Austin College Faculty Recognized at Honors Convocation
SHERMAN, TEXAS — Austin College celebrated the accomplishments of its faculty during the annual Honors Convocation in Wynne Chapel-Grum Sanctuary on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
President Steven P. O’Day began the convocation by presenting the College’s Homer P. Rainey Award. This award was created in 1975 by the Board of Trustees to be given to a faculty or staff member in recognition of outstanding achievement or exemplary service to Austin College.
Homer P. Rainey was a 1919 graduate of Austin College who earned his doctorate from the University of Chicago. A strong and constant champion of academic freedom, he taught at Austin College, among other institutions around the country, and served four of those colleges as president. He was selected as a member of Austin College’s Athletic Hall of Honor and made a Distinguished Alumnus of the College. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Austin College and the College’s Founders Medal.
The two recipients of the 2024 Homer P. Rainey Award were Dr. Julie Hempel, Professor of Spanish, and Dr. Julia Shahid, Associate Professor of Education.
Following the Homer P. Rainey Award presentations, three faculty members were installed to faculty chairs by Dr. Beth Gill, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the President. “An investiture is an ancient academic ceremony that has symbolized the pursuit of knowledge since the Middle Ages,” Gill said. “A faculty chair is created through the establishment of an endowed fund, often by a private donor. The investiture ceremony honors the faculty member and the generosity of donors who create the funds.”
Faculty installed in chairs were:
- Dr. Felix Harcourt in The Guy M. Bryan Jr. Chair in American History
- Dr. Ruchan Kaya in The Richardson Chair for Comparative Politics and International Relations
- Dr. Claire Wolnisty in The Richardson Chair for the Professionalism and the Humanities Leadership Program
Austin College also recognizes excellence in teaching each year with two prestigious faculty awards: The College’s nominee to the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Professor Award and the Austin College Excellence in Teaching and Leadership Award.
This year’s Piper Professor Award nominee was Dr. Andrew Carr, Professor of Chemistry, and the Excellence in Teaching and Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Tom Blake, Associate Professor of English.
Faculty appreciation concluded with the recognition of those retiring at the end of the academic year. “Great teaching by dedicated teachers, artists, and scholars is at the heart of an Austin College education,” said President O’Day. “Every teacher harbors the hope that they will have made a profound difference in the lives of students,” he continued. “Today we honor five such teachers, whose impact on our lives is immeasurable.”
The retiring faculty are Dr. Ruth Cape, Associate Professor of German, who has been with Austin College since 1996; Dr. Julie Hempel, Professor of Spanish, with Austin College since 2002; Dr. Terry Hoops, Associate Professor of Anthropology, with the College since 1997; Steven Ramsey, Associate Professor of Business Administration, who joined the faculty in 1989; and Dr. Julia Shahid, Associate Professor of Education, with the College since 1999.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, pre-professional foundations, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 44 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.