FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2004

SFA Faculty Members Receive Highest Honor

Two Stephen F. Austin faculty members have earned the title of Regents Professor, the highest honor bestowed by the university. Dr. Sandra McCune, professor of elementary education, and Dr. Sammie L. Smith, professor of accounting, received the honor this week with a vote of the SFA board of regents.

Academic deans, with the assistance of previous regents professors, review nominations and make recommendations to the president. The honorees are in turn approved by the board.

McCune, a native of Nacogdoches, first came to SFA as a student and earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, German and physics in 1970. She received her master’s in mathematics in 1975 while working as a math and science teacher in Nacogdoches County public schools. She started teaching at SFA in 1979 and completed her Ph.D. in adult education at Texas A&M University in 1988.

She has received the Teaching Excellence Award from both the Department of Secondary Education and the university, the Student Government Association Outstanding Faculty Award and the University Professional Women Woman of the Year Award.

“Dr. McCune is an exceptional teacher, and students in this department consistently marvel at her teaching abilities,” said Dr. Mel Finkenberg, chair of the Department of Kinesiology. “I have had the privilege of working with her on a number of research projects. She is a clear thinker who is consistently able to dissect and understand the nature of all inquiries.”

Smith earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from the University of North Texas and received his Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Arkansas in 1972. After working as public accountant, he began his teaching career in 1964. Smith came to SFA in 1980, as chair of the Department of Accounting and served in that capacity until 1995.

He was the Temple-Inland Employees Distinguished Professor of Accounting from 1999-2002, and he has received the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants’ Outstanding Accounting Educator of the Year award. Additionally, he has been recognized by the College of Business with a Teaching Excellence Award, and by Beta Alpha Psi with two outstanding teacher awards.

“Dr. Smith’s love of teaching is evident to all who know him,” said Dr. Treba Marsh, Department of Accounting chair. “Through his scholarly activities and faculty development work, he has provided creative learning environments for both accounting students and students seeking other degrees.”

Regents professors receive a $2,000 grant to support their studies and a medal. They also teach one less class during the year of their designation in order to pursue research opportunities.