Faculty Focus Archive
Roger Zarnowski:
Math is Music to His Ears
Growing up in the small farming community of Halstead, Kan., Roger Zarnowski quickly learned that he was different from all of his five siblings.
First off, they were all girls. Secondly, while they were his piano teacher mom’s prize pupils, the musical gene in his DNA was apparently dormant. One of his sisters is a guitar/piano teacher and several of the others still play piano regularly, but Roger found his life’s harmony first in physics and then mathematics.
Now a professor of mathematics at ASU, Dr. Zarnowski can look back and better appreciate that early musical education.
“I tried doing that for a few years and didn’t do so well at it,” Zarnowski said. “But, there are some interesting relationships between music and mathematics. One of my sisters and I get into conversations sometimes about her music and my math and how they relate to each other.”
“There are a lot of interesting mathematical relationships among the notes used in different musical scales,” he added. “From that it gets into digital music and how synthesizers work, things like that.”
An ASU faculty member since 1991, Zarnowski was a finalist for the 2008 Teaching Excellence Award. He came to Angelo State from the University of Oklahoma because of ASU’s emphasis on teaching and student research.
“Getting to work on research projects with some of the really bright students we get here is a neat experience,” Zarnowski said. “I’ve been able to explore some areas that were curiosities to me, get some students involved and look into some new things. It helps keep the mind going. There is no shortage of cool things to do.”
Currently, Zarnowski teaches mainly calculus and differential equations. He is also studying the recently developed mathematics involved in image processing for digital cameras and hopes to offer an introductory class on this new topic and its role in today’s technology. When he is not crunching numbers he gets as far away from walls, bookshelves and computers as he can for outdoor activities like running, biking and visiting state parks.
Zarnowski holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in mathematics from Wichita State University and his Ph.D. in mathematics from Indiana University. He and his wife, Becky, have a son, Adam, who is a government major at ASU.
Bonnie Amos: Returning to Her Roots
Growing up in the rural Concho Valley, Dr. Bonnie Amos was introduced to nature at an early age and has been passing on her love of all things botanical to students in the ASU Biology Department for over 20 years.
Winner of ASU’s 2008 Teaching Excellence Award, Amos originally planned a career in botany research, but decided to take the teaching route to have more contact with students. Now, she has the best of both worlds.
“I really like the teaching portion of it and what is great about ASU is the opportunity that I have to work with students in research,” Amos said. “In fact, the research that I do now, I could not do without their help.”
That research includes studies and surveys of plants native to the Chihuahuan Desert and Chisos Mountains regions of Big Bend National Park and is almost always aided by both graduate and undergraduate students.
“Being an ASU graduate, I appreciate what that opportunity meant to me when I was a student here,” Amos said. “It really made a difference in my life. It enriched not only my education, but helped me select a career. So I wanted to come back and pay back that debt that I felt I owed this university.”
Upon her return, Amos was quickly named head of the Biology Department, a post she held for 13 years, but then vacated to free up more time for teaching and research. She is also curator of the Angelo State Natural History Collections’ Herbarium, which contains over 60,000 plant specimens from Texas, the U.S. and around the world.
“It’s amazing,” Amos said. “I think I could work in there even if it wasn’t part of my responsibilities.”
Amos credits an ASU plant taxonomy class for really opening her mind to a career in botany, but her love of nature goes all the way back to her childhood.
“My grandmother would walk me around their property, show me the wildflowers, tell me the names of them and tell me interesting things about them,” Amos said. “My parents both loved the outdoors and my dad was an avid hunter and fisherman, so I was always outside with him. I think that early introduction to nature made a big difference.”
Amos holds both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from ASU and her Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. In her spare time she enjoys reading, attending sporting events, traveling, snorkeling and spending time with her family. Her immediate family consists of four rescued dogs, Sugar, Dottie, Lucy and Rosy, who share her home near Dove Creek.
While she admits to occasionally wondering what her life would have been like had she gone into research instead of teaching, Amos has found a home at ASU.
