Six faculty members at The University of Texas at Austin have been named to the university’s respected Academy of Distinguished Teachers for 2014, said Gregory L. Fenves, executive vice president and provost.
They are:
- Oguzhan Bayrak, professor, Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering.
- Elizabeth Pomeroy, professor, School of Social Work.
- John Stanton, professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences.
- Douglas Bruster, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts.
- Peter Stone, professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Natural Sciences.
- Samuel Gosling, professor, Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts.
“These six faculty members represent UT’s outstanding faculty for their dedication to our students and the university’s goals of educating, inspiring and preparing graduates to be leaders,” said Fenves.
The academy was created in 1995 to recognize tenured faculty members who throughout their careers have maintained significant contributions to education, particularly at the undergraduate level.
Membership is limited to 5 percent of tenured faculty. Members remain in the academy for the duration of their time at the university.
The faculty members were named to the academy based on recommendations from an ad hoc faculty and student committee that reviewed nominations of faculty members. Deans nominate faculty members with input from others in the faculty, students and academy members from their departments.
With the 2014 class, the academy has 125 members.
Academy members receive the title “Distinguished Academy Professor” and a permanent $7,000 annual academic salary increase, effective the following academic year.
A banquet is held each fall to welcome new members of the academy. The president of the university and provost attend and present new members with a certificate and bronze medallion.
The academy serves as an advisory group to the executive vice president and provost on teaching excellence and will provide institutional leadership and guidance for the distinctive undergraduate experience available in our research university environment.
