TEACHING EXCELLENCE

at

STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY

The 1999 nominees were:

The 1999 recipient was Marsha L. Bayless

General Statement, Eligibility, and Criteria

Convocation Speaker:

Dr. Bob Szafran received his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1977. He has published two books and 22 articles, 7 of which dealt with undergraduate education. He currently chairs the Sociology Department and coordinates the university's Connections Program which encourages interdisciplinary learning opportunities for students and faculty. He received the University's Teaching Excellence Award in 1995. In his years at SFA, he has coordinated the university's advising for undecided majors and the TASP program. He has directed the SFA101: Freshman Seminar Program and the Freshman Interest Group Program. He has served on university committees dealing with telephone registration, general education, student retention, and the SFA '03 Commission on the Future. He is currently chairing a committee reviewing the university's admissions requirements.

The 1998 Convocation

The 1997 Convocation

The 1996 Convocation

The 1995 Convocation

The 1994 Convocation

Paul Howe

Position:	Master Sergeant Howe has been assigned to the Lumberjack Battalion as Training NCO and the Junior Military Science Instructor since January of 1997.
Degree:	BS Degree in General Studies through Liberty University.
Accomplishments:	MSG Howe has served in the Army for over sixteen years.
	He has attended numerous schools, including Advanced Land Navigation Course, Static Line Jumpmaster Course, Halo Jumpmaster Course, Pathfinder Course, Ranger School along with several other Training Courses
	Since his enlistment MSG Howe has received numerous awards and decorations to include the Bronze Star with the 'V' Device, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Achievement Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Armed Forces Expenditionary Medal with (2nd Award), NCO Professional Development Ribbon with numeral 3 device, Expert Infantry Badge, Combat Infantry Badge along with several other awards.
	MSG Howe is primary instructor for the MSC 301 and 302.
	MSG Howe is married to Connie and they have two children, Patrick (15) and Mary-Katherine

Marsha Bayless

Position:	Associate Professor in the Department of General Business. Has taught at SFA since 1990 (10 years).
Degree:	Marsha completed her bachelor's and master's degrees at Emporia State University and her doctorate at Oklahoma State University
Accomplishments:	Dr. Bayless has taught eleven different business communication and office systems courses in her 10-year tenure at SFASU
	She has won state, regional, and national awards for her teaching and research activities including the prestigious Meada Gibbs Outstanding Teaching Award from the Association for Business Communication (1996).
	Dr. Bayless is the author of two textbooks with ancillary materials, 31 journal and proceedings articles, and over 30 professional presentations
	In the past two years she has served as the president of two professional organizations, as program chair for an international business communication conference, and is currently serving as regional vice president of the Association for Business Communication
Quote from Student:	"I like her attitude and friendliness. She's the true definition of a teacher. She is always very willing to help you and answer your questions. There ought to be more "teachers" like her at this University."
Quote from Student:	"I thought she was an excellent professor. She is one of the best I've had. She is extremely intelligent, a great speaker, caring, and open to students. I would love to have her for another class."

Lisa R. Mize

Position:	Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Sciences
Degree:	B.S., M.S., Stephen F. Austin State University; Ph.D., Texas Woman's University
Accomplishments:	Has taught nine different classes for the Department of Human Sciences and one course for the Department of Elementary Education/Early Childhood Education. Taught SFA 101 two semesters
	Serves as validator of early childhood programs for the National Academy for the Education of Young Children; 1996-present
	Received the Texas Association of Family and Consumer Sciences New Achiever Award in 1996
	Serves as advisor for the students section of Texas Association of Family and Consumer Sciences at SFA. The organization received awards for membership growth in 1998 and has had 2 state and 1 national officer under her leadership
	Advisor for Phi Upsilon Omicron Honor Society 1993-1998. The organization received two state awards for student professional projects
	Chair of SACS Self-Study for the Department of Human Sciences 1998-present
	Consultant for four rooms at the SFASU Early Childhood Lab. Participated in writing and implementing two funded grant projects for parent involvement in education
	Creative Activities - 5 publications including onetest bank, over 45 presentations at various local and state meetings/workshops
	Participated in writing and implementing two funded grant projects. Currently serving as Parent Involvement Consultant for the Texas

Alan Nielson

Position:	Associate Professor of Theatre since 1990
Degree:	Dr. Nielson holds an M.A. in Playwriting from the University of Nebraska/Lincoln, and a Ph.D. in Theatre History and Theory from City University of New York (CUNY)
Accomplishments:	His career includes ten years' experience in New York theatre, as well as two years at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis
	Dr. Nielson is a published author, playwright and composer/lyricist (four of his works have been staged in New York)
	He currently heads the graduate program in Theatre, as well as teaching undergraduate classes in play analysis, film acting, film history, creative dramatics and stage management
	Dr. Nielson has directed fourteen full productions, written incidental music for six productions, and acted in three Mainstage productions for the department. For The Original Cast, he has written, arranged and staged more than a dozen original musical revues, including a 70-year history of SFA, a musical history of Nacogdoches, and a satirical "East Texas Christmas Carol."
	He is the author of THE GREAT VICTORIAN SACRILEGE (1991) and a member of The Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE), Texas Educational Theatre Association (TETA), and the Dramatist's Guild

Gary Kronrad

Position:	Associate Professor of Economics and Management in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry since 1989
Degree:	M.S. degree in forest management and a Ph.D. degree in resource economics from the University of Massachusetts
Accomplishments:	Dr. Kronrad was a consultant for two years in New York and was an assistant professor for five years at North Carolina State University
	Dr. Kronrad now knows that he was always meant to be a Texan. He has a cattle ranch, grows timber, and tries to stay in the saddle
	When asked about this award, Kronrad stated that he is just one of the 500 dedicated teachers at Stephen F. Austin

Thomas Segady

Position:	Associate Professor of Sociology and has taught at Stephen F. Austin for nine years
Degree:	Ph.D. Sociology Univ. of Denver, degree awarded in 1985.
Accomplishments:	Before coming to SFA, he taught at the University of Denver, where he was twice a finalist for that university's Master Teacher award
	He was the first director of the current honors program at SFA.
	he has sponsored a number of student organizations and participated in the Freshman Interest Group program
	He and Professor Scott Bills (Department of History) traveled with a class of SFA freshmen last semester to Birmingham, Alabama. There, the students studied the history of the Civil Rights Movement by touring the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and meeting with persons who were active in the struggle for civil rights during that era

Harry Downing

Position:	Professor and Chair Department of Physics and Astronomy
Degree:	Dr. Downing earned a M.S. degree (1970) and a Ph.D. in physics (1973) from Florida State University. From 1973-75 he served in a postdoctoral position in the Department of Physics at Kansas State University. In 1975, Dr. Downing joined the Department of Physics at Stephen F. Austin State University
Accomplishments:	His research and teaching activities have lead to 27 papers at professional meetings (10 were related to research involving students at SFA) and 11 articles in refereed journals (four were related to research involving students at SFA). The other seven articles were pedagogical and co-authored by SFA physics faculty
	Dr. Downing has taught 22 different physics and astronomy courses within the Department of Physics and Astronomy
	He won Best Pedagogical Paper at the 1989 Fall Meeting of the Texas Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers and was placed first with his article, "Low-Cost Apparatus Competition", at the 1990 meeting of the American Association Physics Teachers. In 1994 he received a national honor as the Outstanding Society of Physics Students Chapter Advisor
	He served five years as an officer on the executive council of the Texas Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers
Quote from Student:	"Dr. Downing, I just want you to know that you have made a difference in my life."

last updated 4/6/99 by
John Anson
janson@sfasu.edu