“I have excellent colleagues,” she said. “We all have the same objective and that is doing the best we can for our students. That makes it a nice place to work.”
Edward Surface: The Music Man
After several years of teaching college students, Dr. Edward Surface figured he was finally prepared for his next adventure, a summer of touring with the Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Circus.
A member of the Angelo State University music faculty since 1976, Surface went on the road with the circus in the early 80’s, playing trombone and tuba in the “greatest show on Earth.” It was not just a musical experience, but also a lesson in diversity.
“There was an acrobat team from China, jugglers from Hungary and many others,” Surface said. “With the circus, you are around so many different cultures with people that speak nine or 10 different languages, plus you are virtually in a moving city. It was fascinating.”
After working with acrobats, clowns and lion tamers, Surface returned to ASU with a new appreciation for his students.
Currently the director of the ASU Brass Choir, Surface has also taken his act on the road throughout the U.S., Europe and Canada. His credits include live performances accompanying such artists as B.J. Thomas, Anacanni, Harry Connick, Sr., Anita Bryant and Janie Fricke. He recently completed a musical tour of Mexico with fellow ASU music professor Dr. John Irish.
But, wherever he travels, Surface loves to return home.
“San Angelo is a gold mine as far as the arts are concerned,” Surface said. “We have a symphony here that has developed over the years while the whole arts dimension in this community has radically changed. It has been fun to be a part of that through my association with the symphony and with ASU. That is what caused me to stay all these years, I kind of feel like a pioneer.”
Surface holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and his Ph.D. from Texas Tech. When not performing, he enjoys the outdoors, traveling and golf.
“Teaching here and living in this community is an honor,” Surface said. “I feel honored not only teaching, but performing with some of the people like John Irish, the high level of professionalism and musicianship. There have been times when I haven’t been around that caliber of musician to work with and it makes a big difference in your life.”
Sharynn Tomlin: World Traveler
Growing up in San Angelo, Dr. Sharynn Tomlin dreamed of visiting exotic locales. Now, as head of Angelo State University’s International Studies program, she has become a world traveler.
Director of the program since 2000, Tomlin often leaves home and hearth behind to accompany student academic trips and attend conferences in places like Scotland, Costa Rica, Ireland, Belgium, France, Mexico, Spain and Canada. While it’s technically work, for her it’s just living the dream.
“I’ve always been fascinated by different cultures, where people came from and how they got here,” Tomlin said. “It’s just a natural curiosity about the world around us.”
Born a California girl in Monterrey, Tomlin’s first taste of travel came as a five-year old when her family moved to San Angelo. Now, her favorite destination is Paris, though she also recommends Vancouver, and she thinks everyone could benefit from study abroad.
“The real educational value is truly in how our students can see the world around them,” Tomlin said. “It’s often a life-changing experience for both the students and the faculty that accompany them.”
A 20-year ASU faculty member, Tomlin also interacts with many foreign students in her international business and management classes. She sees them enjoying many of the same experiences at ASU.
“The one thing I hear consistently from many of my international students is that they don’t want to go back home, they want to stay here,” Tomlin said. “A lot of them, even the ones just here on exchange programs, do end up coming back and finishing up their degrees or coming back and completing their master’s work.”
Despite her globe-trotting tendencies, Tomlin has found a “second home” at Angelo State. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from ASU before taking her Ph.D. from North Texas State. Her husband, Stuart, also attended ASU, where the pair lived in married student housing. Their son, Les, their daughter, Rebecca, and daughter-in-law, Amanda, are ASU alumni.
Tomlin’s hope now is that her four grandchildren will follow in her footsteps, both at ASU and around the world.
Cody Scott: West Texas ‘Ranger’
His affinity for the livestock, plants and wildlife of West Texas has helped make ASU animal science professor Dr. Cody Scott one of the top range management professionals in the entire country.
He is the 2007 recipient of both the state and national Outstanding Young Range Professional Award from the Society for Range Management.
