Recipients of Stephen F. Austin State University’s 2015 Teaching Excellence Awards, left to right, Dr. Michael Maurer, Dr. Matthew Kwiatkowski, Dr. Kelly Noe, Dr. Baker Pattillo, SFA president; Dr. Mary Catherine Breen, James Faucett, Neal Cox and Dr. Tom Segady.
The Teaching Excellence Awards were established in 1994 to honor outstanding classroom teachers at SFA. Each of the university’s six colleges selects a member of its faculty to receive the annual award based on knowledge of subject matter, quality of lectures and assignments, enthusiasm for teaching, interest in and availability to students, commitment to continuous improvement, and contribution to the quality of teaching within SFA by assisting and encouraging other faculty members. The 2015 recipients are as follows:
Nelson Rusche College of Business
Dr. Kelly Noe, CPA, CGMA, serves as assistant professor of accounting in the Gerald W. Schlief School of Accountancy. She teaches accounting information systems, intermediate accounting and graduate accounting research. Noe is an award-winning teacher, as well as researcher. She earned her doctoral degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio, master’s degree from SFA and bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina. Noe serves as the faculty adviser for Beta Alpha Psi and is active in the community, serving as treasurer of the Piney Woods Cattle Barron’s Gala, the Humane Society of Angelina County and the Texas Department of Public Safety Officers’ Association Auxiliary.
James I. Perkins College of Education
Dr. Mary Catherine Breen is an assistant professor in the Department of Secondary Education and Educational Leadership and serves as the principal investigator for CONFIANZA, a federal grant program. Breen involves her students in inquiry related to disciplinary literacy and English as a second language and leads urban education field experience partnerships with Houston schools. Breen holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin. She received her master’s degree in English and her doctoral degree in educational leadership from SFA.
College of Fine Arts
Neal Cox serves as associate professor in the School of Art. He has exhibited his work in a range of solo, group and juried exhibitions. Cox has conducted workshops and taught printmaking and book arts during summer programs at the Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy. He earned his Master of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at San Antonio and Brigham Young University, respectively.
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
Dr. Michael Maurer, associate professor of agriculture, teaches horticulture courses in plant physiology, greenhouse management, floriculture, weed science, irrigation, plant protection and turfgrass science. Maurer received his doctoral degree from the University of Florida and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from California State University at Fresno.
College of Liberal and Applied Arts
Dr. Tom Segady, professor of sociology, focuses his interests in classical sociological theory and the sociology of religion. He has taught many classes at SFA, including courses in the sociology of India, genetics, social change and ethics, and globalization. Segady received his doctoral degree from the University of Denver and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
College of Sciences and Mathematics
Dr. Matthew Kwiatkowski, associate professor of biology, earned his doctoral degree in biology from Arizona State University, master’s degree from the University of South Dakota and his bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University. He also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in evolutionary genetics at Colorado State University. Kwiatkowski’s research and teaching focuses on the evolution, ecology and conservation of vertebrate animals, especially reptiles and amphibians.
Adjunct Teaching
James Faucett is an adjunct faculty member in the College of Fine Arts, where he teaches group piano classes for music majors in the School of Music. He also teaches piano privately and is active in the community as a church musician. Faucett earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at SFA in piano performance with a pedagogy emphasis.
