AUSTIN, Texas — Five faculty members from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin will receive the 2012 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award, the UT System Board of Regents’ highest teaching honor, which recognizes extraordinary educators from system institutions.
The College of Natural Sciences is home to the most recipients of Regents’ Outstanding Teaching awards of any college in the UT System.
The 2012 Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award recipients from the College of Natural Sciences are:
- Kristen Grauman, assistant professor, Department of Computer Science
- Jennifer Rebecca Morgan, assistant professor, Section of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology
- Theresa O'Halloran, associate professor, Section of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology
- Catherine Stacy, assistant dean and lecturer, Division of Statistics and Scientific Computation
- Deborah Rush Walker, lecturer, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Sheldon Ekland-Olson, the director of the college’s School of Human Ecology, also received the award for his teaching in the College of Liberal Arts Department of Sociology.
“We have a responsibility as a Board to support, encourage and reward our most innovative and effective educators. These annual awards help advance a culture of excellence and recognize outstanding performance in the classroom and laboratory that directly benefits our students for life,” said Regents Chairman Gene Powell. “On behalf of the Board of Regents, I congratulate each of these dedicated professionals for their commitment to exceptional teaching and providing an education of the first class for our students.”
The instructors will be honored Wednesday, Aug. 22, and will each receive monetary awards of $25,000. The cash awards are considered among the nation's largest for rewarding higher education faculty members who exhibit outstanding classroom performance and innovation in undergraduate instruction.
“Teaching undergraduates is at the very heart of what we do at The University of Texas at Austin, and these faculty members have shown themselves to be experts in that endeavor,” said President Bill Powers. “They inspire our students and train them to think critically about the world they will inherit. And in doing so, they have a greater positive effect on the future than any of us can calculate.”
Established in 2008, the Regents' Outstanding Teaching Awards program recognizes educators who demonstrate a clear commitment to teaching and sustained ability to deliver excellence to the undergraduate learning experience. There are 65 recipients of the 2012 award from across the UT System.
A panel of students, peer faculty members and external reviewers evaluates the award nominees' teaching performance over three years. Faculty members are considered through a rigorous process based on a range of activities and criteria that include expertise, curricula quality, innovative course development and student learning outcomes.
“The UT System and the Board of Regents believe educating young minds is paramount for the future of this great state and nation,” said UT System Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa. “These awards honor those educators who have produced proven results and have had a great impact on our students.”
A full list of the college’s Regents’ award recipients is available online.
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