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Four new members to be inducted into the UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers

AUSTIN—The UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers will induct four new members during a ceremony Tuesday night, April 11.

Created to recognize exceptional educators at UT’s eight academic institutions, the Academy serves as a System-level advocacy group dedicated to enhancing teaching, fostering innovation in the classroom, and promoting interdisciplinary perspectives on education.

“The definition of noble is a teacher,” said UT System Chancellor William McRaven. “And the noblest of teachers are here at UT institutions, revolutionizing the learning experience and inspiring thousands and thousands of minds.” 

In 2015, the Academy released The Little Orange Book, a compilation of expert teaching tips and thoughtful reflections on classroom learning.

“Quality teaching is critical to the mission of enhancing student success,” said Steven Leslie, Ph.D., executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. “The Academy of Distinguished Teachers enriches the UT System by recognizing outstanding educators and leveraging this incredible pool of talent to improve teaching excellence Systemwide.”

The selection process to be admitted into this distinguished organization is competitive. Nominees for the Academy must have previously received a Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award and have tenure or equivalent rank (senior lecturer or above) for contingent faculty to be considered. Members of the Academy are nominated by a campus-based selection process and are then submitted by the institution’s president or provost to the UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers for consideration.

The 2017 inductees to the Academy of Distinguished Teachers are:

  • Art Brownlow is a professor of music at UT Rio Grande Valley. Brownlow teaches music history and applied trumpet, and his research interests include brass instrument history, 19th century orchestral music, music educational technology and flipped learning. In addition, he serves as the deputy provost’s Fellow for Academic Innovation.
     
  • Kevin Cokley is a professor of educational psychology and African diaspora studies at UT Austin. Cokley also serves as director of the Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis, and he has been recognized among the top 10 contributors to multicultural psychology journals and among the authors with the most publications in ethnic minority psychology.
     
  • Susan Doty is the founding director of the Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy at UT Tyler. Doty serves on the economics faculty as a senior lecturer and undergraduate economics advisor. In addition to serving on national and statewide associations, she is a member of the finances affinity group for the UT System Quantum Leap on Student Success.
     
  • Karen Huxtable is a senior lecturer for the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at UT Dallas. Huxtable teaches educational psychology, social psychology, and social and personality development. She is also the associate director of the UT Dallas Center for Teaching and is the chair of the academic senate’s committee on effective teaching, which promotes teaching excellence across the campus.

The induction ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Lee Jamail Academic Room (room 212) in UT Austin’s Main Building.

For more information, visit the Academy of Distinguished Teachers website.

About The University of Texas System

Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking basic, applied and clinical research, and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States. With 14 institutions and an enrollment of more than 228,000, the UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates almost two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public institutions in Texas. The UT System’s operating budget for FY 2017 is $17.9 billion, including $3 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. With more than 20,000 faculty – including Nobel laureates and many members of the National Academies – and nearly 80,000 health care professionals, researchers, student advisors and support staff, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.

News Contact Information

Jenny LaCoste-Caputo: jcaputo@utsystem.edu  • 512-499-4361(direct) • 512-574-5777 (cell) 
Melanie Thompson: mthompson@utsystem.edu • 512-499-4487 (direct) • 832-724-1024 (cell)