Hendrickson, Wang, Keathley Are 2007 Excellence Winners

Faculty Excellence Award winners for 2007 are, from left, Ken Hendrickson for Excellence in Teaching, Jianzhong Wang for Excellence in Research, and Rosanne Schrieber Keathley for Excellence in Service, with Jim Gaertner, SHSU president.

Three faculty members who excel at teaching, service and research have been selected for special recognition from among the hundreds at Sam Houston State University who also do those things well.

Excellence award winners for 2007 include Ken Hendrickson, Rosanne Schrieber Keathley and Jianzhong Wang. Each will receive $5,000.

Ken Hendrickson

Ken Hendrickson

Ken Hendrickson, associate professor of history, is this year's Excellence in Teaching award winner. Hendrickson's nomination included high praise from colleagues and students.

"His overall commitment to learning, his desire to meet the needs of his students, and his determination to give his best at all times are as close to perfect as can be expected of any college professor," wrote Terry Bilhartz, who chairs the Department of History.

James S. Olson, distinguished professor of history, Piper Professor, and recipient of all three SHSU excellence awards including teaching in 1977, called Hendrickson "the finest teacher at Sam Houston State University."

Olson said that opinion was based on years of evaluating Hendrickson's classroom performance when Olson was the department chair, which included student evaluations, private conversations with his students and former students, and multiple visits to his classroom.

The students who nominated Hendrickson for the award agreed.

"He makes a could-be boring class into something to wake up for," wrote one.

"I never wanted to miss a single class," said another. Others said:

"Never before in my life have I ever been excited to attend class, until I took Dr. Hendrickson's Ancient Civilization class."

"He genuinely wants us to succeed and learn."

"His lectures are so thought-provoking it is hard to actually take notes."

"His lectures are beyond this world."

Hendrickson earned his bachelor's (1987) and master's (1988) degrees in history from Texas A&M University and Ph. D. in history from the University of Iowa (1993).

He joined the SHSU faculty after completing his dissertation in 1993 and teaches courses in British History, World History and History of Science. His books include "The Darwin Controversy," which he wrote with Glenn Sanford, associate professor and coordinator of philosophy. It was published in 2005.  

His book manuscript, "Making Saints: Religion and the Popularizing of the British Army at Home, 1809-1885," was published in 1997, and he has had articles published in "War and Society," Armed Forces and Society," "Historically Speaking," and "Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith."

Along with Sanford, he writes about science, technology, and changes to society in modern times.         

"I am very honored to be selected for this award," Hendrickson said. "It means a great deal to me that my peers, the people I most want to imitate and impress, have approved my work."

He especially enjoys the classroom interaction with students.

"Teaching has become very important to me," he said.
"It gives me great pleasure to communicate ideas to others."

Rosanne Schrieber Keathley

Rosanne Schrieber Keathley

Rosanne Schrieber Keathley, associate professor of health education, is this year's Excellence in Service award winner. In addition to her nominations from campus colleagues, she was also nominated by individuals from off-campus organizations with whom she has worked.

"I think the most notable of her activities, and the one that shows just how exceptional her services to the community, the university and her fellow humans, has been her sheltering efforts," wrote Bob Cargo, director of the Northern Branch Office, Greater Houston Area Chapter of the American Red Cross.

"With one phone call, Rosanne organized the university staff, students and local volunteers to open the SHSU stadium for the evacuees of Louisiana," wrote Cargo. "This was a Herculean effort on her part."

Cargo also commended her work to raise the awareness of the HIV/Aids issue in the community, in a program called "Masters of Disaster," to help K-6 graders prepare for disasters, and a program to gather and send items of need to service men and women in Iraq.

Kathy Turner, Walker County extension agent for family and consumer sciences, nominated Keathley for her work with the Walk Across Texas exercise program.

Her Sam Houston State colleagues agreed.

"Her service performance definitely serves as an example to others," wrote Alice Fisher, who chairs the Department of Health and Kinesiology.

"She is truly a remarkable woman who embodies the Sam Houston State University motto 'The measure of a Life is its Service,'" wrote Mary Robbins, who chairs the Department of Language, Literacy and Special Populations.

Keathley was also nominated by Charlene Crocker, who chairs the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Beverly Irby, who chairs the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling, and Mary Berry, who chairs the Department of Library Science.

Some of the other activities that Keathley and students under her supervision have participated in have included the American Heart Association "Heart Walk," the "Women and Heart Disease Luncheon," the March of Dimes "Walk America" and the American Cancer Society "Relay for Life."  

She has also coordinated training for school nurses, teachers coaches, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, planned "Jump Rope for Heart" events, conducted health and wellness presentations, implemented student health fairs, and organized the Huntsville High School Hornet Hysteria event for four years as well as the "Project After Prom" event.

Other university service includes the Faculty/Staff Annual Fund Campaign and the award-winning Alcohol Abuse Initiative. She is on the Faculty Senate, Convocation Committee, New Student Convocation Committee,   Wellness Program Committee and Saturday at SAM Planning Committee.

She is also involved with health education professional organizations at the state and national level.

Keathley earned her bachelor's (1977) and master's (1989) degrees from SHSU and her doctorate (1997) from Texas A&M. She has taught at SHSU since 1987.

"One of the greatest attributes I learned from my parents was their unyielding altruistic spirit," said Keathley. "Both of my parents instilled in me the concept of giving rather than receiving. I hope that I will leave this legacy to our students, the university, the community, and to my family."

Jianzhong Wang

Jianzhong Wang

Jianzhong Wang, professor of mathematics, is this year's Excellence in Research award winner. According to his colleagues at Sam Houston State and elsewhere, he is a national leader in the important area of mathematical imaging and wavelet analysis.

"Dr. Jiangzhong Wang was among the pioneering contributors of the wavelet field," wrote Dr. Charles Chui, Curators' Professor at the University of Missouri (St. Louis), consulting professor of statistics at Stanford University, and a prominent mathematician in computational mathematics and approximation theory.

"His research results have significant lasting impact on the development of applied and computational analysis," wrote Chui. "In addition, his most recent contributions to the research area of 'mathematics of imaging' are instrumental to the current explosion of this new research direction of applied mathematics.

"Very few mathematicians could be both deep and broad, but Dr. Wang is among this elite group. It is really amazing to find out the depth of Dr. Wang's knowledge and expertise in so many current directions."

Expertise in mathematic imaging and wavelets is critical in technology involving digital pictures and videos.

"Recently, along with the wide usage of digital photos and videos, the demands of mathematical imaging theory have increased day by day," said Wang. "It is the foundation for the design of graphic hardware and software in computers, digital cameras, digital TV, cell-video games, and other devices."

Wang is widely known in his field. He has published 60 research papers in professional journals, published one graduate book, has edited or been on the editorial board of top-level journals in his field, given 39 presentations at academic conferences, given 25 colloquium talks at other universities, and served on the scientific/program committee of seven international conferences.

He earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in mathematics in China, completing his Ph. D. at Wuhan University in 1984. After teaching at Wuhan University, he came to the United States in 1992 to study and teach, first at Texas A&M and then at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He came to
Sam Houston State in 1994.

Wang said his Excellence in Research selection was a great birthday gift.

"I am really excited about the award," he said. "It was a happy coincidence that I got the president's call just one day after my birthday. It was a wonderful birthday gift.

"I thank the university, Research and Special Programs at Sam, my college and department. Without their support, I could not have made this achievement."

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SHSU Media Contact: Frank Krystyniak
May 10, 2007
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