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Outstanding faculty honored at spring commencement

May 26, 2014 | General News

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Three Louisiana Tech University faculty members were honored for excellence in teaching, research and advising during last Saturday’s spring commencement ceremony at the Thomas Assembly Center.

The 2014 Louisiana Tech University Foundation’s Professorship Award, F. Jay Taylor Undergraduate Teaching Award and Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty Advisor Award were presented before the 957 spring graduates and nearly 9,000 guests in attendance.

Faculty awards were presented during last Saturday’s Louisiana Tech spring commencement ceremony.

Faculty awards were presented during last Saturday’s Louisiana Tech spring commencement ceremony.

Dr. Stephen Webre, the Garnie W. McGinty Professor of History and interim associate dean for Louisiana Tech’s College of Liberal Arts was awarded the 2014 Louisiana Tech University Foundation’s Professorship Award.  The award is given annually by the president of the Louisiana Tech University Foundation to a tenured or tenure-track faculty member who demonstrates extraordinary service and performance in teaching, research and/or service to the campus or local community.

In his nomination packet, Webre is recognized as “an effective and dedicated teacher, a productive and internationally recognized researcher, a willing professional servant and a capable administrator.”  He has been a faculty member in the Department of History since 1982 and has taught introductory, advanced and graduate-level courses, both in his principal specialty field of Latin American history as well as his secondary fields of European and U.S. history.

Most recently, Webre was the 2014 recipient of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities’ Individual Achievement in the Humanities Award.  The Louisiana Tech University Foundation presented Webre with a plaque and a $3,000 award.

The 2014 F. Jay Taylor Undergraduate Teaching Award was presented to Dr. Michael Swanbom, a lecturer of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering and Science.  Swanbom teaches engineering courses at the freshman and sophomore level, and is one of the faculty advisors for Louisiana Tech’s award-winning eco-car team.  He is also active with the College of Engineering and Science’s “Living with the Lab” program.  Louisiana Tech University Senate President Dr. Heath Tims presented Swanbom with a plaque and a $1,500 award.

The 2104 Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty Advisor Award went to Dr. Reginald Owens, F. Jay Taylor Endowed Professor and program chair for the journalism department in the College of Liberal Arts.  Owens has served on the faculty since 1997 and assumed leadership of the journalism department in 2009.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Louisiana Tech in 1970, his master’s degree in advertising from the University of Illinois-Urbana in 1972 and his Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993.

Outgoing Student Government Association President Allison East presented Owens with a plaque and a $1,500 award.