“You’re looking at brush control, increasing forage production, increasing biodiversity, increasing animal gains and even improving the habitat for wildlife,” Scott said. “The distinction of range management from wildlife management or ecology is that we are dealing with systems that have livestock involved in them.”
“That is not always the case now,” he added, “but the issues are still the same. We’re still trying to improve soil stability, increase vegetation production and improve the aesthetics of the land.”
A West Texas native, Scott has been on the ASU faculty since 1995. Outside the classroom, he conducts his own research, advises graduate research projects, consults with area landowners and directs the public draw hunts at the ASU Ranch. He is also responsible for all range management decisions at the ranch. But, what he likes best is indoors, inside the classroom.
“I really like research and I wanted to leave my mark as a research scientist,” Scott said. “Since I’ve been here, that has changed. When I first came here, if you asked me what I enjoyed most, it was the research part and then teaching. Now, no matter what else is going on, when I walk in the classroom everything is fine. The teaching part is what I enjoy more now.”
Fittingly, it was the accomplishments of a student, Corey Owens, which provided Scott with the highlight of his teaching career. Owens was recognized as the outstanding graduate student at ASU in 2007, only the second time the designation had ever been awarded. He has since joined Scott on the faculty of the ASU Agriculture Department.
“I advised him for most of his undergraduate career and then I was his master’s thesis adviser,” Scott said. “We got to be close friends during that time. Working with him and seeing him come along, seeing him advance, that was one of the coolest things.”
In his spare time, Scott enjoys golfing, hunting, fishing, raising horses and sheep, and watching his son, Brian, play sports for Veribest High School. Brian is following his dad to ASU in the fall and hopes to play football for the Rams. Scott’s mom, Susan Farr, and wife, Bridget, hold degrees from ASU, where Scott also received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
“I think most people would like to go back to work for a university they went to school at,” Scott said. “It is great for me to get to do it. I enjoy it and I love my job. I really do.”
David Tarver: Teacher and Birder
Spending his entire career in the mostly indoor world of higher education has given Dr. David Tarver a particular appreciation of the great outdoors, most noticeable in his hobby of bird watching.
After starting out as a public school biology teacher, Tarver’s migratory path took him into college administration and finally to Angelo State University, where he teaches in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. But, his love of all things feathered often takes him into the field to photograph and help band the local avian populations.
“We band them for scientific purposes and the data goes to a national databank,” Tarver said. “We track things like migration routes, age, sex and population densities of birds. So, the scientist part of me is still in there.”
An avid bird watcher and photographer since 1970, Tarver also participates in the annual summer banding of hummingbirds at the Hummer House in Christoval. His picture of a painted bunting was used for a San Angelo Chamber of Commerce ad in a recent issue of Texas Monthly magazine.
When he comes inside, Tarver aims to help his flock of students spread their wings and fly.
“To help them learn about managing their way through college and give them potential for success is just exciting,” Tarver said. “All the students are great to work with, both at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels. They are so appreciative of somebody showing interest in them.”
His work with students has earned Tarver a 2005 “Rammy” award from the Student Government Association and a 2006 Distinguished Faculty Award from the Alumni Association. He will also be keeping an eagle-eye on the Faculty Senate as president for 2007-08.
“It’s an opportunity to be the voice of the faculty to the administration,” Tarver said. “So, if there are positive and/or challenging things that we need to dialogue with the administration about, it gives me a direct opportunity to be influential and I like that.”
Tarver earned his bachelor’s degree from Tarleton State, his master’s from UT-Permian Basin and his Ed.D. from the former East Texas State. He and his wife, Debbie, have four “children.” They are two Yorkshire terriers, Harley and Hannah, and two Eastern box turtles, Digger and Denise.
Terry Dalrymple: The Dawning Light
Whether in the great outdoors or in the classroom, Dr. Terence A. “Terry” Dalrymple enjoys nothing more than seeing the light dawn, either on a West Texas horizon or in the eyes of a student who catches the joy of literature and writing.
