Marcetta Darensbourg, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Texas A&M University, is among 14 faculty members from each SEC university that have been named recipients of the 2018 SEC Faculty Achievement Award, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Wednesday. The awards, now in their seventh year, honor one individual from each SEC university who has excelled in teaching and research.
To be eligible for consideration, the individual must be a teacher or scholar at an SEC university; have achieved the rank of full professor; have a record of extraordinary teaching; and have a record of research that is recognized nationally and/or internationally.
“The SEC Faculty Achievement Awards continue to provide us with a unique opportunity to celebrate faculty from our conference who have demonstrated a commitment to our students while also making meaningful contributions in their fields,” said Sankey. “Although we have chosen to honor 14, we know they are truly representative of all SEC faculty members.”
Each SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner will receive a $5,000 honorarium from the SEC and will become his or her university’s nominee for the SEC Professor of the Year Award. The SEC Professor of the Year, to be named in April, receives an additional $15,000 honorarium.
“The SEC is home to 14 of the finest universities in the nation, and our faculty are some of the most accomplished individuals in academia,” said Dr. Mark E. Keenum, President of Mississippi State University and President of the Southeastern Conference. “We are delighted to have a way to recognize their achievements, and along with the other SEC Presidents and Chancellors, I offer each of them my sincere congratulations.”
The SEC Faculty Achievement Awards and the SEC Professor of the Year Award are both selected by the SEC Provosts, and they are two foundational programs designed by the SEC to support and promote the academic endeavors and achievements of its students, faculty and administrators.
There are approximately 14,000 full-time, tenured faculty in the SEC, and below is a list of the 2018 SEC Faculty Achievement Award recipients:
- University of Alabama, Dr. Trudier Harris, University Distinguished Research Professor of English
- University of Arkansas, Dr. Peter Ungar, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology
- Auburn University, Dr. David Ketchen, Harbert Eminent Scholar and Professor of Management
- University of Florida, Dr. Scott Powers, UAA Endowed Professor and Distinguished Professor
- University of Georgia, Dr. Mary Ann Moran, Distinguished Research Professor
- University of Kentucky, Dr. Issam Harik, Raymond-Blythe Professor of Civil Engineering
- Louisiana State University, Dr. Ward Plummer, Boyd Professor of Physics
- University of Mississippi, Dr. Jane Reckelhoff, Billy S. Guyton Distinguished Professor
- Mississippi State University, Dr. James Fowler, Billie J. Ball Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- University of Missouri, Dr. Inder Khurana, Geraldine Trulaske Chair in Accountancy
- University of South Carolina, Dr. Julius Fridriksson, Carolina Distinguished Professor
- University of Tennessee, Dr. Louis Gross, Alvin and Sally Beaman Distinguished Professor
- Texas A&M University, Dr. Marcetta Darensbourg, Distinguished Professor Chemistry
- Vanderbilt University, Dr. Kathleen Gould, Louise B. McGavock Endowed Professor
About the Southeastern Conference Academic Initiative
The Southeastern Conference sponsors, supports and promotes collaborative higher education programs and activities involving administrators, faculty and students at its fourteen member universities. The goals of its SECU academic initiative include highlighting the endeavors and achievements of SEC faculty and universities; advancing the merit and reputation of SEC universities outside of the traditional SEC region; identifying and preparing future leaders for high-level service in academia; increasing the amount and type of education abroad opportunities available to SEC students; and providing opportunities for collaboration among SEC university personnel.
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Media contact: Keith Randall 979-845-4644 or keith-randall@tamu.edu or Torie A. Johnson, 205-949-8960 tjohnson@sec.org.
