"The Center for Teaching Excellence offers a place where I can share ideas on teaching and learning with my colleagues from across campus. This is important because too often as scholars, we tend to interact mainly within our respective departments and Colleges."  Read more»

 

Sarah Witham Bednarz, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Geosciences
Professor, Department of Geography
Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, 2008

"The CTE has been an outstanding resource in transforming me from an enthusiastic teacher to an enthusiastic and effective teacher. I have participated in a variety of CTE workshops during my fifteen years at A&M related to teaching effectiveness, learning styles, teaching strategies, classroom management, etc. The workshops are always active. The most important feature of the workshops is that I not only leave the workshops with increased knowledge but also during the workshop I am able to transition that knowledge into new strategies to implement in my class."  Read more»

 

Karen Butler-Purry, Ph.D.
Associate Provost, Office of Graduate Studies
Professor, Associate VP-Research

"A look back over the past decade reveals that many of the jobs in which recent TAMU graduates are employed had not been identified 10 years ago. This situation seems likely to endure over the next decade. Given this context, in my view imparting vocational knowledge on how to perform pragmatic, specialist skills used currently in a field is a minimal responsibility. In the Internet era when knowledge is instantly accessible, it is surely redundant for students to be required to memorize so-called facts."  Read more»

 

John Crompton, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
Professor, Recreation, Parks & Tourism Sciences
Presidential Professor of Teaching Excellence, 2011

"The impact of the Center for Teaching Excellence is thus much greater than any tally of faculty served by the particular programs it has sponsored, for the sheer existence of (and opportunities provided by) the Center creates an environment in which our students can become better learners as a result of our faculty having become more attuned to the mystery of how we do what we do."  Read more»

 

Stephen H. Daniel, Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy
Murray and Celeste Fasken Chair in Distinguished Teaching (2007-2011)
Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, 2007

"I arrived here at Texas A&M University in 1999 as a newly-hired Assistant Professor after teaching for three years at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). I was eager to find the Center for Teaching Excellence at Texas A&M University, whose resources I wanted to access as quickly as possible, since I had heard about them from several colleagues."  Read more»

 

Patricia Goodson, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Health and Kinesiology
Presidential Professor of Teaching Excellence, 2012
Director, CEHD Writing Initiative (P. O. W. E. R.)

"I have always been an intuitive instructor; I can look at my students and "know" if they understand the day's lecture, then I can stop, if necessary, explain the concept in another way, and continue.  However, once I began to learn the educational theory behind my methods, I was able to not only improve as a teacher, but also share my insight with others."  Read more»

 

Wendy L. Keeney-Kennicutt, Ph.D.
Associate Director, First Year Chemistry Program
Assistant Instructional Professor
Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, 2009

"The wonderful CTE staff and the varied programs they offer allowed me to develop a teaching philosophy, identify my personal teaching style, participate in a teaching community, and establish documentation of my teaching credentials."  Read more»

 

Ann Lee Kenimer, Ph.D.
Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies
Professor, Associate Dean of Academic Operations

Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, 2006

"Looking back at the humbling journey from struggling to teach well as a new faculty member to being selected as a Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, I realize how vital CTE’s role has been to my growth as a teacher and how significantly CTE’s work has impacted the experiences of the 6,000 plus students whom I worked with directly in the last 15 years."  Read more»

 

X. Ben Wu, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Faculties and Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence
Professor, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, 2009