The University of Texas System Board of Regents will recognize seven University of Texas at El Paso faculty members for their extraordinary performance and innovative instruction in the classroom with the highly prestigious 2016 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award (ROTA).
This year’s UTEP recipients include: Joyce Asing Cashman, Ph.D., assistant professor of practice for STEM education; José de Piérola, Ph.D., associate professor of creative writing; Jorge Lopez, Ph.D., Rho Sigma Tau-Robert L. Schumaker Professor of Physics; Maria Morales, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology and anthropology; Aurelia Murga, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology and anthropology; Germán Rosas-Acosta, Ph.D., associate professor of biological sciences; and W. Shane Walker, Ph.D., assistant professor of civil engineering.
“I’m delighted that the UT System Board of Regents has once again honored several UTEP faculty members for their excellent teaching,” said Howard C. Daudistel, Ph.D., interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “The Regents’ recognition validates our faculty’s hard work and dedication to student learning and achievement. Our award-winning faculty not only excel in the classroom, they are outstanding scholars, researchers and writers. These outstanding teachers were selected for this honor through a rigorous, extremely competitive and demanding review process. I congratulate each one of them for their success and thank them for their commitment to maintaining UTEP’s stature as a leader in higher education.”
The ROTA was established in 2008 to recognize faculty from the system’s 15 academic and health campuses who demonstrate excellence in classroom expertise, curricula quality, course development and student learning outcomes in undergraduate teaching. Each recipient is awarded $25,000. Since the program’s inception, 65 UTEP faculty have received the award.
“UT educators provide invaluable mentorship and deliver high-quality instruction and innovation while enhancing the minds of the nation’s next leaders,” Board of Regents Chairman Paul L. Foster said. “Their deep commitment to outstanding education ensures student success across the System. The Board of Regents is honored to recognize our dedicated faculty members through the ROTA
program.”
UTEP honorees, along with all Regents’ Award recipients, throughout Texas will be recognized Aug. 24 during the Board of Regents meeting in Austin.
