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Legacy Award Recipients
Excellence in Online Teaching Award
Dr. Louis Falk
Department: Communication
College: College of Liberal Arts
Course: COMM 3313: Business & Technical Communication
Course Feedback:
"All of the weekly lessons were different and there was never a week where I did not learn something new and important."
"Every discussion board we did, the research of several articles posted, and the business writings were mirrored to real-life scenarios"
Excellence in Hybrid Teaching Award
Dr. Cory Wimberly
Department: Philosophy
College: College of Liberal Arts
Course: PHIL 1362: Race, Sexuality and Class
Course Feedback:
"Dr. Wimberly layout of course..setup to read the material, watch video lectures, take test on readings and video lectures to be prepared for class."
"As a class we entered well versed in the material that the activities and points discussed lead to in depth conversation."
Excellence in Online & Hybrid Teaching Award
Dr. Beatrice Newman
Department: Writing and Language Studies
College: College of Liberal Arts
Course Feedback:
"Additionally, one thing that helped me learn and understand our assignment more was Dr. Newman’s micro lessons. In these lessons, she explained in detail what the assignment was, how she wanted us to complete it, and later provided some example’s, so we can have an idea of what she expects. Because of these activities, I was able to succeed in my assignments and become more confident in my work."
"What Dr. Mendez Newman does is a rich and strategic art that increases student engagement and adds sophistication to the student work it prompts."
Innovation Award
Dr. Katherine Christoffersen
Department: Writing and Language Studies
College: College of Liberal Arts
Course Feedback:
“What is unique about Dr. Christoffersen’s classes is that she uses a variety of technologies to make her online classes interactive and engaging. For instance, she uses a video online discussion platform called FlipGrid. Instead of written discussion boards the students take short videos of themselves and respond, and Dr. Christoffersen schedules optional Zoom conferences for students who wish to discuss course topics via that medium.”
Open Educational Resources Award
Dr. Art Brownlow
Department: School of Music
College: College of Fine Arts
In recognition of his efforts in initiating an OER collaborative group and efforts to open the door for UTRGV faculty to learn best practices in OER. Dr. Brownlow worked on getting various departments together including the library, COLTT, and faculty to get trained so that they can then become trainers for future faculty interested in incorporating OER.
Open Educational Resources Award
Dr. Edgar Corpuz
Associate Professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Dr. Edgar Corpuz is an Associate Professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He teaches a wide variety of courses including lower and upper-division physics courses, and graduate courses for the MSIS in Science and Technology degree program. He has been implementing student-centered teaching techniques in his courses which include interactive lecture- demonstration, team-based learning (TBL) approach, and inquiry-based laboratory experiences.
Innovation Award
Dr. Cory Wimberly
Professor
Department of Philosophy
Dr. Corey Wimberly is a professor of philosophy at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He primarily teaches social and political philosophy and continental philosophy and has been honored with the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award and the Excellence in Hybrid Teaching Award. Most recent research interests have been in propaganda and how it has come to serve as a private, for-profit form of corporate governmentality in the 20th century.
Excellence in Online & Hybrid Teaching Award
Dr. Elena Venegas
Assistant Professor
Department of Bilingual & Literacy Studies
Dr. Elena M. Venegas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bilingual and Literacy Studies in the College of Education and P-16 Integration. Elena earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching with an emphasis in literacy from Baylor University. Prior to higher education, Elena worked as an elementary teacher and director of a private preschool.
Excellence in Online Teaching Award
Dr. Alyssa Cavazos
Associate Professor
Department of Writing and Language Studies
Dr. Alyssa G. Cavazos is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy Studies in the Department of Writing and Language Studies and Director for the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She teaches undergraduate and graduate coursework in writing studies. Her pedagogical and scholarly interests include: language difference in the teaching of writing, translingual writing across communities, professional development in higher education, and border rhetorics. She was awarded the University of Texas System 2017 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award, the 2017 UTRGV Excellence Award in Teaching, and serves as a fellow in the UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers. She is committed to designing linguistically inclusive pedagogies, which can lead to students’ academic success across academic disciplines in higher education.
Excellence in Hybrid Teaching Award
Dr. Edgar Corpuz
Associate Professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Dr. Edgar Corpuz is an Associate Professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He received his Ph.D. in Physics at Kansas State University with research specialization in physics education. He teaches a wide variety of courses including lower and upper division physics courses, and graduate courses for the MSIS in Science and Technology and Ph.D. in Physics degree programs. He is an advocate of student-centered teaching techniques which include interactive lecture-demonstration, Just-in-Time Teaching, and team-based learning (TBL). He is part of the inaugural cohort of the UTRGV Faculty Affordability Advocate and was awarded the 2021 Open Educational Resources Award and the 2021 College of Science Excellence in Teaching Award.
Innovation Award
Dr. Jorge Canchola
Lecturer I
Department of Biology
Dr. Jorge Canchola is a lecturer in the Department of Biology and Director of the Pre-Health Professions Office. He studied Business at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Design at Parsons School of Design in NYC prior to studying Medicine at the Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas. Before joining UTRGV, he worked as a physician in Mexico while also teaching at UTB and UAT. He has taught asynchronous, synchronous, hybrid and face-to-face Human Anatomy and Physiology lectures and labs. He implements innovative, learner-centered evidence-based practices in his courses. His goal is to deliver exceptional learning experiences and impart lessons that will last a lifetime.
Excellence in Online Teaching Award
Dr. Azucena Herrera
Clinical Assistant Professor
Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship
About Me
Dr. Azucena Herrera is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Management Department, at the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship (COBE).
She joins the Management Department in 2019 for pioneering the MBA blueprinting course design Spanish version (MBAmericas) at COBE, under the Quality Matters (QM) requirements for asynchronous online modality.
From first to current cohorts, she has been teaching the Management courses series for the MBAmericas curricula, in Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters. She feels proud for contributing to the UTRGV Hispanic serving activities, by teaching graduated students along the RGV and the U.S., as well as students located in Latin-American countries.
In regard to the undergraduate level, she teaches lower and upper-level courses from the Management series, in traditional, hybrid, and online modalities.
Dr. Herrera was born, raised, and educated in Central Mexico. She earned a Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Business Management, at Universidad La Salle and Instituto de Estudios Universitarios Mexico, respectively. She is a native of Spanish, a beginner in Serbo-Croatian, and proficient in English.
Her first step as a UTRGV Faculty was joining The Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) to serve as Diversity and Inclusion Educator and DREAM Zone Advocate. She is an affiliated faculty to the UTRGV B3 Institute (bicultural, bilingual, and biliterate).
Dr. Herrera has published about the competencies of individuals working and living in multicultural and multilingual environments. Her most recent research is focusing on multilingualism, diversity, and inclusion competencies in college students.