The Chancellor’s Office and the Teaching Council of the Faculty Senate honor six individuals with Excellence in Teaching Awards.

2009 Excellence in Teaching Awards

TERRY ESPER
As assistant professor of logistics, Terry Esper is committed to sharing real and applicable examples through his teaching. He keeps his students engaged; he knows his job is about much more than presenting material, and he’s adept at taking a murky global concept and making it real for the students. Students love the interaction in Esper’s classes, and they also appreciate the many examples he uses that often involve self-effacing, humorous stories of real-life mistakes he’s made while working in the industry.

 

JaMES ROSE
As a lecturer in the College of Architecture and Design, James Rose is a working professional who leads undergraduate and graduate studio courses. A well-rounded and community-involved architect, he prepares his students for leadership in the field. Working with small groups, he fosters an environment that allows students to grow from one another’s feedback and to gain confidence in conveying information about the concepts in their work. While Rose lives in both the academic and industry worlds, he speaks of a mentor who gave up the opportunity to design buildings so he could positively influence the design of many more through teaching. By all student and faculty accounts, Rose is certainly achieving those very same goals.

MARY LYNN BROWN
Mary Lynn Brown was working as a critical care nurse when her passion for teaching led her to further her education and eventually join UT’s faculty. It is the students’ hunger for knowledge and her ability to fuel it that keeps her going each day. She refers to times when she’s watched a flame go out in a student after failing a test or paper; she recognizes that challenge to turn their doubt into determination. In those times of darkness that our students may encounter, Brown works hard to show them they are valued, important and needed in the nursing profession.

CHRIS COX
Chris Cox, associate department head for Civil and Environmental Engineering, uses practical teaching methods to prepare his students for real-world situations. At the undergraduate level, he seeks to "build the students' confidence in their ability to navigate through the overwhelming uncertainty inherent in engineering design." By assigning the students complicated, but well-defined engineering problems, Cox teaches them to break the problem into smaller and more manageable pieces and to solve it a piece at the time. He facilitates classroom discussions to help students work together in solving a problem. Dr. Cox helps graduate students focus on the fundamentals to further their education and grasp the topic.

Paul Frymier
As associate professor of chemical and biomedical engineering, Paul Frymier recognizes that a classroom experience can change the life of a student, but also the teacher. He makes sure the concepts and the information in his class are clear and understood. He has learned lecture styles must always adapt to fit students’ learning styles. He also places a high value on balancing his research, his consultations with business and industry, and his work in high school science competitions, knowing that it will be his students who reap the most reward.

 

SHAWN SPURGEON
Shawn Spurgeon, assistant professor of educational psychology, uses many basic psychology concepts in his teaching. He sets a tone of mutual respect so that all students are comfortable to express themselves and actively participate in the learning process. He recognizes that it’s vital to understand his students and demonstrate sensitivity and genuineness so that all will benefit from the classroom environment and interaction.