 |
|
|
Office
of News and Information
May 12, 2003 |
|
Dr. Joyce Ballard and Dr. Brenda Gilliam are recipients of awards for excellence in teaching at UT Tyler. Dr. Ballard, professor of health and kinesiology, is the recipient of the 2002-03 Chancellor’s Council Outstanding Teaching Award, which is given for excellence in teaching at components within The University of Texas System. Dr. Gilliam, associate professor of special education, is the 2004 nominee for the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Piper Professor Award for outstanding teaching. As a Piper Award nominee, she will hold the 2004-05 Jack and Dorothy Fay White Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. In making their recommendations to Dr. David O’Keeffe, provost and vice president for academic affairs, the Faculty Awards Committee noted that more than 30 faculty members were nominated for these two prestigious awards, making the selection of the two best of the best faculty members very difficult. Dr. Ballard, who has distinguished herself for nearly 25 years at UT Tyler, engages her students in the learning experience in her classes, according to comments from Dr. O’Keeffe, the committee, faculty colleagues and students. She develops a close rapport with her students, something she regards as paramount to learning, as she introduces them to the profession and prepares them to present their work in a national forum. She finds that teaching and research are essentially intertwined, and her whole career testifies to this. In addition to directing the thesis-related research of her many graduate students, Dr. Ballard has pursued an impressive line of research related to bone density. She was doing pioneering work on osteoporosis and raising consciousness about it long before it was very well known in this country. Through this research work, she has taught her students and the community at large in this region of the country, likely preserving the quality of life for many seniors who are grateful beneficiaries of her teaching and research. Dr. Gilliam began at UT Tyler more than 20 years ago as an adjunct instructor while completing her doctorate. She joined the faculty in 1985 and has earned a reputation for being an excellent teacher, motivator, mentor, consultant, collaborator and innovator. She is an admired professional colleague among her academic peers, school district personnel and other community entities with whom she consults. Students have high regard for her because she models exemplary professional standards in assessment, teaching skills and strategies, training and supervision productivity, according to comments from Dr. O’Keeffe, the committee, faculty colleagues and students. Dr. Gilliam has earned a reputation for holding to high standards in research and teaching. Within this challenging work in special education, she maintains a personal, caring attitude. Students are empowered by her and as they move on to practice their new profession, they write back and acknowledge the inspiration she had been to them and what a great mentor she had been. Contact person: Emily Battle, (903) 565-5604
|
||||
 |
|||||
