Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, TEXAS – MAY 20, 2015 – Five faculty members from The University of Texas-Pan American earned the University Level Faculty Excellence Award this spring for going above and beyond in the areas of teaching, research, service and mentorship.
The winners of the 2015 awards are:
- Cynthia Paccacerqua, assistant professor, Department of History and Philosophy, College of Arts and Humanities, for teaching.
- Timothy Huber, assistant professor, Department of Mathematics, College of Science and Mathematics, for teaching.
- Zhaosheng Feng, professor, Department of Mathematics, College of Science and Mathematics, for research.
- Thomas White, interim chair and associate professor, Department of Criminal Justice, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, for service.
- James Boudreau, assistant professor, Department of Economics and Finance, College of Business Administration, for mentorship.
An external collection committee selected university-level winners from among 25 faculty members nominated by their peers for the honors at the college level. For the first time, there was a tie between two faculty members – Huber and Paccacerqua – in the teaching category.
The Faculty Excellence Award program is co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the UTPA Foundation Board. College-level winners receive a $1,500 check and a medal. University-level winners receive $5,000, in addition to their college-level award.
Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, UTPA president ad interim and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley founding provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, praised the faculty’s commitment and dedication to ensuring the success of the university and its students.
“This would not have been possible without the active engagement of our faculty in this process, without the excellent work that you do in the classroom and outside the classroom, or without the excellent scholarship in order to enhance your professional development to make your disciplines stand out, not only at UTPA, in the Rio Grande Valley and in the state of Texas, but across the nation and indeed, across the globe,” he said.
University Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching: Dr. Cynthia Paccacerqua
“I really try hard to develop the public voice of the students,” said Paccacerqua who has taught at UTPA since 2010. “That way, when they continue in the other courses, they also have more confidence engaging publicly with other students and with professors, and then develop that type of public voice that is necessary in communities.”
Colleague Dr. Stephanie Alvarez, assistant professor of Spanish, said Paccacerqua stands out as one of the most innovative teachers on campus.
“She takes one of the most difficult concepts for her students at the university to grasp and really makes it culturally relevant to their lives and their communities,” she said.
Colleagues and students admire Paccacerqua’s teaching style, citing how she incorporates cooperative learning activities, thought-provoking classroom discussions, testimonial writing and digital story telling. Paccacerqua also has designed and instructed eight new innovative courses, including Chicana and Latin American Feminisms.
“I believe what makes Paccacerqua a unique professor is that she creates a sense of belonging in the classroom,” said student Daniel Palomares. “She is enthusiastic and caring, while setting high academic expectations for all her students.”
University Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching: Dr. Timothy Huber
At UTPA since 2009, Huber has been a pioneer of online education in the department of mathematics, creating and offering the first online and hybrid course for graduate students.
To help make mathematics more relevant to students in disciplines such as music, art and dance, Huber proposed a course called Mathematics for Art and Music. The core course will be available in the mathematics component for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
“We should all be ambassadors for our subject,” Huber said. “Every interaction that we have with our students can change the course of their career. So let’s do our best to be an ambassador, to convince students that they can fill our shoes. They can do what we’re doing, and do it better.”
Carlos Coronado is one student who has been affected by Huber’s teaching style.
“His enthusiasm during the classroom is just amazing,” Coronado said. “He knows exactly what to say and when to say it, and he’s so passionate about mathematics that it makes the students want to learn even more about the subject.”
Colleague Dr. Cristina Villalobos – President’s Endowed Professor and director for the Center of Excellence in Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics (STEM) – praised Huber’s mentorship with students. Alongside Villalobos, Huber co-directs the summer student research program for the National Science Foundation-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NSF-LSAMP).
“He conducts research with undergraduates and also with master’s students, and then prepares them very well to go on and do graduate studies and doctoral programs across the nation,” she said.
University Faculty Excellence Award for Research: Dr. Zhaosheng Feng
Feng is proud to be able to say that all of his master’s students have been admitted to Ph.D. programs in universities nationwide. He has chaired 13 graduate thesis committees and served on 10 thesis committees.
“He’s willing to expose students to original research in such a way that we must learn to embrace independent learning,” student Jacob Banda said. “It really opened up my eyes to academia, which I was blinded to before.”
Since joining UTPA in 2004, Feng has taught 26 different courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and has written more than 40 research/teaching proposals and received 27 internal and external grants.
“As professors, we should write more high-quality research papers,” Feng said. “We should, and we can, write more research proposals, and we can train and get more students involved with our research, to elevate our new university.”
