Richard S. Howe Faculty Excellence in Service to Undergraduate Students Award
Questions? Email facultyawards@utsa.edu.
ONE AWARD FOR TENURED/TENURE-TRACK/FIXED-TERM TRACK FACULTY
Purpose of Award
The Richard S. Howe Faculty Excellence in Service to Undergraduate Students Award was established in 2002 through a gift to the university by Mrs. Walter W. McAllister Jr. and is named in honor of longtime engineering professor Richard S. Howe. This award is presented to full time faculty (fixed-term track, tenure-track or tenured) who have shown exemplary commitment towards UTSA undergraduates. The recipients of this award must have demonstrated a strong commitment to service to undergraduate students, served as an advocate for undergraduate education, and engaged in activities to promote student access and success. This award is for service outside of normal instructional activities.
Eligibility
Nominees for the Howe Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award must be full-time faculty members with at least three years of service at UTSA and may be either tenured/tenure-track or fixed-term-track faculty. Recipients of the award are eligible for re-nomination after a five-year period, but are not eligible for nomination the year immediately following their previous win.
Timeline 2023-2024
January 29, 2024: DEADLINE for deans' offices to upload nominations to SharePoint (college faculty award points of contact will receive a link)
February 2024: Award selection committees review nominations and determine recipients
April 2024: Award recipients are formally recognized at the University Excellence Awards Ceremony
Criteria
The selection committee will consider the following criteria in selecting winners:
- Evidence of exemplary commitment towards serving undergraduate students.
- Demonstration that the service are in addition to the nominee’s daily work responsibilities in serving undergraduate students.
- Significance of the impact to UTSA undergraduate students.
Nomination Materials
A selection committee composed of faculty will review nomination packets. The nomination packet for this award will consist of only the following, assembled into a single PDF file in the order indicated:
- Completed award nomination form
- A letter of support from a peer faculty colleague, department chair, or college leader
- A narrative statement from the nominee addressing:
- Describe how the nominee(s) demonstrated exemplary commitment towards serving undergraduate students. Please provide specifics.
- Describe how the nominee(s)’ efforts are in addition to his/her (their) daily work responsibilities in serving undergraduate students.
- Describe how the nominee(s)' effort made a significant impact in improving how UTSA serves undergraduate students.
- Two letters of support from current or former students that describe the experience and emphasize its impact.
- CV of nominee
No additional materials should be submitted.
Each dean’s office should upload completed nomination packets by the deadline.
Each college may submit a maximum number of three nominees (1 Tenured, 1 Tenure-Track, 1 Fixed-Term Track).
SEE TABLE BELOW
| College | Maximum Number of Nominees |
|---|---|
| CEID | 3 |
| ACOB | 3 |
| COEHD | 3 |
| COLFA | 3 |
| COS | 3 |
| HCaP | 3 |
| University College | 3 |
| Honors College | 3 |
Past Recipients
2023
Deborah Moon-Wagner, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Anthropology
2022
Gail Taylor, lecturer, Honors College; associate program director, RISE and MARC programs
2021
Ephrem Fernandez, professor, Department of Psychology
2020
Anne Jimenez, assistant dean of students and director of UTSA Student Judicial Affairs
John Kaulfus, associate dean of students, UTSA Student Life
2019
Sonja Lanehart, professor and endowed chair, Department of English
2018
Ann Eisenberg, professor of psychology, COLFA; director of the Office of Scholar Development, University College
2017
Edwin Barea-Rodriguez, Roland K. and Jane W. Blumberg Professor in Biosciences, Department of Biology
2016
Yilmaz Hatipkarasulu, associate professor, Department of Construction Science
2015
Donovan Fogt, associate professor of kinesiology, health and nutrition; director of the Office of Undergraduate Research
2014
Gabriel Acevedo, associate professor, Department of Sociology
2013
Student Health Services Team: Ellen Bridges, Amanda Graves, Alonzo Guzman, Amanda Martin, Christina Palafox, Lisa Pecor, Tanya Quinones, Barbara Reyes, Lorelei Salazar and Beth Wichman
2012
Lucila Ek, professor, Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies
2014
Richard Gambitta, associate professor of political science; director of UTSA Institute for Law and Public Affairs
Manuel Diaz, associate professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
