This past November 4th, 2024, The Center for Teaching Excellence hosted the 34th annual Montague-CTE Scholars Award Luncheon.
The Montague-CTE 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 generous gift in 1991 to benefit the future “Ken Montagues”, Aggies who are lifelong learners and contributors to their communities.The Center is deeply grateful to his son, Jim, and wife, Vicki, for their generous and continued support that recognizes their excellence in teaching and learning at Texas A&M University.
The Montague-CTE Scholars Award is given annually to ten tenure-track assistant professors based on their early success in and passion for teaching undergraduate students. Awardees receive a $6,500 grant to further develop their programs and projects for the improvement of teaching and the learning of their students.
Dr. Debra Fowler, Executive Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, opened the Luncheon with welcoming remarks and by introducing the event's speakers. Dr. Fowler has strived to make the event more special each year, in an effort to share with these faculty the value that the university gives for teaching excellence.
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Alan Sams, addressed the 2024 Montague-CTE scholars and congratulated them on their remarkable accomplishments. To date, there have been 307 recipients of this award. Provost Sams recognized the hard work and dedication of the awardees and applauded the CTE for their role in transformational education through consultation services, workshops and awards, as well as a vast array of resources.
Keynote speaker of the event, Dr. John L. Valasek, was named a Montague-CTE Scholar in 2001.
Dr. Valasek serves as the Director of the Vehicle Systems & Control Laboratory, Thaman Professor of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence, Professor of Aerospace Engineering, and is also a member of the Honors Faculty. Dr. Valasek shared the impact of this award on his career and congratulated fellow scholars on their achievement.
Assistant Director of Mentoring of the Center for Teaching Excellence, Dr. Clint Patterson, named the honorees and shared their instructional goals and teaching philosophies with those in attendance. He was accompanied in presenting the awards by the representative Deans, Provost Sams and Dr. Michael D. Johnson, Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs & Associate Provost for Academic Enhancement.
The 2024 Montague-CTE Scholars recipients are:
● Felipe Aburto, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
● Hrayer Aprahamian, College of Engineering
● Christopher T. Bonner, College of Arts & Sciences
● Jason Crider, College of Arts & Sciences
● Rosaleen Duggan Bloom, College of Nursing
● Benjamin Ennemoser, College of Architecture
● Jeeeun Kim, College of Engineering
● Daniel Spalink, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
● John A. Williams III, College of Education
● Yue Zhang, College of Arts and Sciences
Congratulations to the newly awarded scholars as they continue their commitment to teaching excellence. For more information on the Montague-CTE Scholars program, visit the Montague-CTE page.