Colleagues from the College of Science and Mathematics praise Feng’s research, which includes applying mathematics to the environment and applications for preventing diseases. Feng has had 78 research papers published in peer-referred international journals.
“Not only to put UTPA’s math department as a recognizable strong math department internationally but he just does so much. And he’s doing it all for the love of research, and also for the love of his students and for the profession that he’s serving,” said Dr. Olga Ramirez, mathematics professor.
University Faculty Excellence Award for Service: Dr. Thomas White
White, who serves as immediate past chairman for the UTPA faculty senate, is praised by colleagues for his democratic style of leadership in the processes and bodies associated with the transition of both UTPA and UTB into UTRGV. He served on both the UTRGV Steering Committee and the UTRGV Presidential Search Committee.
“Being in service, you get to work with the faculty, you get to work with the staff, you get to work with the students,” White said. “You get to work with the community. So it’s a very special honor to be recognized for something you love doing.”
White excels not only in his service to UTPA but also to the broader community. He has helped with grant writing and fundraisers as a board member for the nonprofit Advocacy Resource Center for Housing. During his teaching breaks, White is the instructor for courses such as Arrest, Search & Seizure and U.S. & Texas Constitutions at the McAllen Police Academy.
Colleague Dr. Dora Saavedra, associate professor of communication, commended White’s humbleness and contribution to all aspects of life.
“He gives other people a lot of the credit, even though he’s probably done the lion’s share of the work,” Saavedra said. “When I first met him in the senate, he was very quiet, but it was very obvious that he was a person who really looked at his job in a serious manner. He has been invaluable in helping us with policies, with issues that we need to take before our faculty senate.”
University Faculty Excellence Award for Mentorship: Dr. James Boudreau
Boudreau’s most prominent mentoring role began during the 2011-2012 academic year, after he was approached by a group of students about forming a student organization devoted to economics. Together, they formed the UTPA Economics Society.
Establishing that organization has allowed Boudreau to challenge his students to work toward their full potential. He has taken Economics Society members to the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank’s annual conference on undergraduate research, and to an annual conference at Texas A&M University, an event aimed at attracting students from under-represented groups to graduate school.
“He’s always there when you need him,” said economics student Fabiola Urgel. “He’s always there for the Economic Society as a president. I have to say, I couldn’t have another adviser because he’s simply dedicated. He’s very committed,”
In 2014, his biggest achievement as an adviser came to light when the Economics Society won first place in the “Up to Us” competition. They were challenged to raise awareness about the national debt in an innovative way and inform peers about the impact it may have on their lives. The winning team received $10,000 and was recognized by former President Bill Clinton, founder of the Clinton Global Initiative University.
“They learned how to rely on one another,” said Boudreau, who has entered his sixth year teaching at UTPA. “They learned to communicate consistently and effectively. Winning first prize is amazing, but for the rest of their lives, these students will be better equipped to work toward any goal.”
Other College Level Faculty Excellence Award winners were:
- College of Arts and Humanities: Dr. Linda English, research; Dr. Jennifer Saxton, service; Dr. Thomas Grabowski, mentoring.
- College of Business Administration: Dr. Jorge Gonzalez, research; Dr. Joo Jung, teaching.
- College of Education: Dr. Peter Kranz, research; Dr. James Curts, service; Dr. Hilda Medrano, mentoring.
- College of Engineering and Computer Science: Dr. Waseem Haider, research; Dr. Emmett Tomai, teaching.
- College of Health Sciences and Human Services: Dr. Jameela Banu, research; Dr. Eva Miller, teaching; Dr. Lydia Aguilera, mentoring.
- College of Social and Behavioral Sciences: Dr. Philip Gasquoine, research; Dr. Amy Weimer, teaching; Dr. Grant Benham, mentoring.
- College of Science and Mathematics: Dr. Christopher Vitek, service; Dr. Robert Dearth, mentoring.
This year, the College of Business Administration’s Department of Management received the Department Excellence Award in Faculty Mentoring, which includes $3,000 in travel monies. The new award was created to recognize a department within UTPA that demonstrates excellence in mentoring its junior faculty, with special attention to women and minorities. A university committee selected by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs reviewed the nominations submitted by tenure-track faculty members.
Jennifer Welbourne, assistant professor of management and nominator, cited the department’s supportive culture and record of impact on tenure track faculty members. Since 2009 the department has retained five junior faculty members, all of whom are women or minorities.
“As a whole, members of our department are extremely approachable, providing me and other incoming faculty with a very friendly and welcoming environment in which they are eager to share their experience and knowledge,” she said.
See a list of prior Faculty Excellence Award winners at the Office of Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs website.
