Eight faculty and staff members were honored for service and support of Texas Tech University's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources today (Aug. 21) during a special evening ceremony at the Merket Alumni Center.

The 2013 award recipients included:

• Teaching Award: Scott Burris, Department of Agricultural Education and Communications
• Research Award: Brad Johnson, Department of Animal and Food Sciences
• Junior Faculty Award: Courtney Meyers, Department of Agricultural Education and Communications
• Service/Outreach Award: Ryan Rathmann, Department of Animal and Food Sciences
• Student Advising Award: Emmett Elam, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
• Instructor Award: Lyda Garcia, Department of Animal and Food Sciences
• Staff Award: Dora Cisneros, Department of Landscape Architecture
• Research Staff Award: Bill Jaynes, Department of Plant and Soil Science

Earlier in the day, CASNR faculty participated in a retreat that focused on using technology in CASNR research efforts, including the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation, International Center for Food Industry Excellence and Integrated Climate Response Modeling. Meanwhile, showcase presentations featured Blackboard Learn 9.1, Microsoft Lync, Agricultural Apps, and Top Hat.

One of the highlights of the half-day program was a keynote address by Ed Bowen, director of Consulting Services at the R. Jan LeCroy Center for Educational Telecommunications, a campus of the Dallas County Community College District. The title of his presentation was "Dancing with the Bear," which focused on emerging technologies that have been heralded as providing the opportunities and affordances to transform research, learning and teaching.

Bowen stressed that teaching online and blended courses is an extremely complex and challenging undertaking. Providing faculty with the structure they need to successfully make the transition to online and blended teaching requires a shift in the understanding of technology, a comprehension of the new online and blended teaching environments, and an understanding of the underlying pedagogy, he said. The meeting was closed with a "State of the College" presentation by CASNR Dean Michael Galyean.

Written by Norman Martin

CONTACT: Michael Galyean, Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or michael.galyean@ttu.edu

0822NM13 / PHOTO: (top row) Scott Burris, Brad Johnson, Courtney Meyers, Ryan Rathmann, Emmett Elam, Lyda Garcia, Dora Cisneros, and Bill Jaynes