Texas A&M: Center For Teaching Excellence Celebrates Montague Scholars
Texas A&M University’s Center for Teaching Excellence celebrated two classes of scholars this week at the Bethancourt Ballroom in the Memorial Student Center. The event acknowledged award recipients from 2021-22, alongside the 2020-21 awardees, who were not able to celebrate last year as a result of Covid-19 social distancing policies.
The Montague-CTE Scholars Award is named in honor of Kenneth Montague ’37, a distinguished alumnus and outstanding trustee of Texas A&M University Development Foundation, who had a long and storied career in the Texas oil industry. Ken and Judy Montague endowed a gift in 1991 to benefit Aggies who are life-long learners and contributors to their communities.
Each year, one tenure-track assistant professor from each college is chosen to receive the Montague-CTE Scholars Award, which includes a $6,500 grant to encourage further development in teaching within their respective fields. This award has now been granted to 289 faculty.
CTE officials said they are deeply appreciative for the generosity of Jim and Vicki Montague, who continue the legacy of supporting a community of faculty leaders and innovative educators.
Among the distinguished guests, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Tim Scott, opened the ceremony by providing an address to the crowd of awardees, guests, deans and department heads.
“The art of teaching is in its renaissance at Texas A&M,” Scott said. “Across our campus we have faculty, like our Montague-CTE Scholars, working on course redesigns and innovations that are resulting in student learning and performance increases across the board for all demographics, including first-generation students, historically underrepresented groups and Pell-eligible students.”
The keynote speaker, Dr. Ashley Saunders, a 2009-10 Montague-CTE Scholar and professor of cardiology at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, said her award supported the creation of the MurMur Learner. This module, which helps students learn how to hear heart abnormalities in small animals, is currently used not only by Texas A&M, but also by veterinarians in continuing education courses, and other veterinary schools. The vast impact of scholars’ many projects, innovations and classroom activities on learners is extraordinary, CTE officials said.
The 2020-2021 scholars are:
Janie McClurkin Moore, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Alejandro Borges, College of Architecture, Department of Architecture
Daniel Bowen, College of Education & Human Development, Department of Educational Administration & Human Resource Development
Matt Pharr, College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Kathryn Shamberger, College of Geosciences, Department of Oceanography
Defne Över, College of Liberal Arts, Department of Sociology
Jon Stauffer, Mays Business School, Department of Information and Operations Management
Jonathan Sczepanski, College of Science, Department of Chemistry
Sarguru Subash, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology
Cassia Bömer Galvao, Galveston Campus, Department of Maritime Administration
The 2021-2022 scholars are:
Anjel Helms, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Entomology
James Michael Tate, College of Architecture, Department of Architecture
Idean Ettekal, College of Education & Human Development, Department of Educational Psychology
Theodora Chaspari, College of Engineering, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Christina Belanger, College of Geosciences, Department of Geology and Geophysics
Sarah McNamera, College of Liberal Arts, Department of History
Bradford Hepfer, Mays Business School, Department of Accounting
Quentin Michaudel, College of Science, Department of Chemistry
Ashley Ross, Galveston Campus, Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science