The Texas Wesleyan University Board of Trustees will award six staff and faculty members with its 2015 Board of Trustees Academic Awards at its Annual Board Meeting April 17, 2015.

"These men and women deserve to be commended for their excellent work," President Frederick G. Slabach said. "Each has contributed immeasurably to the success of the University over the course of the last year."

Each award comes with a $500 cash prize, a plaque and is presented at the Board of Trustees Spring Lunch.

This year’s winners are:

Teaching Award

Given to a faculty member who displays creativity and innovation in the classroom.

• Cary Adkinson

Although just in his second year at Texas Wesleyan, Adkinson has already had a lasting and positive impact on its criminal justice program. Adkinson received the highest teaching evaluations each semester in the School of Natural & Social Sciences. His scores on Effectiveness of Instructor averaged in the top 10th percentile, as were his scores on the accomplishment of primary learning objectives.

Scholarship Award

Given to a faculty member who has excelled in scholarship in the past year.

• Patsy Robles-Goodwin

Robles-Goodwin’s research interests focuses on the societal and educational issues that affect Latino students and their families. These areas include issues on: language, early childhood education, parental involvement, leadership, biliteracy and multicultural issues affecting teaching and learning. These issues are not only of interest to her at a research level, she believes, that these issues are at the heart of what is currently occurring in our public schools.

Service Award

Honors a faculty member who goes beyond her/his requirements to provide service to the university and community.

• Joe Brown

Brown has been active in freshman experience since before being named Dean of Freshmen in 2009. He has helped to design and coordinate the ASE (freshman success) courses for 10 years, both within the learning community framework and as stand-alone freshman orientation sections. The work he has done in freshman advising and in ASE has become critical to the success of the University, as its international student population has grown. Brown has served as an advocate for the students, as well as an intermediary for faculty and staff when issues of discipline or academic performance have arisen.

Academic Support Award

Honors a staff member who goes beyond her or his requirements to provide service to the university and directly or indirectly impacts the student body in a positive way.

• Sherry L. Sandles

In her role as administrative assistant in the Dean’s Office, Sandles supports Texas Wesleyan’s mission with her excellent customer service, and by providing each student whom she interacts the attention and respect he or she deserves. Because of her years of experience in education, Mrs. Sandles is gifted in diffusing tempers, lending a caring ear and directing students to the right faculty member, office or resource for assistance.

The Sue Passmore Wesleyan Spirit Award

Honors a retiring faculty with many years of service to the university.

• Sandra Hile Hart

Hart has served Texas Wesleyan in many roles during her service with the University, including:

• Associate Provost (1990 - 1992)
• Interim Provost (1994 - 1994)
• Interim Dean (1993 - 1994)
• Dean, School of Business (1994 - 1996)

In addition to serving on virtually every University faculty standing committee, she also played an important role during the School of Business’ efforts to achieve ACBSP and AACSB accreditation by providing leadership by example within the faculty ranks, as well as serving on the numerous committees within the School of Business that helped achieve these accreditations.

University Service Award

Honors a staff member who goes beyond her or his requirements to provide service to the university.

• Ann Davis

Since Davis’ arrival, Texas Wesleyan has become the most buzzed-about university in the North Texas region, due in large part to key media placements of table tennis championships, major University events, expert interviews from University faculty as well as general stories related to Texas Wesleyan’s growth, leading to more than $1,000,000 in earned TV and print media across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and beyond.

Coverage has included the Wall Street Journal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, WFAA, NBCDFW, Fox 4 and CBS 11, as well as many other local and national publications.