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Richard S. Howe Faculty Excellence in Service to Undergraduate Students Award


Questions? Email facultyawards@utsa.edu.

ONE AWARD FOR EITHER TENURED/TENURE-TRACK/FIXED-TERM TRACK FACULTY


Purpose of Award

The Richard S. Howe Faculty Excellence in Service to Undergraduate Students Award was established in 2002 through a gift to the university by Mrs. Walter W. McAllister Jr. and is named in honor of longtime engineering professor Richard S. Howe. This award is presented to full time faculty (fixed-term track, tenure-track or tenured) who have shown exemplary commitment towards UTSA undergraduates. The recipients of this award must have demonstrated a strong commitment to service to undergraduate students, served as an advocate for undergraduate education, and engaged in activities to promote student access and success. This award is for service outside of normal instructional activities.


Eligibility

Nominees for the Howe Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award must be full-time faculty members with at least three years of service at UTSA and may be either tenured/tenure-track or fixed-term-track faculty. Recipients of the award are eligible for re-nomination after a five-year period, but are not eligible for nomination the year immediately following their previous win.


Timeline 2023-2024

January 29, 2024DEADLINE for deans' offices to upload nominations to SharePoint (college faculty award points of contact will receive a link)

February 2024: Award selection committees review nominations and determine recipients

April 2024: Award recipients are formally recognized at the University Excellence Awards Ceremony 


Criteria

The selection committee will consider the following criteria in selecting winners:

  • Evidence of exemplary commitment towards serving undergraduate students.
  • Demonstration that the service are in addition to the nominee’s daily work responsibilities in serving undergraduate students.
  • Significance of the impact to UTSA undergraduate students.

Nomination Materials

A selection committee composed of faculty will review nomination packets. The nomination packet for this award will consist of only the following, assembled into a single PDF file in the order indicated:

  1. Completed award nomination form
  2. A letter of support from a peer faculty colleague, department chair, or college leader
  3. A narrative statement from the nominee addressing:
    • Describe how the nominee(s) demonstrated exemplary commitment towards serving undergraduate students. Please provide specifics.
    • Describe how the nominee(s)’ efforts are in addition to his/her (their) daily work responsibilities in serving undergraduate students.
    • Describe how the nominee(s)' effort made a significant impact in improving how UTSA serves undergraduate students.
  4. Two letters of support from current or former students that describe the experience and emphasize its impact.
  5. CV of nominee

 

No additional materials should be submitted.

Each dean’s office should upload completed nomination packets by the deadline.

Each college may submit a maximum number of three nominees (1 Tenured, 1 Tenure-Track, 1 Fixed-Term Track).

SEE TABLE BELOW

College Maximum Number of Nominees
CEID 3
ACOB 3
COEHD 3
COLFA 3
COS 3
HCaP 3
University College 3
Honors College 3

Past Recipients

Note: Prior to 2022, the Howe Service Award was a single award open to both faculty and staff. In 2022, the award was split into two—one for staff and one for faculty.

2023

Deborah Moon-Wagner, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Anthropology

2022

Gail Taylor, lecturer, Honors College; associate program director, RISE and MARC programs

2021

Ephrem Fernandez, professor, Department of Psychology

2020

Anne Jimenez, assistant dean of students and director of UTSA Student Judicial Affairs
John Kaulfus, associate dean of students, UTSA Student Life

2019

Sonja Lanehart, professor and endowed chair, Department of English

2018

Ann Eisenberg, professor of psychology, COLFA; director of the Office of Scholar Development, University College

2017

Edwin Barea-Rodriguez, Roland K. and Jane W. Blumberg Professor in Biosciences, Department of Biology

2016

Yilmaz Hatipkarasulu, associate professor, Department of Construction Science

2015

Donovan Fogt, associate professor of kinesiology, health and nutrition; director of the Office of Undergraduate Research

2014

Gabriel Acevedo, associate professor, Department of Sociology

2013

Student Health Services Team: Ellen Bridges, Amanda Graves, Alonzo Guzman, Amanda Martin, Christina Palafox, Lisa Pecor, Tanya Quinones, Barbara Reyes, Lorelei Salazar and Beth Wichman

2012

Lucila Ek, professor, Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies

2014

Richard Gambitta, associate professor of political science; director of UTSA Institute for Law and Public Affairs
Manuel Diaz, associate professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering