Provost Honors Faculty Members as 2022-2023 Baylor Fellows

September 20, 2022
2022-2023 Baylor Fellows

2022-2023 Baylor Fellows (Top row, L to R) Coretta Pittman, Ph.D., Jared E. Alcántara, Ph.D., John M. Davis, Ph.D., Kristi Humphreys, Ph.D., and Ron A. Johnson, Ph.D. (Second row, L to R) Marcie Moehnke, Ph.D., Lakia Scott, Ph.D., Andrea Shepherd, D.N.P., Elon Terrell, Ph.D., and Nadine Welch, M.S.

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WACO, Texas (Sept. 20, 2022) – Ten Baylor University faculty members have been selected by Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., to serve as 2022-2023 Baylor Fellows for their excellence in teaching and desire to advance Baylor’s commitment to transformational education.

The 2022-2023 Baylor Fellows are:

  • Coretta Pittman, Ph.D., associate professor of English, College of Arts & Sciences and the 2022-23 Senior Fellow
  • Jared E. Alcántara, Ph.D., professor of preaching and The Paul W. Powell Endowed Chair in Preaching, George W. Truett Theological Seminary
  • John M. Davis, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, College of Arts & Sciences
  • Kristi Humphreys, Ph.D., lecturer in English, College of Arts & Sciences
  • Ron A. Johnson, Ph.D., associate professor of history and The Ralph and Bessie Mae Lynn Chair of History, College of Arts & Sciences
  • Marcie Moehnke, Ph.D., senior lecturer in biology and associate dean for undergraduate studies in the sciences, College of Arts & Sciences
  • Lakia Scott, Ph.D., associate professor of curriculum and instruction and graduate program director, School of Education
  • Andrea Shepherd, D.N.P., clinical instructor in nursing, Louise Herrington School of Nursing
  • Elon Terrell, Ph.D., senior lecturer in mechanical engineering, School of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Nadine Welch, M.S., CCC/SLP, clinical associate professor of speech pathology, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences

Baylor’s Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL) launched the fellowship program in 2011 to recognize outstanding teachers across the disciplines and provide them the opportunity to implement new teaching approaches in Baylor courses. Selected faculty members receive an award of $1,845 in honor of the year of Baylor’s founding and the title of “Baylor Fellow.” This year’s theme is “Teaching for First Gen Success.”

This year’s Fellows will advance first-generation college student success on several fronts. Some Baylor Fellows are striving to create new opportunities for student engagement with course material inside and outside the classroom. Others are aiming to strengthen student self-efficacy and approaches to learning while additional projects will focus on removing obstacles to success encountered by first-generation students. Together, the 2022-23 Baylor Fellows hope to expand support for Baylor’s first-generation students, deepen connections among first-gen students and between first-gen students and faculty and promote first-gen student satisfaction and academic success.

“The commitment of this year’s Baylor Fellows to first-generation students is inspiring. Each Fellow is determined to facilitate significant learning among their respective first-gen students. They are equally determined to foster feelings of belonging at Baylor,” said Lenore Wright, Ph.D., ATL director and associate professor in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core of the Honors College. “I can think of no clearer example of the faculty’s care for students as whole persons.”

Baylor Fellows choose how to implement the theme in their teaching. Each Fellow identifies one course as an “incubator” or “lab” classroom, then develops activities and assignments to address the theme. In accord with the best practices of evidence-based scholarship, the Fellows also develop means to assess their projects.

A secondary program goal is to provide a forum in which Baylor Fellows can share ideas, collaborate and forge interdisciplinary networks. Cohort discussions are held monthly alongside conversational events open to the University.

“This is a fantastic group of people who are dedicated to helping all of their students succeed inside and outside of the classroom,” said J. Wesley Null, Ph.D., vice provost for undergraduate education and institutional effectiveness. “Being selected as a Baylor Fellow is a high honor, and I am excited to learn from these accomplished teachers.”

Baylor’s efforts over nearly a decade to support first-generation college students have garnered broad support among the Baylor community. Establishing this theme for the work of the 2022-23 Baylor Fellows is a natural extension of the University’s continued commitment to support first-gen students and their success, Null said.

“All Baylor students will benefit from their time together, but I know that our Baylor Fellows’ ability to connect with first-gen students and propel first-gen students to great success throughout their lives will grow more powerful through their efforts. I offer my congratulations to each and every one of the 2022-23 Baylor Fellows, and best wishes for a great year together,” Null said.

All full-time faculty members, regardless of rank, are eligible to serve as Baylor Fellows. Nominations are solicited from the deans of the colleges and schools, former Baylor Fellows and ATL’s Advisory Council. The nominations are presented to the Provost’s Office for selection of the Fellows.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.