TWU Recognizes Outstanding Faculty

3/26/04

DENTON — Two Texas Woman's University faculty will be recognized for contributions to the university during Honors Convocation ceremonies April 15 at 10 a.m. in the Margo Jones Performance Hall, located near the intersection of Oakland Avenue and Sawyer Street.

Dr. James Johnson, professor of chemistry, will receive the Cornaro Award, the highest award presented by the university to a faculty member. Ms. Sherrie Taylor, lecturer II in the School of Management and director of the Small Business Institute of TWU, will receive the Humphries Award for dedication to the university.

Dr. Johnson, who has taught at TWU since 1977, has earned the respect and admiration of colleagues and students for his outstanding levels of academic excellence in the classroom and the research laboratory, said Dr. Richard Rodean, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

“The portfolio of Dr. Johnson is rich in content with an impressive record in internal and external research support,” said Dr. Rodean. He has served as a mentor in the Chancellor's Research Fellows and has actively supported the Multi-Ethnic Biomedical Research Support (MBRS) program.

“I came to know Dr. Johnson initially as one of the mentors of the MBRS, which he has been actively involved in from the beginning,” said Dr. Sarah McIntire, chair of the Department of Biology.

“He is universally admired by the students he mentors in the lab. They learn how to do research and how to publish and present the results ... His style of mentoring has been an important learning guide for me.”

Dr. Johnson was named 1997 Outstanding Academic Adviser in the College of Arts and Sciences, 1984 Outstanding Professor by the Student Government Association, and he has received Proctor and Gamble, Dow Chemical, DuPont and Monsanto summer fellowships. He is an elected member of the executive committee of the Texas Association of Advisers to the Health Professions and represents TWU at the annual conference for Health Professions Advisers in Texas.

“It is wonderful to see a professor teaching a class with such passion and excitement that it is almost not impossible to like the subject,” more than a dozen students noted in a nomination letter. “His enthusiasm for the class led several of us to change our majors to chemistry.”

Ms. Taylor's dedication to TWU continues long after the class day ends in the enthusiasm, skills, knowledge and professionalism that she instills in her students, according to those who know her. Even before becoming a lecturer in 1993, she served TWU as a student, initiating projects that brought positive visibility to the university.

“Sherrie's commitment to TWU, the students and her profession constantly show,” said Dr. Paula Ann Hughes, director of the TWU School of Management. “I recently attended the national meeting of Small Business Institute directors. Numerous individuals came up to me and spoke in glowing terms of how Sherrie was 'the best'.”

She is a Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellow, received the1999 Human Resources Educator of the Year Award from the HR Southwest Conference and Exposition, the 1997 National Small Business Institute Showcase Award from the Small Business Institute Director's Association and the Outstanding Faculty Advisory for Student Organizations Redbud Award in 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2003. She serves as faculty adviser to the TWU chapter of Students In Free Enterprise and Society for Human Resources Management chapter.

“Mrs. Taylor made the difference in my ability to be successful at TWU,” said Jzacqu Fields, a 1999 graduate. “As a single-parent and full-time student, she made the difference in my ability to complete my education. She referred me to trade organizations within my field to give me the exposure I needed to gain valuable experience.

“Through her support and reference, I also was able to receive a scholarship from the Dallas HR Association to pay for my last semester in school at TWU. Her passion and willingness to make a difference in the lives of her students make her an asset to the school and each person she comes in contact with.”

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For Further Information Contact:

Roy Kron
Director of News and Information
Tel: (940) 898-3456
e-mail: rkron@twu.edu