From childhood the Angelo State University English Professor learned an appreciation of the outdoors from his parents and grew up with fond memories of hiking and camping in the Texas Hill Country as he pondered the majesty of nature.
With his love of the outdoors, he found a kinship with Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, both the book and the character inspiring him both as a lover of literature and as a writer.
“I recognized early on how much literature had to offer in regard to understanding human experience,” said Dalrymple, holder of the John S. Cargile University Professorship and the ASU Alumni Association’s 2007 Distinguished Faculty Award Recipient in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts.
Just as he found awe in nature, Dalrymple also found majesty in the well-crafted sentence or the well-drawn character who gives us insight into ourselves and into our lives. That love of literature and his active imagination have spawned two books of fiction and 16 short stories as well as dozens of articles and reviews.
His artistry with words has earned him membership in the prestigious Texas Institute of Letters, not to mention the praise of his students and fellow faculty members.
“I enjoy working with students who love, or develop a love for, what I love – reading, writing and discussing reading and writing,” Dalrymple said.
Dalrymple arrived at Angelo State in 1979 with a one-year appointment to teach composition in the English Department. He has been at ASU ever since.
“The emphasis on teaching at this university,” he said, “suits me perfectly.”
Dalrymple earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southwest Texas State University and his doctorate from Oklahoma State University. He and his wife, Lorraine, have three children.
Bill Doll: A Lion of the Stage
Dr. Bill Doll may not have an Oscar, Emmy or Tony, but the director of University Theater does have the 2007 Texas Educational Theatre Association (TETA) Educator of the Year Award in his trophy case.
Even though he lacks one of the top acting awards, he has performed on stage with the late Maureen Stapleton, who received one of each during her storied career.
“Maureen and I did ‘The Glass Menagerie’ when I was in graduate school and I met her the week after she won her Oscar,” Doll said. “She played Amanda and I was Jim the gentleman caller. It was a lot of fun to work with her for two-and-a-half or three weeks.”
Doll’s favorite role, however, was playing the Cowardly Lion in “The Wiz,” a rock-and-roll version of “The Wizard of Oz.” One critic wrote that Doll portrayed “the most lovable and hilarious pussycat to ever tiptoe across a stage.”
With his swept-back hairstyle and full beard, Doll may resemble a cuddly lion as he reigns over the ASU drama program. A member of the ASU faculty since 1999, Doll has directed more than 30 University Theatre productions.
“We hopefully delight and instruct,” Doll said. “That is our goal from the classical model, that in this there is something entertaining that will delight us and there is also an important message that will instruct us. Those are our goals in the theatre and many of the arts.”
In addition to his TETA award, Doll also has three ASU “Rammy” nominations as professor of the year in the liberal and fine arts and was a 2006 nominee for the Faculty Senate’s Teaching Excellence Award. Fittingly, Doll said he knew from an early age that he wanted to be a teacher, despite his acting talents.
“The theatre is perfect for me because it’s something different all the time. I’m researching some new thing for every production and there are new challenges for every show that we work on. I also really get to have an impact on the students.”
Several of Doll’s ASU productions have won awards at the annual Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State, a master’s degree from Texas Woman’s University and a Ph.D. from Texas Tech. He is engaged to Carala Luker of San Antonio.
Terry Maxwell: The Blackboard Jungle
As a member of Angelo State’s biology faculty, Dr. Terry C. Maxwell has been known to capture all sorts of animals without ever touching a single one of them.
Maxwell uses his artistry to capture them in pen-and-ink on paper or in chalk on the blackboards of three classrooms in the Cavness Science Building where the ASU Biology Department and the ASU Natural History Collections are housed.
“I never had any really formal instruction in illustrating art, which is basically what I do,” Maxwell said. “It’s a lifetime of practice.”
Practice makes perfect in Maxwell’s case because his eye-catching blackboard art in Cavness Rooms 111, 119 and 123 has become an ASU student attraction and likely holds a longevity record for blackboard work.
