Texas Tech regents announce promotions for six CASNR faculty members
The Texas Tech University System Board of Regents today approved the academic advancement of six leading College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources faculty members. The changes go into effect on Sept. 1. In addition, some the faculty members were given tenure, a status granted after a trial period to a professor that acknowledges his or her contributions to the teaching and research mission of the university.
Cindy Akers "" Promoted to Professor. Akers is CASNR's Director of Student Services and now an associate professor with the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications. She joined the Texas Tech faculty in 1997, and has served in several leadership roles from superintendent of the National FFA Agricultural Communications Career Development Event and chair to Tech's Teaching Academy. Awards for Akers include the Hemphill-Wells New Professor Excellence in Teaching Award, Presidents Excellence in Teaching Award and a national Award of Excellence in Academic Programs.
Heidi Brady "" Promoted to Professor. Brady is now an associate professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences and director of Texas Tech's Therapeutic Riding Center. Prior to joining the Tech faculty in 1996, she served as an assistant professor with the department of animal sciences at the University of Illinois. Brady received her bachelor's degree in biology and history of art from the University of Virginia and her master's degree in animal industries from Pennsylvania State University. Her doctorate in physiology of reproduction is from Texas A&M University.
Scott Burris "" Promoted to Associate Professor and Received Tenure. Burris is now an assistant professor with the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications. He joined the Tech faculty in 2005, and specializes in agricultural education. Burris is advisor for the Texas Tech chapter of Collegiate FFA. He earned his bachelor's degree is from Texas Tech. His master's degree and doctorate in agricultural education are from the University of Missouri. Awards for Burris include the Texas Tech Alumni Association New Faculty Award and the USDA New Teacher Award.
Michael Farmer "" Received Tenure. Farmer, who is now an associate professor with the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, is an environmental economist working primarily on the issue of water allocation and its consequences on land use. In the past he has served as an advisor on the largest inter-state water use dispute in the nation and has completed work in China on water allocation planning. He has written on the ethical obligations of benefit-cost analysis in environmental policy. Farmer received his doctorate in agricultural economics from The Ohio State University.
Eric Hequet "" Promoted to Professor. An internationally-recognized cotton researcher, Hequet is the associate director of Texas Tech's Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute. Hequet, who has a joint appointment with the Texas AgriLife Research Station, is currently focusing on collaborative research with the cotton breeding and cotton biotechnology community to develop improved properties in cotton fibers. Hequet, who joined Texas Tech in 1997, was presented a 2010 Texas Tech University System Chancellor's Council Distinguished Research Award.
Jeff Johnson "" Promoted to Associate Professor and Received Tenure. He is now an assistant professor with Tech's Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, and associate director of the CASNR Water Institute. He also serves as director of Farm Operations with the college. In the past his research has focused on water policy, natural resource management, and farm management. Johnson's current teaching activities include farm/ranch management, and applied optimization methods. His doctorate in agricultural and applied economics is from Texas Tech.
Written by Norman Martin
CONTACT: John Burns, Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or john.burns@ttu.edu
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Editor's Note: Pictured (clockwise from top left) are Cindy Akers, Heidi Brady, Michael Farmer, Jeff Johnson, Eric Hequet and Scott Burris
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