Eight Austin College faculty members have been named to new faculty chairs this spring. Installation normally would have taken place this spring at the College’s annual Honors Convocation, but that event was canceled since the campus community is adhering to social distancing and isolation guidelines resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Elizabeth Gill, vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the faculty, said that the installations celebrate momentous accomplishments. “To endow a faculty chair or professorship is one of the most significant investments a donor can make to the College,” Gill explained, “as the position honors the life’s work of a faculty teacher/scholar. Likewise, an endowed chair or professorship is among the highest honors that can be bestowed on a faculty member. These positions confer prestige to our faculty who do outstanding work in teaching, scholarship, and service to the institution.”
Some of the chairs have been awarded several times through the years to faculty who have since retired Dr. David Baker, professor of physics, said that part of the honor of being named the MacGregor Chair in Natural Science is that legacy. “I am deeply honored to be named to this chair, largely because of the truly amazing faculty that have held this position previously,” Baker said, listing George Diggs, Larry Robinson, and Howard McCarley as those he has known who held the chair. “These professors have had a tremendous impact on the lives of individual students and on the Austin College campus as a whole. They also have had a huge impact on me. My teaching, scholarship, and service have been tailored in the Austin College way by the high standards and gentle advice from these MacGregor professors.”
Baker explained that when faculty members are named chairs, they receive an actual chair to sit in. “For me, perhaps the best part of being named a MacGregor Chair is that I was given Howard McCarley’s physical chair,” he said. “When I sit in the chair, I think of all the students that sat across from Howard (and Larry and George), and how the world is a better place because of it.”
New Chair and Professorship Holders:
David Baker — The Donald MacGregor Chair in Natural Science Baker, professor of physics, joined the Austin College faculty in 2000. He is chair of the Physics Department and director of Adams Observatory of the IDEA Center. |
Lance Barton — The Richardson Chair for the Center for Research, Experience, & Transformative Education (CREATE) Barton joined the Austin College faculty in 2003 and now is a professor of biology and the director of CREATE. |
J’Lee Bumpus — The Ray C. Fish Professorship in Mathematics An associate professor of mathematics, Bumpus joined the Austin College faculty in 2006, having graduated from Austin College in 2001 then completing a master’s degree and doctorate at Texas Tech University. |
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Mark R. Hébert – The Richardson Chair for the Philosophy, Politics and Economics Program Hébert joined Austin College in 1990 and is an associate professor of philosophy and chair of the Department of Philosophy. He is one of three co-directors of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program.
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Jennifer Johnson-Cooper — The Richardson Chair for the Professionalism and the Humanities (PATH) Leadership Program Associate professor of Chinese, Johnson-Cooper came to Austin College in 2010. She is director of the East Asian Studies Program and active in the Professionalism and the Humanities (PATH) Program. |
Greg Kinzer — The Henry L. and Laura H. Shoap Professorship of English Literature Kinzer, associate professor of English, joined Austin College’s faculty in 2006.
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John M. Richardson III — The Richardson Chair for the STEM Teaching And Research (STAR) Leadership program An associate professor of chemistry, Richardson joined the faculty in 2008. He leads the STEM Teaching and Research (STAR) Leadership Program. |
Hunt Tooley — The A.M. Pater Jr. Chair in History Tooley, professor of history, joined the College faculty in 1991. He is the chair of the Department of History.
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Finding Their Reward
These faculty members find the motivation and reason for their teaching efforts in their students. Barton holds the new Richardson Chair for CREATE, a center that encourages and guides student research and creative scholarship. “As an advocate for undergraduate research during my entire career at Austin College, it is a huge honor for me to receive this chair,” said Barton, a member of the faculty since 2003 and a professor of biology. “Student research is reflected in and impacts every aspect of my job from teaching classroom-embedded research courses, to my own collaborative work with students in the laboratory, to my service to CREATE.”
”I thrive on meeting young intellectuals where they are in their educational journey,” said Richardson, “seeing their potential and believing in their ability to succeed, even when they cannot see it for themselves. As faculty, we are daring students to embrace their natural curiosity.” Richardson has been active in the establishment of the STEM Teaching And Research (STAR) Leadership program and now holds the Richardson Chair for the program.
The opportunity to share their own academic specialties and passions add inspiration to the faculty’s days. “As a practicing poet, my mission is to bring alive the power and excitement of poetry and art to as many students as I can,” said Kinzer, Shoap Professor of English Literature. “Nothing thrills me more as a teacher than to watch a student who believes they are not a creative person discover they really can write with imagination, beauty, and meaning. The excitement they feel is its own reward.”
In recent years, a number of new Austin College programs have extended the boundaries of learning and are designed to guide students’ to identify connections across disciplines and the ways in which their learning at Austin College extends beyond the classroom into their professional and personal lives.
Johnson-Cooper is the director and Richardson Chair for Professionalism and the Humanities (PATH). “This program is the very embodiment of why I teach humanities at a liberal arts college,” she said. “I believe that the intellectual frameworks of the humanities are essential for engaging the world. PATH tackles the challenge of translating this learning into career qualifications by engaging creative problem solving, ethical decision making, collaborative work, engaging diversity, and communication of ideas.”
“As I look at the list of this year’s recipients, I am reminded what makes Austin College such a remarkable place,” Gill said. “From the classroom to the lab and beyond, these eight newly endowed professorship and chair holders have dedicated their professional lives to our students and their success. It is such an honor to celebrate this talented and committed group of individuals!
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 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 more than 100 expert faculty members 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.