TTU System Celebrates Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching & Research Award Winners

Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D.

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Established in 2001, the Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching & Research Awards recognize individuals from each of the system’s five universities who exemplify teaching and research excellence. These awards are the most prestigious honors given to faculty by the TTU System.

The awards are made possible through gifts to the Chancellor’s Council, a giving society that supports the chancellor’s priorities of impacting student lives through scholarships, ensuring higher education accessibility, recognizing faculty achievements and encouraging excellence across the TTU System. Since the awards were established, 281 faculty members have been honored, totaling more than $1.6 million in awards.

“We are grateful to our Chancellor’s Council members for their dedicated generosity throughout the years,” Mitchell said. “Their support allows us to achieve our priorities and recognize those members among our faculty who exemplify excellence, ultimately allowing us to reach even greater success together.”

Donors and supporters of the Chancellor’s Council, members of the TTU System Board of Regents and leadership from across the system gathered to celebrate the accomplished award recipients.

“Faculty members are the heart of all that is accomplished at our universities,” Mitchell said. “They lead innovative research that creates tangible solutions to our most pressing challenges and serve as teachers and mentors to our most important asset — the students who will become our world’s next generation of leaders, experts and change-makers. I’m honored to recognize the work of this year's awardees and look forward to all they will continue to accomplish as members of this elite cohort.”

Recipients receive a $5,000 stipend and an engraved medallion.

2025 Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching and Research Awards:

Texas Tech University:

• Joseph Aranha, M.Arch., Huckabee College of Architecture (Teaching Award)
• Jacqueline C. Henninger, Ph.D., J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts (Teaching Award)
• Ruibin Liang, Ph.D., College of Arts & Sciences (Research Award)
• Mahdi Malmali, Ph.D., Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering (Research Award)
• Sylvia Niehuis, Ph.D., College of Health & Human Sciences (Teaching Award)
• Deidre Popovich, Ph.D., Jerry S. Rawls College of Business (Research Award)
• David R. W. Sears, Ph.D., J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts (Research Award)
• Robert T. Sherwin, J.D., School of Law (Teaching Award)

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center:

• Susan Bergeson, Ph.D., School of Medicine (Teaching Award)
• Luis G. Cuello, Ph.D., School of Medicine (Research Award)
• Sarai Granados, M.S., CCC-SLP, School of Health Professions (Teaching Award)
• Krystal Haase, PharmD., FCCP, BCPS, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy (Teaching Award)

Angelo State University:

• Kenneth Carrell, Ph.D., College of Science & Engineering (Research Award)
• David Faught, Ph.D., College of Arts & Humanities (Teaching Award)

Texas Tech Health El Paso:

• Salma Elwazeer, B.D.S., M.D.S., M.P.H., Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine (Teaching Award)
• Debabrata Mukherjee, M.D., M.S., Paul L. Foster School of Medicine (Research Award)

Midwestern State University:

• Ann Marie Leimer, Ph.D., Lamar D. Fain College of Fine Arts (Teaching Award)
• Suzanne F. Lindt, Ph.D., Gordon T. & Ellen West College of Education & Professional Studies (Research Award)