Research and Creative Achievement honors are bestowed to senior faculty in recognition of excellence in research, scholarship, and creative achievement.
Stan Garner
Stan Garner, James Douglas Bruce Professor of English and adjunct professor of theatre, is an outstanding blend of teacher and scholar. He is a specialist in dramatic literature, committed to exploring the art and cultural significance of drama and to sharing his passion for the subject with his students. He has authored award-winning books and was an editor for the highly reputed Norton Anthology of Drama. His recent book, Kinetic Spectatorship in the Theatre: Phenomenology, Cognition, Movement, was just published by one of the premier publishers in the field. In addition to his accomplishments as a scholar, Garner has rendered exceptional service to both his department and the university. He was a popular and effective head of the English department, where he streamlined the divisional structure and revised the strategic plan. On the college and university levels, he has served on numerous committees.
Rosalind Hackett
Rosalind Hackett, Distinguished Professor in the Humanities in the Department of Religious Studies, has devoted her career to the academic study of religion, especially the anthropology of religion, with a focus on religion in Africa. Her publication record is remarkable in its quantity and breadth, ranging from ethnographic studies of the Yoruba traditions of Nigeria to her current book project, Sound, Gender, and the Sacred. Much of her scholarship over the years has explored timely projects related to women in religion, religion and violence, new religious movements, indigenous religions, and now religion and sound. Her collaborative scholarship bridges continents and disciplines. She has held an impressive number of fellowships spanning the globe, from Harvard and Notre Dame to universities in the Netherlands and South Africa. Colleagues say Hackett’s boundless energy and enthusiasm for the study of religion and international travel are legendary and fueled a career of over 30 years—and counting.
Baoshan Huang
Baoshan Huang, the Edwin G. Burdette Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is ranked among the most prolific authors in the world on pavement and asphalt. The lead researcher in civil engineering pavement systems has more than 200 refereed journal publications, many of them published with his students. His most-cited paper shares the discovery that new and recycled asphalt materials can effectively blend with one another. Huang’s research grants number well into the millions of dollars, averaging $440,000 a year. These funds support a robust research group consisting of two postdoctoral researchers and six PhD students. “Dr. Huang is also a dedicated and effective teacher and a good citizen of the university,” his department head wrote. “He has served the institution with distinction and excellence in every aspect.”
Jayne Wu
Thanks to the work of Jayne Wu, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, we are moving closer to a world in which low-cost sensors can quickly detect various health conditions, pathogens, and contaminants. Wu’s diagnostic technology has received worldwide attention. She has three patent license agreements, along with several other patents that have been granted but not yet licensed, and three invention disclosures. Her prolific work has garnered honors from the UT Research Foundation, including the prestigious Wheely Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer, and she is dedicated to promoting multidisciplinary research at UT. She directs the Center for Point Detection and Nanobiosensing, which has been awarded a large grant from US Homeland Security as well as a $1 million three-year grant from the US Department of Agriculture to develop sensors to control mastitis in dairy cows. Wu is passionate about mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, guiding many of them to become university faculty and researchers in industry and start-ups.