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ASU Faculty Excellence Winners

May 03, 2013

Dr. Joseph I. Satterfield and Dr. Scott C. Williams of the Physics and Geosciences Department and Dr. Jeffery Womack of the Visual and Performing Arts Department have been named the winners of the 2013 Angelo State University President’s Awards for Faculty Excellence.

Satterfield received the award for Faculty Excellence in Leadership/Service. Williams’ award is for Faculty Excellence in Research/Creative Endeavor. Womack is the award winner for Faculty Excellence in Teaching. Each received $2,500 and Signature Presidential Recognition Awards. Womack and Williams will be ASU’s nominees for the Texas Tech University System Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Excellence in Research.

They, along with 20 other nominees from ASU’s four academic colleges, were honored at the fourth annual Faculty Recognition Dinner sponsored Thursday, May 2, by the ASU Faculty Senate.  Semifinalist winners in each of the three categories were also announced, and each received a $500 award.

In the Excellence in Leadership/Service category, semifinalist winners were Satterfield; Stephen D. Emmons, Visual and Performing Arts; Won-Jae Lee, Security Studies and Criminal Justice; Edith M. Osborne, Chemistry and Biochemistry; and Sangeeta Singg, Psychology, Sociology and Social Work.

Excellence in Research/Creative Endeavor semifinalist winners were Williams; Loree A. Branham, Agriculture; Detelin S. Elenkov, Management and Marketing; Amaris R. Guardiola, Biology; and Kimberly Livengood, Curriculum and Instruction.

Semifinalist winners in the Excellence in Teaching category were Womack; Kirk W. Braden, Agriculture; James W. Ward, Physics and Geosciences; and Alaric A. Williams, Curriculum and Instruction.

Satterfield was honored in the Excellence in Leadership/Service category for his efforts in creating his department’s new geosciences major and earth science minor programs, forming a new geology student organization, and expanding his campus and community service activities. He designed the curriculum, taught all the early classes and was instrumental in hiring additional faculty for the geosciences program, which has grown by almost 100 students since 2010. In addition to forming the Geologic Exposition Organization (GEO) student group, he also developed a partnership between GEO and the San Angelo Geological Society, created more opportunities for students by aligning GEO with the Geological Society of America and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and encouraged stronger collaboration with the Upper Colorado River Authority and the U.S. Geological Survey. His community engagement efforts have expanded to include participation in ASU Science Days for area fourth graders, visits to local elementary schools, and involvement with the Girl Scouts’ Expanding Your Horizons program. He has worked with the Region XV Service Center on the “Rocks in Your Head” workshop, and received a National Science Foundation grant to fund an education program for local middle and high school teachers titled “Pathways for Inspiring and Educating West Texans in the Geosciences.” Besides serving on several campus faculty committees, he has mentored student research, raised money for geosciences scholarships and involved his students in community outreach.

Williams was honored in the Excellence in Research/Creative Endeavor category for conducting a wide range of research in atomic, molecular and nuclear physics, getting his research results published in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, securing monetary and equipment grants, and involving undergraduate students in his research efforts.  In the past year alone, his work has been published in four journals and one book chapter, which makes him the most productive researcher in his department.  Additionally, seven undergraduate students were involved in the published research and listed as co-authors. He has also mentored student research that has resulted in more than a dozen presentations at state, regional, national and international scientific conferences. Several of his students have received Student Research Fellowships, and many move on to top physics doctoral programs after graduation from ASU. He continuously applies for both internal and external grant funding, and was recently granted several pieces of state-of-the-art lab equipment from the U.S. Department of Energy. He has also developed and maintained collaborative research ties to Texas Christian University, University of Texas Nuclear Engineering Division and Los Alamos National Laboratory. These ties have resulted in donations of laboratory equipment and enhanced opportunities for ASU physics students.

Womack was honored in the Excellence in Teaching category for his outstanding talents in instrumental instruction, ability to hold the interest of non-music majors, educational efforts outside his prescribed course load and dedication to his role as an advocate for the arts. In addition to leading double reed (oboe and bassoon) studio sessions, he also conducts studio classes covering additional material and holds weekly reed-making classes for students unable to purchase commercial reeds. Besides just coaching the Woodwind Quintet student ensemble, he now joins in on the clarinet to help the student members raise their musical performance. His distinctive ability to demonstrate all woodwind instruments also brings a unique perspective to many of his classes. He recently purchased a harpsichord and allows students and faculty in the department to use it for their performances. In his music history course, he encourages his students to develop rational explanations why the arts are crucial to society, which is particularly important for future music educators. It also carries over into his introductory course for non-music majors, where he consistently stresses the importance of the arts while also teaching the students more about music itself. He has also developed an online version of the introductory course, including an online discussion board.

Other faculty excellence nominees who received certificates were Richard J. Bain, visiting professor of curriculum and instruction; Timothy Bonenfant, associate professor of music; John E. Irish, professor of music; Linda A. Kornasky, professor of English; Stephen Magnan, professor of aerospace studies and department chair; Elisabeth-Christine Muelsch, professor of French; Corey J. Owens, agriculture instructor/research associate; James R. Phelps, assistant professor of criminal justice; and Marva Solomon, assistant professor of teacher education.