UGS professors receive Regents' awards

Over half of the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award recipients who teach at UT Austin are involved with Undergraduate Studies. Many of the 17 Undergraduate Studies-affiliated professors teach a first-year Signature Course, lead a Reading Round-Up session, or serve on an interdisciplinary Bridging Disciplines Programs (BDP) faculty panel.

Three of the winners (Dr. James Vick, Dr. Lawrence Speck, and Dr. Linda Henderson) were part of the School of Undergraduate Studies’ inception. Dr. Vick and Dr. Speck have served on the Undergraduate Studies Advisory Committee (UGSAC) since it was formed in 2006.

The honor, given for the first time this year by the Board of Regents to professors within the UT System, is awarded to those who serve undergraduates in an exemplary manner, and as an incentive for others to do the same. The awards also represent the UT System’s commitment to continuous improvement in the quality of the education its faculty provides to its students. The recipient list was announced on August 19, 2009.

More about the Teaching Awards
Signature Courses
Bridging Disciplines Programs
Reading Round-Up
Undergraduate Studies Advisory Committee (UGSAC)

The following professors received the award, and are also affiliated with Undergraduate Studies:

• Dr. Volker Bromm is currently teaching “The History and Philosophy of Astronomy,” a large-format Signature Course.
• Dr. Keith Brown led his third Reading Round-Up session in this year’s event
• Dr. Robert Duke taught a Bridging Disciplines Programs (BDP) course, and led his fifth Reading Round-Up session in this year’s event
• Dr. Thomas Garza led his fourth Reading Round-Up session in this year’s event
• Dr. Linda Henderson will teach “Science and Art: Then and Now,” a large-format spring Signature Course, and also served on the Task Force for Curricular Reform. She led her fifth Reading Round-Up session in this year’s event.
• Dr. David Heymann will teach “How to Read Buildings—An Introduction to Architecture,” a large-format Signature Course, this spring.
• Dr. Timothy Loving is currently teaching “Human Science: Solutions for Global Families,” a large-format Signature Course.
• Dr. G. Howard Miller led a Reading Round-Up session on The Great Planet Earth, by Hal Lindsay.
• Dr. Shelley Payne led her fifth Reading Round-Up session in this year’s event
• Dr. Robert Prentice serves on the BDP Ethics and Leadership faculty panel, and led his sixth Reading Round-Up session in this year’s event
• Dr. Charles Ramírez Berg is currently teaching “History of World Cinema,” a large-format Signature Course, has taught a BDP 101 course, and led sessions in three Reading Round-Up events.
• Dr. Elizabeth Richmond Garza has led sessions in three Reading Round-Up events, and her lecture Howl, Howl, Howl! Does Father Always Know Best? is featured as one of this year’s University Lecture Series linked events. She also taught “The Art of the Uncanny,” a Signature Course seminar, in fall 2008.
• Dr. Stanley Roux is currently teaching “Hidden Treasures of Plants: Fuel, food, meds, and money,” a Signature Course seminar. The course is part of the new Signature Course Cohorts, which is in its trial run.
• Dr. Philip Schmidt is currently teaching “The Engineered World—Energy,” a Signature Course seminar
• Dr. Lawrence Speck has served on UGSAC from the committee’s inception in 2006 until the present, served on the Task Force for Curricular Reform, will teach a “large-format Signature Course” this spring, and was a panelist on two of the 2007 University Lectures.
• Dr. Michael Starbird is currently teaching “How do you know? Evidence, Mathematical Models, and Proofs,” a large-format Signature Course, and also served on the Task Force for Curricular Reform,. He served as a panelist on three of the four 2007 University Lectures, and has led sessions in four Reading Round-Up events.
• Dr. James Vick has served on UGSAC from the committee’s inception in 2006 until the present, founded the Reading Round-Up, and led his seventh session in this year’s event.