UTSA celebrates winners of 2024 University Excellence Awards

Faculty member Richard Anantua (right) accepts a Research Achievement Award alongside UTSA President Taylor Eighmy.

MAY 3, 2024 — UTSA announced this year’s University Excellence Awards winners during a live event on Tuesday, April 30, that was attended by nominees and their peers.

This annual program celebrates the achievements of Roadrunner faculty and staff, ranging from exceptional teaching and innovative research to exemplary team spirit and impactful community engagement.

This year’s winners were selected from a large group of individual and team nominees, all of whom are advancing the university and making UTSA a great place to learn, work and grow.

All nominees were previously recognized at staff and faculty luncheons held in April.

The 2024 winners are:

Members of the Student Union team display their Years of Service certificates.

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Teaching Excellence Award

• James McDonald (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) – Tenured category
• Gary Jacobs (Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design) – Tenure Track category
• Rita Mitra (Alvarez College of Business) – Fixed-Term Track category

Core Curriculum Award

• John Frederick (College of Sciences) – Tenured/Tenure Track category
• Andrea Aleman (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) – Fixed-Term Track category

University Service Award

• Mehdi Shadaram (Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design) – Tenured/Tenure Track category
• Jodi Peterson (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) – Fixed-Term Track category

Community Engagement Award

• Jessica Nowlin (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) – Tenured/Tenure Track category
• Stephanie Westney (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) – Fixed-Term Track category

Research Achievement Award

• David Restrepo (Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design) – Tenured/Tenure Track category
• Richard Anantua (College of Sciences) – Tenured/Tenure Track category
• Minghe Sun (Alvarez College of Business) – Tenured
• Brian Hermann (College of Sciences) – Tenured
• Neel Baumgardner (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) – Fixed-Term Track

Performance, Creative, Production Award

• Valeria Meiller (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) – Tenured/Tenure Track category

Advancing Globalization Award

• Catherine Nolan-Ferrell (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) – Tenured/Tenure Track category

Innovation & Impact Award (I²)

• Paul Ardoin (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) – Tenured/Tenure Track category
• Guillermina Zabala Suarez (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) – Fixed-Term Track
• John Herrera (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) – Fixed-Term Track
• Marta Solis (Events Manager)

Mentoring Award

• Jeremy Sullivan (College of Education and Human Development) – Tenured/Tenure Track category

Richard S. Howe Excellence in Teaching Award

• Mel Webb (Honors College) – Fixed-Term Track

Richard S. Howe Faculty Service Award

• Paul Ardoin (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) – Tenured/Tenure Track category

Members of the UTSA Custodial & Grounds Contract Transition team pose with Veronica Salazar after receiving the Team Spirit Award.

STAFF AWARDS

Order of the Roadrunner Award winner Nikki Lee celebrates with her peers.

Richard S. Howe Service to Undergraduate Students Award

• Kristi Meyer (Academic Affairs, Honors College Top Scholar Program)

Leadership Award

•  Heather Green (Advancement and Alumni Engagement, University Development)

Rising Star Award

• Linda Irshid (Business Affairs, Risk and Emergency Management)

Extra Mile Award

• Jerod Jerry (Academic Affairs, Events, Conferences Camps EEC)

Team Spirit Award

• New UTSA Custodial & Grounds Contract Transition: Fredrick Wiedner, Della Reyes, Sharon Pawlik, Henrietta Mercado, George (Jorge) Martinez, Juan Reyes, Eunice Delacruz, Raymond Rosalez, Yvette Ramirez

Order of the Roadrunner

• Nikki Lee (Academic Affairs, Student Affairs Student Union)

The awards program is overseen and managed by the University Excellence Awards Steering Committee. The awards nomination and selection process for the Faculty Achievement Awards is coordinated by the Academic Affairs Faculty Success Team. The Staff Senate coordinates the nomination and selection process for the Staff Awards.

YEARS OF SERVICE HONOREES

Staff member Cindy Orth was honored for an incredible 50 years of service with UTSA.

In addition to celebrating the award winners, the university also recognized University of Texas System years of service milestones for faculty and staff. The full list of employees celebrating milestones can be viewed in the event program.

Among this group are three employees who have dedicated a remarkable 50 years to Roadrunner Nation: Cindy Orth, manager of UTS Campus Application Services; Jerome Keating, professor of management science and statistics in the Alvarez College of Business; and James Chambers, professor of molecular microbiology and immunology in the College of Sciences.

Additionally, three colleagues are celebrating 45 years of service: Susan Daliterio, professor of integrative biology in the College of Sciences; Glenn Dietrich, professor of information systems and cyber security in the Alvarez College of Business; and Thomas Shelton, senior curator for the Institute of Texan Cultures photograph collection at UTSA Libraries Special Collections.

Celebrating 40 years of service are Yolanda Villarreal Acosta, research compliance coordinator in the Office of Research; David Senseman, associate professor of integrative biology in the College of Sciences; Diane Abdo, professor of instruction and Distinguished Professor of Instruction and Distinguished Teaching Professor of the Writing Program in the UTSA Honors College; and Marshall Pitman, professor of accounting in the Alvarez College of Business.

— Drew Vincent