STEPHENVILLE — Tarleton State University recognized 13 faculty members for their achievements and service at the recent Faculty Awards Banquet. The 2020 event was canceled due to the pandemic so last year’s awardees were recognized along with the 2021 winners.
Honorees are selected for their impact on Tarleton students and the community through innovation, scholarship and service. The recipients:
2020 Outstanding Junior Faculty Award — Dr. Brandon Smith
Dr. Smith, Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Science and Veterinary Technology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has eight grant proposals that have been funded, totaling over $564,000. He has four book chapters and 14 refereed journal articles under review or in print.
His students have presented their research at six regional and national scientific meetings, and one undergraduate student in Dr. Smith’s research program became the first Tarleton student to compete in the Southern Section American Society of Animal Science undergraduate research competition, where she won first place.
His new course covering pastures and forages was near capacity in the first week of registration. Doc Bow-tie, as he is known to his students, has a reputation for being demanding, knowledgeable and fair.
2021 Outstanding Junior Faculty Award — Dr. Ryan Glaman
Dr. Glaman, Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Technology in the College of Education, teaches applied statistics and research design.
He has been instrumental in the success of the EdD curriculum redesign, development and implementation as a scholar-practitioner model centered on addressing problems of practice.
2020 Engaged Faculty Award — Dr. Scott Cook
The award, established in 2015, honors faculty members who encourage students in civic learning, community-based research and reciprocal community partnerships.
A faculty member since 2015, Dr. Cook is a senior research scientist in the Center for Agribusiness Excellence. He wrote five peer-reviewed papers in 2019-20 in mathematics, education, chemistry, environmental policy and agriculture.
His work includes collaborations with MIT, Tufts, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Blue Cross Blue Shield. He has been awarded multiple grants and, perhaps most impressive, has mentored 38 student researchers over his career.
2021 Engaged Faculty Award — Dr. Rudy Tarpley
Dr. Tarpley serves as the Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Sciences. He has contributed his leadership in approximately 155 departmental, college and university-level opportunities, including serving as an adviser, member and chair of faculty search committees, working on educator preparation councils, and in teacher preparation accreditation service.
His leadership is not limited to academia, as he has served in various national leadership roles.
2020 Barry B. Thompson Service Award — Dr. Keith Emmert
The Barry B. Thompson Service Award recognizes service to students and the university community, and contributions to student-faculty interactions outside the classroom.
Dr. Emmert chairs the Department of Mathematics and has been on the Tarleton faculty since 2004. His service to the university has included time as president of the Faculty Senate and research collaboration with faculty and students in the math department as well as other departments on campus.
He is committed to public education, volunteering with local elementary and middle school students to build interest in STEM programs.
2021 Barry B. Thompson Service Award — Dr. Jason Sharp
Dr. Sharp, Professor in the Department of Marketing and Computer Information Systems in the College of Business, also serves as internship coordinator. He has supervised 49 internships, providing many students with their first real-world experience, which on numerous occasions led to full-time employment after graduation.
He consistently makes himself available outside class for assisting, advising and mentoring. He has written over 50 recommendation letters to help students secure jobs, internships and scholarships.
2020 Jack and Louise Arthur Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching — Dr. David Frazier
The award honors effective and dedicated faculty who exemplify excellence in teaching. An Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Science, Dr. Frazier’s demonstrated qualities indicate his leadership, integrity and dedication to the profession.
His enthusiasm and passion for teaching are evident in the undergraduate teacher preparation program in agricultural education as he consistently applies constructivist-based leadership practices to build on students’ prior knowledge, enabling them to grow through the experiential learning model.
He constantly seeks to improve his academic abilities via modern classroom instructional methodologies, as well as other formal and informal student educational experiences.
2021 Jack and Louise Arthur Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching — Dr. Kathy Smith
Dr. Smith regularly leads presentations and professional development at the state and national level involving topics such as fractions and ratios, all while also incorporating technology. Her experience using technology with pre-service teachers has benefited those students in her classroom as well as teacher educators learning from her.
For eight years she has served as faculty mentor of Tarleton Educators for the Advancement of Mathematics (TEAM), a student organization for pre-service teachers.
Her contributions to teaching are further evidenced in the many scholarly publications, presentations and workshops she has produced.
2020 Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award — Dr. Tara Shelley
This award goes annually to one faculty member in recognition of exemplary performance in scholarship through research, writing, collaborative efforts and professional presentations.
Dr. Shelley boasts 68 publications, including 16 at Tarleton in just three years. She is author of 31 peer-reviewed articles, including seven since joining the faculty.
She has presented more than 70 papers at international conferences, including 10 in the last three years. Her publications demonstrate quality and breadth and have appeared in top-ranked journals in criminal justice. Her research interests range from environmental criminology to mental health in law enforcement.
In addition to her publications, Dr. Shelley has a significant record of funded research for local, state and federal agencies. She has been awarded 14 external grants and currently is a principal investigator on two federally funded projects at Tarleton, budget $677,850.
2021 Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award — Dr. Scott Cook
Dr. Cook, a senior research scientist in Tarleton’s Center for Agribusiness Excellence, exhibits leadership in all areas of scholarship, including publications, presentations and external funding.
He actively contributes to Math Day, a competition where mathematics students present their scholarly works. He also served as co-primary investigator on a National Research Experience for Undergraduates Program grant sponsored by the National Science Foundation via the Mathematics Association of America.
He is committed to enhancing Tarleton’s research profile through interdisciplinary research and serves as a role model for his peers, especially junior faculty. He is an unwavering advocate for his students, facilitating opportunities on their behalf.
2020 Faculty Excellence in Student Success Award — Dr. Bryant Wyatt
Dr. Wyatt, Professor in the Department of Mathematics in the College of Science and Technology, exhibits exemplary performance in enhancing opportunities for students. He has taken his students all over the United States to present their research. He has attended over 44 conferences in the last nine years, with multiple presentations at each.
He has expanded his students’ horizons, academically and personally. These students have learned to believe in themselves and their potential as scholars. Many have gone on to graduate school, while others work for the government in high-security jobs or for large corporations.
2021 Faculty Excellence in Student Success Award — Callie Price
Ms. Price, Instructor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science and Technology, is constantly implementing new technology or pedagogy in the classroom. In 2014 and 2016 she participated in course redesign for both Tarleton freshman biology labs.
In 2019 she implemented the university’s Sense of Place program in freshman biology, where she and her interns coordinate hundreds of students working collaboratively as they learn about a local species, utilize scientific resources, apply class content to real-life examples and improve their symposium presentation skills.
2021 Texas A&M University System Regents Professor — Dr. Steve Simpson
The Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System annually honors individuals at the rank of professor or equivalent whose performance in teaching, research and service is exemplary. The designation of Regents Professoris the highest system-wide honor.
A 35-year member of Tarleton’s faculty, Dr. Simpson is a Professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance in the College of Education. He has simultaneously served in multiple roles at Tarleton equating to three full-time jobs.
Since 1984 he has taught in the Kinesiology Department and served as Director of the Sports Medicine (Athletic Training Licensure) program and as the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine with the Department of Athletics.
He has won three distinguished teaching awards and one service award at Tarleton; he received the National Athletic Trainer of the Year award from the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA); he was inducted into the Southwest Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame; and he has received four additional professional service awards from SWATA.
He has published 27 scholarly articles, conducted 41 presentations at state and national conferences, and received over $250,000 in research and development grants.
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