UTD Honors Year’s Top Educators at Teaching Excellence Ceremony
By: Rick Vacek | May 8, 2025
Like The University of Texas at Dallas faculty it recognizes, the Celebration of Teaching Excellence continues to expand its list of honors.
The eighth annual event, presented by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) on April 24, included a President’s Teaching Excellence Award for part-time faculty for the first time, bringing the total of presidential honorees to six. The provost’s mentoring awards grew from three to four last year.
“The purpose of teaching or other awards is to demonstrate what we value,” said Dr. Karen Huxtable-Jester, director of the CTL and professor of instruction in psychology in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. “A meaningful awards process should have value that is both tangible and public because it shows our community and beyond what matters to us. Advising and mentoring also are valued, and we value teaching in multiple forms and across multiple roles.”
The event also recognized faculty who participated in the Short-term Working Group (SWG) and Virtual Exchange/Collaborative Online International Learning (VE/COIL) programs. Beverly Reed, who is retiring, also was honored for her 11 years as CTL program coordinator.
Dr. Fatemeh Hassanipour, professor of mechanical engineering
Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science
Dr. Christian Rivera, assistant professor of instruction in bioengineering
Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science
Dr. Sonia Leach, clinical professor of operations management
Naveen Jindal School of Management
Dr. Rita Egeland, management lecturer
Naveen Jindal School of Management
Dr. Nickie Riley, associate professor of instruction in rhetoric
Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology
Janelle Gray MA’23
Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology
Dr. Vijay Mookerjee, professor of information systems and Charles and Nancy Davidson Distinguished Chair in Information Systems
Naveen Jindal School of Management
Dr. Baowei Fei, professor of bioengineering and Cecil H. and Ida Green Chair in Systems Biology Science
Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science
Dr. Justin Ruths, associate professor of mechanical engineering
Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science
Kathryn Evans PhD’16, associate professor of instruction in music
Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology
Dr. Oziel Rios, professor of instruction in mechanical engineering
Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science
Maria Hasenhuttl MBA’95, PhD’08, associate professor of instruction in organizations, strategy and international management
Naveen Jindal School of Management
Hailey King, UTeach Dallas academic advisor
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Media Contact: Rick Vacek, UT Dallas Office of the Provost, 972-883-2179, rick.vacek@utdallas.edu, or the Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, newscenter@utdallas.edu.
