"Dr. McKenney was a mentor and leader who made all of us who have known her more successful.
She was a pioneer in distance education and always had an open door when we had questions
or needed to visit."
Longtime professor of ornamental horticulture and educational technology innovator Cynthia McKenney from Texas Tech's Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources was inducted into the college's Department of Plant & Soil Science's ‘Hall of Fame' at a 2 p.m. ceremony on Friday (Apr. 26) in the Bayer Plant Science West Building Atrium.
“Dr. McKenney was a mentor and leader who made all of us who have known her more successful,” said Glen Ritchie, professor of crop physiology and chair of the Department of Plant & Soil Science. “She was a pioneer in distance education and always had an open door when we had questions or needed to visit.”
McKenney's career spanned more than three decades. She retired in 2018 as Associate Chair and Rockwell Endowed Professor of Horticulture, as well as serving as the department's Distance Program Leader. She invested considerable time and effort to develop unique online courses for all of her on campus classes, supporting the distance education programs of both the graduate and undergraduate degree programs in the department.
Over the years her research efforts focused on the development and release of native plant varieties included in the Raider Wildflower Collection. Her research also included working with native plants, focusing on wildflower enhancement to increase drought tolerance, plant architecture, and length and intensity of floral display.
McKenney held several academic leadership positions, including serving as an undergraduate program coordinator, and greenhouse administrator at Tech. At Texas A&M she worked as an assistant and associate professor of urban horticulture and extension specialist, as well as an assistant and associate professor of horticulture and regional distance education coordinator at Tech.
Honors include receiving a Chancellor's Council Distinguished Teaching Award (2018) and being named a Texas Tech Integrated Scholar by the university's Office of the Provost (2015). Other recognition includes the Davis College Teaching Award (2016); President's Excellence in Teaching Award (2016); Davis College Service/Outreach Award (2014); and the Lifetime Member Award from the Texas Nursery Landscape Association (2013). She was selected as a member of the university's elite Teaching Academy (1997). Her master's degree in horticulture and doctorate in higher education administration are from Texas Tech.
This story was first published in the Davis College NewsCenter. See the original article here.