His chalk portraits of a fish, two salamanders, two birds, three frogs and four large cats are all 15-20 years old. Not only do biology students see his illustrations but also the readers of the San Angelo Standard-Times, which run his weekly nature column “Naturally Texas.”
His art avocation, though, blended nicely with his formal education as he holds a bachelor’s degree in wildlife management and a Ph.D. in wildlife and fisheries science, both from Texas A&M, as well as an M.S. in biology from Angelo State. He has used his artistic talents to illustrate his love of nature, especially birds.
Today the former Biology Department head is curator of birds for the Angelo State Natural History Collection, a prime resource for field biology. He is also one of the most popular professors on campus, twice named by the Student Senate as the outstanding faculty member in the sciences. He has also been honored by the Faculty Senate and the Alumni Association for teaching excellence.
In 2007 he was named a Piper Distinguished Professorship by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the teaching profession. This statewide award is the highest classroom recognition for university professors in Texas.
Despite all the contemporary recognition, Maxwell considers himself old-fashioned.
“I am one of the few people apparently remaining who passionately defends holding on to the old-timey black blackboards,” he said. “Everybody’s gone to the fancy whiteboards with the erasable marker or the green boards with the yellow chalk.
“I practically chain myself to a blackboard when they are threatening to take it down and replace it because I can’t do my art on anything but a blackboard,” he said. “I’m sure the day that I retire somebody in charge of boards will say thank goodness he’s gone and we can put something modern up there.”
Maxwell and his wife, Ann, who has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from ASU, share many field study experiences and a love of art.
Carolyn Mason: A Unique Perspective
Dr. Carolyn Mason brings her own experience as both a therapist and a patient to the students in her graduate physical therapy classes.
Having dealt with rheumatoid arthritis since she was 15 years old, Mason truly knows both sides of the therapist-patient relationship. By coupling that knowledge with her expertise in neuroscience, Mason gives her students a unique perspective on treating patients.
"There is the science, the foundation, so we know why we do lots of stuff in physical therapy," Mason said. "Then, there is also the art, which is the interaction of the physical therapist with the patient. I really enjoy seeing the students when they have those "a-ha" moments, particularly in neuroscience, when they can see the whole picture."
A member of the ASU faculty since 2003, Mason was a finalist for the 2007 Teaching Excellence Award. She particularly enjoys the faculty camaraderie and support at ASU that is not always found at all institutions. She is also popular amongst the students, earning outstanding course evaluation scores.
"I was looking for a relatively new program that would allow me to bring my theories and the way I wanted to teach into the classroom," Mason said. "That lets me not be bound by tradition and be able to respond to the needs of the students, the curriculum and the program and have that flexibility to use my potential in the best ways."
With her eye on the future, Mason is pursuing certification in aquatic therapy to stay abreast of that quickly growing area of her field and with the ultimate goal of adding it to the ASU program.
In her spare time Mason enjoys cooking and gardening. She has been known to try out new recipes on unsuspecting dinner guests and is currently landscaping her new home.
Nick Flynn: From Scrums to Honors
For many years, Dr. Nick Flynn got his kicks – as well as a few bruises and bloody noses – from rugby. Today, though, he gets the same satisfaction from Angelo State University’s Honors Program, less the injuries, of course.
The same determination that kept him whole through years of rugby scrums is helping build the ASU Honors Program. It all began with a committee meeting. Flynn participated in an ad hoc committee to develop the program and wound up as its director in 2002.
"I was able to attend a regional Great Plains Honors Council meeting," Flynn said. "I began to really fall in love with the concept of honors and being able to help some of our academically talented students get to that next level, be it graduate school, professional school or a job."
Under Flynn’s direction, the Honors Program graduated its first class in 2006 and became a model for start-up programs at other universities.
When he’s not in his Honors office, the associate professor of biochemistry will be in a laboratory or on the sidelines with ASU’s club rugby team.
He started playing the rough-and-tumble sport in high school and continued while an undergrad at Texas A&M. He was such a rugby fanatic that until 2006 he would drive 100 miles to practice and play on the Midland men’s club team.
