The newest members from CASNR are David Doerfert, a professor in Tech's Department of Agricultural Education and Communications and the associate dean with Tech's Graduate School; and Robert Cox, an associate professor in Tech's Department of Natural Resources Management.

Founded in 1997, the academy has almost 200 members from throughout the university that support, promote and recognize teaching excellence. Members engage in advocacy, service and advising matters pertaining to classroom instruction. Participants often serve as mentors for junior faculty and graduate students, in addition to publishing teaching-related scholarships and participating in teaching-focused conferences, officials said.

Among the objectives of the group are advocating for the importance of teaching, and creating an appropriate reward structure for teaching throughout the university, as well as serving as role models, fostering research on college-level teaching and learning practices, and advising the university and its institutions on teaching policies and practices.

In order to be considered for membership tenured or tenure-track professors with three years of service at Texas Tech must be nominated by a current academy member, show evidence of superlative teaching, and express an interest in promoting teaching improvement across the curriculum.

Current member of the Teaching Academy from CASNR include:

Cindy Akers, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Programs, CASNR

Matt Baker, Professor, Agricultural Education and Communications

Heidi Brady, Professor, Animal and Food Sciences

Chance Brooks, Professor, Animal and Food Sciences

Scott Burris, Interim Chairman, Agricultural Education and Communications

Peter Dotray, Professor, Plant and Soil Science

Emmett Elam, Associate Professor, Agricultural and Applied Economics

Steve Fraze, Professor and Interim Dean, CASNR

Sam Jackson, Associate Professor, Animal and Food Sciences

Phillip Johnson, Professor and Chairman, Agricultural and Applied Economics

Charles Klein, Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture

Alon Kvashny, Professor, Landscape Architecture

Cynthia McKenney, Professor, Plant and Soil Science

Courtney Meyers, Associate Professor, Agricultural Education and Communications

Markus Miller, Professor, Animal and Food Sciences

Max Miller, Associate Professor, Animal and Food Sciences

Sukant Misra, Professor, Agriculture and Applied Economics

Eduardo Segarra, Professor, Agricultural and Applied Economics

Leslie Thompson, Professor, Animal and Food Sciences

Doerfert was named associate dean with Tech's Graduate School on Jan. 1. His duties entail leading the degree program evaluation process and information technology support that facilitates graduate program success at the department and college levels. He also assists with fellowship programs and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board reporting activities.

He began his career as a high school agriculture instructor in Wisconsin, and later served as an education consultant with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and as an assistant professor of agricultural education at Iowa State University. He was also team leader in the education division of the National FFA Organization and a regional director with the National FFA Foundation.

Doerfert joined Tech's Department of Agricultural Education and Communications faculty in 2002 as an associate professor of agricultural communications. He has taught numerous courses over the years, as well as conducted research related to agricultural communication strategies and methods. In addition, Doerfert served as the graduate studies coordinator for the department. He received his bachelor's degree in in agricultural education from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. His master's degree and doctorate are from The Ohio State University.

Separately, Cox has centered his efforts on community and restoration ecology, distribution and conservation of rare and endemic plant species, and ecology of invasive species. His research has focused on large-scale restoration experiments with practical applications, as well as landscape-scale factors contributing to the decline and loss of native plant communities and rare, endemic species.

Prior to joining the Texas Tech faculty in 2008, Cox was a post-doctoral ecologist with the Grassland, Shrubland and Desert Ecosystem Research Program at the USDA's Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station in Boise. A native of Utah, he received his bachelor's degree in conservation biology and his master's degree in botany from Brigham Young University. His doctorate in ecology and conservation biology is from the University of California-Riverside.

Written by Norman Martin

CONTACT: Steve Fraze, Interim Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or steven.fraze@ttu.edu

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