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2014-15 Rodgers Awards Winners

August 20, 2015

Ian Brown, Dr. Trey Smith and Joe Muñoz have been named the winners of the 2014-15 Gary and Pat Rodgers Distinguished Awards honoring outstanding staff, faculty and administrators at Angelo State University.

Ian Brown Ian Brown Brown, manager of university recreation’s Outdoor Adventures, received the Distinguished Staff Award. Smith, professor of mathematics, received the Distinguished Faculty Award. Muñoz, senior executive assistant to the president and general counsel, received the Distinguished Administrator Award. Each received a $2,500 honorarium.

They, along with 32 other 2014-15 nominees, were honored by ASU President Brian J. May during a ceremony Thursday, Aug. 20.

Brown joined ASU in 2010 to design and implement ASU’s experiential education program, Outdoor Adventures. In 2012, he also became an academic instructor, designing and teaching Signature Courses for the Freshman College. The founding advisor for the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity also tied for 2015 Advisor of the Year at the Student Government Association’s annual Rammy’s. On the national level, Brown is the past president of the board of directors for the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology at Towson University in Maryland and a master’s in recreation administration at Aurora University in Wisconsin. His Rodgers Award nominator praised Brown for his professionalism and for his ability to motivate others.

Dr. Trey Smith Dr. Trey Smith Smith has been an ASU faculty member since 1994. A native of Southern California, he first came to ASU as an undergraduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1983. He received a master’s degree in mathematics from ASU in 1991 and a doctorate in mathematics from the University of North Texas in 1999. Smith, who teaches a variety of math classes for both math majors and liberal arts and business majors, also received the ASU Faculty Senate’s 2007 Teaching Excellence Award, the 2011 Presidential Award for Leadership/Service, and the 2013 Educator of the Year award from the Kappa Delta Pi international education honor society. His influence also extends beyond the Mathematics Department, as he has written several plays produced by ASU’s University Theatre and is a member of numerous university committees and San Angelo civic organizations. The Rodgers Award nomination letter praised his selfless devotion to ASU students, stating, “I have never known anyone else who is so passionate about not only their field of study, but the success and education of students.”

Joe Muñoz Joe Muñoz Muñoz, a San Angelo native, earned a bachelor’s degree in education from ASU in 1978, then a Juris Doctor in 1983 at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. He returned to San Angelo in 1987, serving as an assistant city attorney and then as an assistant district attorney, before joining the ASU administration in 1993. Muñoz led ASU’s successful effort to achieve Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status, which has resulted in ASU receiving over $6 million in HSI grants to benefit all ASU students.

Muñoz also oversees ASU’s Multicultural Center, creating a safe and supportive environment for students of all backgrounds. He is active in the community, serving as a past or present board member for a number of organizations, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Angelo, Sonrisas Therapeutic Riding and Friends of Art and Music Education. He served the San Angelo Independent School District for 12 years as a board member, four years as board president. In 2011, he was presented with the Criselda G. Paz Award for his volunteer work with Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. In the Rodgers Award nomination letters, Muñoz was praised for serving as a positive role model and for continuing to bring energy and enthusiasm to everything he does for the university.  

The Gary and Pat Rodgers Distinguished Awards were created by San Angelo native and former Angelo State student Gary Rodgers and his wife, Pat. Because of their association with many ASU employees over the years, the couple recognized the roles that faculty, staff and administrators perform to help ASU fulfill its mission to prepare students to be responsible and productive citizens. Gary and Pat Rodgers established the awards and provide the $2,500 honorarium for each recipient.

Other nominees for the Rodgers Distinguished Faculty Award were Dr. Erin Ashworth-King, Dr. Jacqueline Brown, Katherine Bunker, Dr. Kristi Cordell-McNulty, Dr. Drew Curtis, Dr. Kenneth Heineman, Dr. Blake Hightower, Dr. Crosby Jones, Dr. John Klingemann, Dr. Crystal Kreitler, Dr. Pamela Lee, Dr. Robert LeGrand, Dr. Janet Maxwell, Melissa McDowell, Ellen Moreland, Dr. Charles Pier and MSgt. Tracy Scott. 

Other nominees for the Rodgers Distinguished Staff Award were Eldra Sanford, Travis Scott, Kristin Stanley and Michelle Vanderzant.

Other nominees for the Rodgers Distinguished Administrator Award were Sharla Adam, Kim Adams, Becky Brackin, Brian Braden, Crystal Braden, Dr. Doyle Carter, Suzie Dusek, Brandy Hawkins, Cleave Pool, Dan Robertson and Jeff Sefcik.