Angelo State University Touts Top Faculty Members

SAN ANGELO – Dr. Drew A. Curtis of the Department of Psychology, Dr. Nicholas Negovetich of the Department of Biology, and Dr. Gayle L. Randall of the Department of Management and Marketing are the winners of Angelo State University's 2023 President's Awards for Faculty Excellence.

They, along with 37 other faculty nominees, were honored at a special ceremony on May 2 in the Houston Harte University Center.

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

Curtis, an associate professor of psychology, joined the ASU faculty in 2013 and has become an internationally recognized research leader and referenced expert is his specialty of pathological lying. This year alone, he has been awarded over $130,000 in external research grants, published his research in high-impact journals like the American Journal of Psychotherapy and Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice, and published two books through the American Psychological Association. One of his previous books is now in its third edition and has been adopted as a psychology textbook by 12 academic institutions. His research has also generated international recognition and interviews by such media as CNN, FOX, the New York Times, Newsweek, UK Today News, BBC Science Focus, the Gothamist, Psychology Today and various others. He frequently presents his research at local, regional and national conferences, and he is an editor and reviewer for several industry journals, including North American Journal of Psychology, Journal of Psychological Inquiry, Criminal Justice and Behavior, and Psychology, Crime and Law. He also encourages his students to conduct their own research in his Clinical Science and Deception Lab, and he has mentored over 20 research presentations at ASU's Student Research Symposiums and supervised 13 master's thesis projects. His commitment to research also led to his election as president of the Southwestern Psychological Association, and he also leads ASU's nationally recognized graduate degree programs in counseling psychology.

Negovetich, an associate professor of biology, joined the ASU faculty in 2011 and has excelled in his service to the Department of Biology, the university, the biology profession and the greater community. For his department, he has been the representative to the ASU Faculty Senate for six years, including a stint as president. At the university level, he serves on the Institutional Biosafety Committee, Student Awards Committee and Student Disciplinary Committee, and previously served in the President's Cabinet, Dean's Council, University Center Program Council and nearly 20 additional committees. He is also the faculty advisor for the Lambda Chi Alpha Greek fraternity. Perhaps most importantly, he frequently uses his expertise in statistics to assist undergraduate and graduate students with statistical analysis for their scientific papers and presentations. He serves the biology profession as an active member of the American Society of Parasitologists and Southwest Association of Parasitologists, as well as on the peer review teams for several prestigious research journals, including the Journal of the Texas Academy of Science. In the community, he is an active volunteer with the Angelo Civic Theater and Be Theater, and he participates in a wide variety of public service activities through the San Angelo Elks Lodge. He also actively encourages and assists local students to train to be referees/officials for various sports leagues.

Randall, an assistant professor of marketing, has been an ASU faculty member since 2006 and constantly embodies ASU's mission by engaging with diverse groups of students through student-centered teaching and other activities to provide a positive learning environment. She consistently receives some of her department's highest marks on student reviews, despite teaching a wide variety of courses that vary from large freshman seminars to targeted upper-level specialty courses. She continually strives to improve her own performance by completing new certifications, including her Online Teaching Certification through the Online Learning Consortium and the Escala Faculty Fellows Program for Teaching and Learning in Hispanic Serving Institutions. She also incorporates innovative teaching methods, like computer simulations and "flip" courses, and she is the lead instructor for ASU's Housley Principled Leadership Course. In addition to her classes, she helps students bridge the gap between school and the business world as coordinator of her department's internship program, as well as encouraging participation in the ASU BizPitch student entrepreneurship contest and San Angelo Business Plan Competition. She is also the nationally recognized faculty advisor for ASU's chapter of the Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity and co-founder of ASU's chapter of the American Marketing Association. She completed her doctorate in 2022, and her dissertation was based partially on the innovative teaching techniques she uses in her classes at ASU.

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

For Excellence in Teaching, the other semifinalists were: Anthony Battistini, assistant professor of civil engineering; Laurie J. Dickmeyer, assistant professor of history; Autumn R. Hoover, senior instructor in mathematics; and Kristen N. Lyons, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction.

For Excellence in Research/Creative Endeavor, the other semifinalists were: Kenneth W. Carrell, associate professor of physics; Leah D. Carruth, associate professor of teacher education; Matthew Gritter, associate professor of political science; and You-jou Hung, professor of physical therapy.

For Excellence in Leadership/Service, the other semifinalists were: Tia Agan, associate professor of curriculum and instruction; Anthony Bartl, associate professor of political science; Allison Dushane, associate professor of English; and Shelly Weise, professor of physical therapy.

Other nominees in the Excellence in Teaching category were: Chelsea D. Procter-Willman, instructor in health science professions; Emerson Crabill, assistant professor of biology; Jessica Garza, instructor in geology; James F. Villers, associate clinical professor of physical therapy; Landri L. Ognowski, instructor in accounting; Marva J. Solomon, professor of teacher education; Mohammad Shafinul Haque, assistant professor of mechanical engineering; Nan K. Jones, senior instructor in English; and Nicole Lozano, assistant professor of psychology.

Other nominees in the Excellence in Research/Creative Endeavor category were: Andrey B. Heron, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction; Ben R. Skipper, associate professor of biology; Bryan P. Cutsinger, assistant professor of economics; Jason E. Pierce, professor of history; Jeremy St. John, assistant professor of management; Kenneth J. Heineman, professor of security studies; Marta N. Lukacovic, assistant professor of communication; and Rebecca I. Bernard, assistant professor of English.

In the Excellence in Leadership/Service category, the other nominees were: Anica Cizneroz, associate professor of English; Eduardo V. Martinez, senior instructor in intelligence and analysis; Gustavo M. Campos, senior instructor in political science; Heather Lehto, associate professor of geoscience; Kenna Archer, assistant professor of history; Renee D. Foshee, assistant professor of accounting; Ruben Ceballos, assistant professor of management; and Simon D. Pfeil, professor of mathematics.