Outstanding Professor Award

The Outstanding Professor Award honors University of Houston-Clear Lake professors who embody the fulfillment of learning and discovery by utilizing innovative teaching methods to inspire students and building a sense of community among students through active involvement with student organizations, shared governance and mentoring. Honorees share a passion for the university, its mission and the potential for change through education. The UHCL Alumni Association has presented the Outstanding Professor Award since 2006.

Award Selection Criteria and Requirements

Selection Criteria: A nominee will be evaluated by the following criteria which demonstrates the traits, characteristics and actions that alumni reflect upon as important to them during their time as students at UHCL:

• Active involvement with students outside the classroom, such as through student organizations, shared governance and mentoring.
• Generous commitment of time and spirit to students and the university.
• Creative, innovative teaching that instructs and inspires students, and who embody the fulfillment of learning and discovery.
• Sincere involvement in building a sense of community among students.
• Deeply passionate about the university, its mission and the potential for change through education.

Nomination Requirements: Only graduates and/or recipients of teacher’s certificates from UHCL may nominate. Please consider the following requirements when preparing the nomination package.

Each nominee must:

• Be currently employed as a professor* at UHCL at the time of the nomination deadline.
• Have been a professor at UHCL for at least five years.
• Accept the award in person at the UHCL Alumni Celebration dinner.
• Not be a previous recipient of this award.
• Not be a current member of the Alumni Association Executive Council.
  
  *Professors, according to the UHCL Provost’s Office, are “full-time faculty members who perform the functions of teaching a minimum of three courses per semester, conduct peer reviewed research in his/her discipline, and provide service to the university and community.”

Number of Awards

The association shall confer the Outstanding Professor Award on one individual in any one year, at the discretion of the Alumni Association Executive Council. The AAEC reserves the right to not award every year.

Award Nomination

Nominations for the 2022 Alumni Association Awards are now closed. The nomination process for the 2023 Awards will open in November 2022. For tips on creating a great nomination, download the Nomination Tip Sheet.

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Past Outstanding Professor Award Recipients

2023
Dr. Mary Short, Ph.D., Program Director of the Doctoral program in Clinical and School Psychology, and Department Chair for Clinical, Health, and Applied Sciences, College of Human Sciences and Humanities

2022
Robert Phalen, Ph.D., CIH, FAIHA

2020
Michael McMullen, Professor of Sociology, College of Human Sciences & Humanities
Brian Stephens, Associate Professor of Biotechnology and Biology, College of Science and Engineering

2019
Vance Etnyre, Professor emeritus of Management Information Systems, College of Business

2018
Dorothea C. Lerman, Professor of Psychology and Director, Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, College of Human Sciences and Humanities

Jana M. Willis, ’97 BA, ’99 MS, Department Chair of Literacy, Library and Learning Technologies,  Professor of Instructional Design and Technology, College of Education 

2017
Daniel Silvermintz, Associate Professor of Humanities, College of Human Sciences and Humanities

2016
Lisa A. Jones, Associate Professor, Multicultural Education, College of Education

2015
Ashish Chandra, Healthcare Administration, School of Business

2014
Ken Black, Professor of Decision Sciences, School of Business
Stephen M. Cherry, '00 MA, Assistant Professor of Sociology, School of Human Sciences and Humanities

2013
John Gorman, Professor of Literature, School of Human Sciences and Humanities

2012
James C. Benson, Associate Professor of Legal Studies, School of Business
Kim A. Case, Associate Professor of Women’s Studies and Psychology, School of Human Sciences and Humanities

2011
Kwok-Bun Yue, Professor, Computer Science and Computer Information Systems; Chair, Computing and Mathematics Division; School of Science and Computer Engineering

2010
Denise McDonald, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education

2009
Caroline M. Crawford, Associate Professor of Instructional Technology, School of Education
Gretchen Mieszkowski, Professor of Literature, School of Human Sciences and Humanities

2008
Richard Puzdrowski, Associate Professor and Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences

2007
Naveed Saleem, Professor and Chair of Management Information Systems

2006
Charles McKay, Dean (retired), School of Science and Computer Engineering