Development
Texas Tech Chancellor's Council Announces Outstanding Teaching, Research Awards
Four faculty members from Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center have been named the 2005 recipients of the Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching and Research Awards.
“Both of the universities have many outstanding teachers and researchers. These awards highlight the quality of our faculty and reflect our commitment to academic quality,” said David R. Smith, chancellor of the Texas Tech University System.
The Distinguished Teaching Award goes to Dr. Ellen Peffley, professor
of horticulture, in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
at Texas Tech University. Barbara Johnston, R.N., Ph.D., professor and associate
dean for graduate programs in the School of Nursing, is the winner at the
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
At the Health Sciences Center, the Distinguished Research Award goes to Douglas Stocco, Ph.D., professor in the Cell Biology and Biochemistry Department. Dr. James Dickens, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering, is the Texas Tech winner.
Peffley has been recognized for her teaching with the college, has received the Texas Tech President’s Excellence in Teaching Award and is a charter member of the Texas Tech Teaching Academy. She has also earned national teaching recognition from professional organizations.
Johnston’s work in distance education is in part responsible for the growth of the graduate enrollment in the School of Nursing from about 40 in 1998 when she arrived, to more than 150 students. Many graduate courses are taught online and Johnston is responsible for the national recognition that has come to the program.
Stocco has received national and international awards for his research on the StAR protein. The StAR protein is a key protein that allows cholesterol to be converted into bioactive hormones that are necessary for reproduction and the maintenance of carbohydrate and salt balance in the body.
Dickens’ pulsed power research has received international recognition. Dickens’ work looks at how very short and powerful bursts of electrical power can contribute toward national defense and space applications. In the six years he has been at Texas Tech, he has received more than $5 million in grants from the Department of Defense and private industry.