2004 Excellence Award Winners Named
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| Recipients of Sam Houston State University's
faculty excellence awards were congratulated recently
by James F. Gaertner, SHSU president, far right. They
are, from left, C. Allen Williams, professor of geography,
Excellence in Service; Sanjay S. Mehta, associate professor
of marketing, Excellence in Research; and Susannah U.
Bruce, assistant professor of history, Excellence in Teaching. |
Three Sam Houston State University faculty members who go
well beyond the normal call of duty have been selected as
excellence award winners for 2004.
They are Susannah U. Bruce, assistant professor of history,
Excellence in Teaching; Sanjay S. Mehta, associate professor
of marketing, Excellence in Research; and C. Allen Williams,
professor of geography, Excellence in Service.
Each will receive $5,000.
"We are pleased to increase the award amounts this year,"
said James F. Gaertner, SHSU president. "We hope that
this will more appropriately reflect the admiration that we
all feel for their efforts and the quality of their work."
Bruce
Susannah U. Bruce, recipient of the Excellence in Teaching
Award, has received rave reviews from her students since she
began as an adjunct instructor in 1996. She is now an assistant
professor, specializing in U. S. History to 1876, U. S. History
since 1876, Antebellum South/Civil War & Reconstruction,
Immigration and Ethnicity in American History, and Historiography.
She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont
(1995), and her master's (1997) and doctorate (2002) from the
University of Kansas.
In addition to her teaching skills, Bruce has done book reviews,
contributed essays and encyclopedia entries, and written articles
and books. She is currently editor of "Ethnicity in the
American Civil War" and her book "The Harp and the
Eagle: Irish Volunteers and the American Civil War" is
scheduled for publication by New York University Press in 2005.
She also has numerous conference presentations, research grants,
and professional service and development and community service
activities.
Previous awards have included "Professor of the Year"
by Kansas State dorm students for 1999 and 2000 and the A. Bower
Sageser Award for excellence in teaching by the Kansas State
history department in 2001. She was a semi-finalist for the
SHSU Excellence in Teaching Award last year.
Her students at SHSU have been extremely complimentary:
"She is awesome. I have never had a better professor."
"She knows how to bring her class alive."
"Her lectures are interesting, she learns the names of
students, and always has a smile on her face."
"This is my last semester at Sam and I'm bummed out because
I've only taken two classes with Dr. Bruce. They were the best
classes I've had in my college career."
"I am an online graduate student…Although I live
in Chicago, I felt that I was part of the school and the program
because of her prompt response and detailed suggestions."
A teaching colleague wrote, "She is one of Sam Houston
State's shining stars."
Mehta
Sanjay S. Mehta, recipient of the Excellence in Research Award,
is a leading authority on international franchising, a field
in which he gained practical experience even before beginning
his academic career.
While an elementary school and junior high school student in
Columbia, Mo., he had a paper route and worked as an ad inserter
for the local newspaper. But he also worked in Pizza Hut, Captain
D's, Taco Bell and Baskin Robbins franchises as an undergraduate
student in San Angelo.
He first came to the United States from India with his family
when his father was studying for his doctorate from 1973-77,
then returned in 1980. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees
from Angelo State University, and another master's and a doctorate
from the University of North Texas (1999).
After teaching at Angelo State, the University of Texas San
Antonio, University of North Texas, and University of Texas
of the Permian Basin, he came to Sam Houston State in 1997.
His research has spanned a wide range of topics including global
marketing management, small business management/franchising,
and the application of technology by businesses, including the
use of Geography Information Systems.
At Sam Houston State he is either the major or a significant
participant in 12 grants totaling $273,000.
"He has been active in attending numerous International
conferences and has traveled extensively often at his own expense
to Asian countries to pursue research on global trade related
issues," wrote one colleague in submitting his nomination.
"He frequently works late in the evening to keep up with
his self-imposed workload," wrote another. "I particularly
admire him for his willingness to assist students with their
research efforts."
Mehta traces his interest in research to the beginning of his
doctoral studies. In his first year he published a journal article
and three conference proceedings. Before completing the degree,
he published over 40 articles in academic journals and conference
proceedings.
In recognition of these efforts, he was awarded the Academic
Excellence Award by the University of North Texas.
Since coming to SHSU, he has published more than 100 articles
in conference proceedings and academic journals, working with
more than 25 colleagues from both SHSU and around the world.
In the past year he has re-focused somewhat to emphasize more
proposals for books, writing grant applications, reviewing and
writing for textbooks, and targeting the more prestigious journals
for his research publications.
Williams
C. Allen Williams, recipient of the Excellence in Service
Award, has compiled an immense number of service hours since
coming to Sam Houston State in 1969. An Oklahoma native, he
earned degrees from East Central State College (Oklahoma)
and the University of Oklahoma, where he completed his doctorate
in 1973.
In addition to his teaching duties, he has served as either
the geography program coordinator or chair of the geography
and geology department for 20 years. He was also director
of research and grants for the College of Humanities.
His service has included assignments on the local, state and
national levels. At SHSU he has chaired and served on university
level curriculum committees and College of Teacher Education
and College of Arts & Sciences committees and boards.
He served as a member of the Orientation Leader Selection
Team for the Freshman Orientation Program for 16 years, as
a member of the Orange Keys Selection Committee for seven
years, as chairman of the Student Disciplinary Hearing Committee
for 31 years, and as adviser or sponsor for eight different
student organizations, in some cases three or more concurrently,
for 29 years.
These have included the Orange Pride dance group, Alpha Chi
Omega Sorority, Pan-Hellenic Association, Women's Soccer Club,
Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, and Geographers of Sam Houston,
the Texas Academic Challenge program, as well as working with
the Student Mentor and Sam Mentor programs.
Williams also helped formulate the curriculum, recruited students,
and teaches a course in the SHSU Honors Program. He served
in the University Athletic Council for 10 years and worked
as official scorer and timekeeper for athletic events for
22 years.
Statewide, he has had several assignments for the Texas Education
Agency and the State Board for Educator Certification. Nationally,
he worked with the national Council for Geographic Education,
and a report he did for SHSU's National Collegiate Athletic
Association/Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation
process has been used as a national model.
He was one of five persons honored nationally in 1989 by the
National Academic Advising Association.
"Al Williams is the epitome of a good public servant--something
that many profess but that few actually do," said one
colleague in nominating him for the award. "Al Williams
does it all, with consummate good effect and always with an
eye to the actual needs of the institution."
- END -
SHSU Media Contact: Frank
Krystyniak
May 3, 2004
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