UTSA community members to be honored April 13 at University Excellence Awards

(April 10, 2017) – UTSA faculty and staff members are invited to the 2017 University Excellence Awards Ceremony at 2 p.m., Thursday, April 13 in the H-E-B University Center Ballroom (HUC 1.104) on the Main Campus. Additionally, the ceremony will be livestreamed to the Meeting/Assembly Room (BVB 1.338) in the Buena Vista Street Building at the Downtown Campus.

The ceremony will include a presentation of the University Excellence Awards, President's Distinguished Achievement Awards and Richard S. Howe Excellence Awards. In addition, 2016 service milestones and retirees will be recognized.

Bernard Arulanandam, interim vice president for research, will open the program followed by Jude Valdez, vice president for community services, who will recognize retirees and those with five or more years of service.

Interim President Pedro Reyes and Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Mauli Agrawal will present the awards.

UTSA University Excellence Awards 2017:

Rising Star Award

• Jessica Fernandez, director of contracts and industry agreements, Office of the Vice President for Research

Leadership Award

• Karen Ivy, assistant director for career development and college relations, University Career Center

Team Spirit Award

• Financial Services & OIT

Sylvia Dorgan, senior enterprise system programmer, Office of Information Technology
Gary Lott, director, Financial Services
Sam Suwal, associate bursar, Financial Services (Downtown Campus)
Christopher Valles, associate bursar, Financial Services (Main Campus)

Extra Mile Award

• Forrest J. Wilson, project coordinator, College of Public Policy

Order of the Roadrunner Award

• Beth Manning, director of research financial administration, Office of the Vice President for Research

President's Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching Excellence

• Nazgol Bagheri, assistant professor of political science and geography, College of Liberal and Fine Arts
  
• Derek Plantenga, lecturer III in social work, College of Public Policy
  
• Patricia Sánchez, associate professor of bicultural-bilingual studies, College of Education and Human Development

President's Distinguished Achievement Award for Core Curriculum Teaching

• Sonia Alconini, associate professor of anthropology, College of Liberal and Fine Arts
• Dixie Shaw-Tillmon, lecturer III in the Writing Core Program, University College

President's Distinguished Achievement Award for University Service

• Gregg Michel, associate professor and chair of the Department of History, College of Liberal and Fine Arts, and UTSA's faculty athletics representative

President's Distinguished Achievement Award for Community Engagement

• Sue Ann Pemberton, assistant professor in practice of architecture, College of Architecture, Construction and Planning
• Mehdi Shadaram, Janey and Dolph Briscoe Distinguished Professor in electrical engineering, associate dean of student affairs and policies, College of Engineering, and director of the Center for Excellence in Engineering Education

President's Distinguished Achievement Award for Research Achievement

• Krystel Castillo, GreenStar Endowed Professor in Energy, College of Engineering
• Leslie Neely, assistant professor of educational psychology, College of Education and Human Development
• Amaury Nora, professor of educational leadership and policy studies and associate dean for research, College of Education and Human Development
• Qi Tian, professor of computer science, College of Sciences

President's Distinguished Achievement Award for Performance, Creative Production, or Other Scholarly Achievement

• Ethan Wickman, associate professor of music theory and composition, College of Liberal and Fine Arts

President's Distinguished Achievement Award for Advancing Globalization

• Jason Yaeger, UTSA President's Endowed Professor and chair of the Department of Anthropology, College of Liberal and Fine Arts

The Richard S. Howe Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award

• Matthew W. McCarter, associate professor of management, College of Business
• Shelley E. Roff, associate professor of architecture, College of Architecture, Construction and Planning

The Richard S. Howe Excellence in Service to Undergraduate Students Award

• Edwin Barea-Rodriguez, Roland K. and Jane W. Blumberg Professor in Bioscience and associate dean for student success and instructional innovation, College of Sciences

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To learn more about the University Excellence Awards and Howe Service Award, visit utsa.edu/excellence-awards.

To learn more about the President's Distinguished Achievement Awards and Howe Teaching Award, visit utsa.edu/facultyawards.

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