"You can go to any city and walk out on a rugby field and you are part of that family," Flynn said. "Rugby players are a very welcoming bunch and it’s the same with Honors. That’s why I’ve stayed around the Honors Program this long because that same camaraderie is there."
In 1999 Flynn helped revive the ASU club rugby team, coached until 2004 and continues to assist. The team has won three of the last four state championships.
The other team Flynn is proud to be a member of is the ASU faculty. "The faculty members here are absolutely dedicated to making sure our students make it to the next level and achieve their goals," Flynn said.
Flynn holds a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from Texas A&M. He and his wife, Serena, have two sons, Logan and Dillon.
Gloria Duarte: Lessons in English and Life
Despite starting grade school without knowing a word of English, ironically, Dr. Gloria Duarte is now the longest tenured professor in the ASU English Department.
As a result of her life experiences, Duarte delivers to her students much more than just lessons on composition and literature, but also tips on culture and life. In her lectures, Duarte likes to connect what she is teaching and what it means in the Hispanic culture. She also encourages students to learn a second language.
"It’s things like that that I enjoy talking about in class besides just ’here is what we are studying today," Duarte said. "So, whenever I can, I talk about the Hispanic culture and things that I went through when I was in school to make them aware that I have been where they have been."
A 30-year ASU faculty member, Duarte was a finalist for the 2007 Excellence in Teaching Award. Over the years she has seen thousands of students come through her classrooms.
"I enjoy the students, having different students every semester so that every 16 weeks there is a new group that comes in," Duarte said. "Sometimes what is funny is that the ones you think like you the least are the ones who keep appearing in your classes. It’s very rewarding when you have students who say you somehow influenced them. Sometimes you find out that the quiet ones sitting in the back are the ones you reach."
However, it’s amazing that Duarte even became an English teacher since she began elementary school in Menard not knowing the language. Not allowed to speak Spanish, she calls her early school days "the long silence" until she learned English by observing and mimicking the other students.
Perhaps because of that, Duarte says her proudest achievement is getting a Mexican-American literature class added to her department in 1998.
Duarte holds a bachelor’s degree from Southwest Texas State University, master’s degree from ASU and Ph.D. from Texas Tech. In her spare time she likes to paint and spend time with daughter Alexis and granddaughter Serena.
Trey Smith: A Study in Balance
Dr. Trey Smith certainly displays a flair for balance, whether he is teaching mathematics, writing plays or riding his unicycle.
An assistant professor in the ASU Mathematics Department, Smith balances the classes he teaches between several different types of students. Besides algebra and calculus classes stocked mostly with math majors, he also teaches courses designed specifically for liberal arts and business majors.
"One of the best things about ASU is that it affords me an opportunity to work with some really great students," Smith said. "Due to a great research scholarship program and an encouraging philosophy with regard to student research, I have been able to work on some really fun projects with a lot of different students."
For his outstanding work in the classroom, Smith is the recipient of the ASU 2007 Excellence in Teaching Award.
Smith has also found a unique way to balance the two sides of his brain. While his analytical left brain concentrates on math lessons, he exercises his creative/intuitive right brain by writing plays. His works have twice been featured in the ASU Summer Dinner Theatre productions of "Uncommon Threads" in 2005 and "Original One-Act Plays" in 2007.
"His plays make me think and laugh and wonder," said ASU theatre director Dr. Bill Doll. "They also make me really, really puzzled about how screwed up those wires in his head must be."
But, the most obvious exhibition of Smith’s balance is when he is partaking in his unusual hobby of riding a unicycle.
"I took up unicycling two summers ago and it started out as a father-son thing with my then 11-year old son, Lee," Smith said. "After we both learned, we got seriously hooked. Both of us are actually more into muni (mountain unicycling) and have gone on several trail rides together."
A member of the ASU faculty since 1994, Smith earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at ASU and his Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. He is married to Laura Smith and they have three sons, Huston, Carl and Lee.