Maryrose and Dan Short Teaching Excellence Award

The Maryrose and Dan Short Teaching Excellence Award recognizes exceptional untenured, full-time faculty members, including non-tenure-track faculty, who have been at TCU five years or less. Nominations from colleges and schools are submitted to academic deans who then select the top three to submit to the provost for final selection. For 2023, the winner receives $10,000 with the stipulation that $1,000 be used for professional development.

The Maryrose Short Teaching Excellence Award was established by Dan Short, Ph.D., former dean of the Neeley School of Business, in memory of his wife, Maryrose. The award began in the Neeley School and was expanded to the entire university in 2021. Upon his passing in 2023, the fund was named for both of them. 

 

2023 Maryrose Short Teaching Excellence Award

Sh’Nique Alford
Assistant Professor of Professional Practice
Director of the bachelor of social work program
Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences

“Based on student and peer evaluations of her teaching, it is evident that Professor Alford is a life-long learner and exhibits a strong desire for continued course improvement, has a strong knowledge of course content and the ability to build rapport with her students,” wrote her colleague. “She demonstrates a commitment to make each student feel like they belong in the program, and she supports their progress from beginning to graduation preparing them with knowledge and skills to be effective social workers.”

Among her accomplishments, Alford successfully developed – and continues to develop – study abroad opportunities in social work and has implemented interprofessional education activities in her Harris College coursework. She maintains her license as a clinical social worker and has completed trauma-specific education.

 

 

2022 Maryrose Short Teaching Excellence Award

Tatiana Arguello
Assistant Professor of Spanish and Hispanic Studies
AddRan College of Liberal Arts

Dr. Arguello has established herself as an exceptional teacher who has a profound impact on her students. She is devoted to the interdisciplinary study of the Hispanic world, examining culture, literature, cinema, history, politics, music, art history, economics and anthropology. One of her key strengths is her ability to convey complex information in a manner that students find compelling. Dr. Arguello’s average student evaluation scores are higher than TCU’s overall evaluations, and the comments are full of praise for her exceptional teaching. Another strength is making good use of her contacts with Central American artists and filmmakers, whom she invites to interact with her students. In their evaluations, students routinely praise the diversity of films and authors Dr. Arguello curates for her courses.

2022 Nominees

• Brandon Chicotsky, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Marketing, Neeley School of Business
• Russell, Mack, Instructor of Strategic Communication, Bob Schieffer College of Communication
• Lydia Mackay, Assistant Professor of Theatre, College of Fine Arts
• Ryan Porter, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences
• Randa Tawil, Assistant Professor of Women and Gender Studies, School of Interdisciplinary Studies
• Drew Tomlin, Instructor of Mathematics, College of Science & Engineering

 

2021 Maryrose Short Teaching Excellence Award

Mikio Akagi
Assistant Professor of History and Philosophy of Science
John V. Roach Honors College

 Dr. Akagi’s big-brain courses never fail to excite and expand students’ minds. Dr. Akagi possesses a unique talent for translating his philosophical training into creative courses that are accessible and relevant to students from all majors, courses that build students’ intellectual capabilities as they learn to use tools of philosophical and scientific inquiry to grapple with complex social problems. Even as Dr. Akagi challenges students to reach beyond familiar idioms of thought, he attends faithfully to their learning, consistently earning the highest marks in the Roach Honors College for feedback on student work. He also never rests on previous teaching successes. While maintaining an active research agenda and a generous array of College and University service commitments, Dr. Akagi continually revises his courses and self-produced learning supplements.

2021 Finalists

• Brandon Manning, Assistant Professor of English, AddRan College of Liberal Arts
• Jennifer Smith, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, College of Education

2021 Nominees

• Bill Grieser, Neeley School of Business
• Emily Herzig, College of Science & Engineering
• Michelle Kimzey, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences
• Sarah Newton, College of Fine Arts
• Charity Robinson, Bob Schieffer College of Communication