the 21st Century."
The Texas Tech University Teaching Academy Departmental Excellence in Teaching Award
went to the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures.
The Texas Tech Alumni Association New Faculty Awards went to: Todd Brashears, College
of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; Kuhn Park, College of Architecture;
Idoia Elola, College of Arts and Sciences; Ratna Narayan, College of Education; James
Simonton, College of Engineering; Sara Smock, College of Human Sciences; Christopher
Bruner, School of Law; Samuel Bradley, College of Mass Communications; and Peter Martens,
College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Also recognized were newly designated Paul Whitfield Horn Professors Ballard; Fortney;
David Larmour, College of Arts and Sciences; and Daniel Cooke, College of Engineering.
The Horn Professorship is the highest honor that can be bestowed on Texas Tech faculty.
Robert McDonald, Area of Marketing in the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration,
Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching Award and Stephen Jones, Department of
English in the College of Arts and Sciences, winner of the Chancellor’s Council Distinguished
Research Award, also were recognized.
Gretchen Adams in the Department of History and Janis Elliot, School of Art received
Gloria Lyerla Memorial Library Research Travel Grants.
Horn Professor Graduate Achievement Awards went to: Micah Meixner, School of Music;
Joy Humphreys, Department of Psychology; Kelong Wang, Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry; and Hugo Mantilla-Meluk, Department of Biological Sciences.
Certificates also were presented to newly retired faculty members who have been given
emeritus status.