ASU Honors Three Faculty with 2026 President’s Awards for Excellence

SAN ANGELO, TX - Dr. Kenneth Carrell of the Department of Physics and Geosciences, Dr. Leah Carruth of the Department of Teacher Education, and Dr. Tyler Livingston of the Department of Psychology are the winners of Angelo State University's 2026 President's Awards for Faculty Excellence.

They, along with 34 other faculty nominees, were honored at a recent ceremony in the Houston Harte University Center.

Carrell is the award winner for Faculty Excellence in Leadership/Service. Carruth received the award for Faculty Excellence in Teaching. Livingston is the award winner for Faculty Excellence in Research/Creative Endeavor. Each received $2,500 and Signature Presidential Recognition Awards. Carruth and Livingston will also be ASU's nominees for the Texas Tech University System Chancellor's Council Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Excellence in Research.

Carrell, an associate professor of physics and director of the ASU Planetarium, joined the ASU faculty in 2016. He is the founding faculty member for the minor in astronomy, is actively involved in ASU Up & Coming Scholars events, mentors student research projects and even serves as a Building Emergency Response Team member for his building. He is also the co-leader of a project funded by the U.S. Department of Education to develop hands-on activities for 8th grade science classrooms and provide professional development for middle school science teachers. As Planetarium director, he annually hosts about 100 public astronomy shows that bring approximately 8,000 visitors to campus from K-12 schools, scouting groups, assisted living facilities and the public. He is a regular speaker at Lions and Rotary clubs, K-12 schools, retiree clubs and even Bible study groups, and he is also a popular interviewee for local media on a wide variety of astronomical topics. In the professional arena, Carrell is the science advisor for the Short Period Pulsators Special Interest Group within the American Association of Variable Star Observers, served on the Solar Eclipse Task Force of the American Astronomical Association and led the sub-group for undergraduate education, and is a reviewer for numerous NASA grant applications and an astronomical research journal.

Carruth, an associate professor of teacher education, joined the ASU faculty in 2015. She is also coordinator of the Texas 2-Step teacher certification program for school district paraprofessionals. In support of her students, she models instructional strategies in her classes, aligned all ASU reading courses to Teacher Certification Exam specifications, and updated all her courses to include AI, technology components and relevant field experience. She has created several new education courses, attended professional training seminars and implemented new learned strategies in various courses, and formulated open educational resources for several classes. Outside specifically teaching, she is the advisor for ASU's chapter of the Kappa Delta Pi international education honor society, serves as a mentor for the ASU President's Leadership Academy, and created a program to have ASU teacher candidates visit Texas high schools for recruiting. She also influences the future of Texas education as a member and president-elect of the Kappa Delta Pi National Board and by mentoring new ASU teacher education graduates during the early years of their careers. Carruth embodies the qualities of an exceptional educator - dedication, mentorship and a deep commitment to student success.

Livingston, an assistant professor of psychology, joined the ASU faculty in 2021. His research bridges social, forensic, organizational and health psychology and has direct applications to legal systems, healthcare and organizational settings. His publication record is also prolific, as he has produced 20 peer-reviewed articles for high-impact journals like Psychology Reports, Health Psychology, and Law and Human Behavior, as well as four book chapters and encyclopedia entries that expand his scholarly reach beyond traditional journals. Additionally, he has presented his research at 74 professional conferences at the local, regional, national and international levels. That research has led directly to new innovations, including the development of original measurement tools like the Feelings of Empowerment Scale for Family Caregivers and the Perceptions of Restorative Justice Scale. Also committed to undergraduate and graduate student research, he has mentored 35 student co-authored publications and presentations, as well as seven student-led publications in ASU's student research journal. He also collaborated with students to secure research and travel funding so they could participate at professional conferences. In the professional arena, Livingston has been appointed the junior associate editor for Psychology, Crime and Law - a top peer-reviewed psychological journal.

In addition to the overall winners, four semifinalists in each category received a $500 award.

For Excellence in Leadership/Service, the other semifinalists were: Jordan Daniel, professor of kinesiology; Laurie Dickmeyer, associate professor of history; Mellisa Huffman, associate professor of English; and Gayle Randall, assistant professor of marketing.

For Excellence in Teaching, the other semifinalists were: Jessica Garza, instructor in geosciences; Soyoon Kum, assistant professor of engineering; Michael Powers, assistant professor of history; and Cheryl Stenmark, professor of psychology.

For Excellence in Research/Creative Endeavor, the other semifinalists were: Kenna Archer, associate professor of history; Mohammad Shafinul Haque, assistant professor of engineering; Michael Holcomb, associate professor of physics; and Marta Lukacovic, associate professor of communication.

Other nominees in the Excellence in Leadership/Service category were: Ashley Araiza, assistant professor psychology; Tony Bartl, professor of political science; Charlene Bustos, associate professor of teacher education; Jennifer Engle, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction; Hannah Jones, instructor in biology; Eduardo Martinez, senior instructor in security studies; Giovanna "Gigi" Scott, instructor in communication; Veronica Snow, professor of kinesiology; Jeremy St. John, associate professor of management information systems; and Tammy Stafford, associate clinical professor of nursing.

Other nominees in the Excellence in Teaching category were: Allison Dushane, professor of English; Enrique Escalante, assistant professor of economics; Landri Ognowski, senior instructor in accounting; Edgar Reed, associate professor of kinesiology; and Heather Schoen, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction.

Other nominees in the Excellence in Research/Creative Endeavor category were: Kevin Garrison, professor of English; Kinsey Hansen, associate professor of curriculum and instruction; Delwar Hossain, assistant professor of computer science; Murat Kara, professor of economics; Ray March, assistant professor of economics; Justin Munoz, assistant professor of marketing; and Sonja Varbelow, associate professor of teacher education.