SEPTEMBER 2, 2022 — UTSA has introduced a new honorific title, Distinguished Teaching Professor, to recognize faculty members within the Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars who have made significant contributions to education. Nineteen faculty members will hold the honorific title for a period of five years beginning September 1.
“Congratulations to the outstanding group of faculty members chosen for this honor,” said Kimberly Andrews Espy, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “The UTSA faculty is second to none and this new honorific title is one more way to commend our faculty and recognize their steadfast dedication to teaching excellence and innovative practices that directly contribute to our students’ success.”
The Distinguished Teaching Professor title was introduced by recent changes to the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. To be eligible, a faculty member must be employed full time and be an active member of the UTSA Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars. Nominees should have a distinguished record of teaching excellence, as well as a record of promoting continuous development of teaching excellence and improvement among their colleagues. Renewals are possible after the five-year period.
The faculty members who have been selected for this honor include the following:
- Diane Abdo, Writing Core Program
- Hector Aguilar, Chemistry
- Kathryn Brown, Anthropology
- Tom Cannon, Marketing
- Aaron Cassill, Integrative Biology
- Ian Caine, Architecture
- Mary McNaughton-Cassill, Psychology
- Stacey Davis, Music
- Jennifer Dilley, History
- Jill Fleuriet, Anthropology
- Kirsten Gardner, History
- Patricia Jaramillo, Public Administration
- Jerome Keating, Management Science and Statistics
- Randall Manteufel, Mechanical Engineering
- Deborah Moon Wagner, Anthropology
- Lindsay Ratcliffe, Writing Core Program
- Dixie Shaw-Tillmon, Writing Core Program
- Heather Shipley, Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management
- Valerie Sponsel, Integrative Biology
The UTSA Academy for Distinguished Teaching Scholars is a group comprising recipients of the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award from The University of Texas System. The group, which was established in 2012, provides institutional leadership and guidance at the university through activities such as mentoring new faculty and developing seminars on teaching excellence.
The UT System established the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Awards in 2008 to honor the top educators across its network of academic and medical institutions for excellence in undergraduate teaching. It is the pivotal teaching award within the UT System and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious teaching awards within higher education. Fifty-three UTSA faculty members have received the award since the program began.
