Faculty And Staff Honored For Contributions To College Of Performance, Visualization And Fine Arts
The College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts recently recognized 14 faculty and staff members for their contributions in teaching, service, innovation, teamwork and leadership.
Faculty and staff were nominated by fellow members of the college, and winners were selected by the deans. Each honor came with a $2,000 award.
Dean Tim McLaughlin acknowledged all faculty and staff for their contributions to the college.
“We thoughtfully put together these awards in a way that we felt would elevate the values that we have, and the things we find are important in the college,” McLaughlin said. “We want to celebrate those traits, initiatives and behaviors, and celebrate the people who exhibit them.”
Distinguished Achievement Award
Mayet Andreassen, instructional assistant professor and associate program director for the Bachelor of Science degree in Visualization, received the 2024 Association of Former Students College Level Distinguished Achievement Award. Kyle Easley, director of campus programs for the association, presented Andreassen’s award.
The Association of Former Students honors outstanding faculty members each fall with this award for their dedication to teaching and their talent, expertise and devotion in conveying knowledge to students. Recipients also get a $2,000 stipend.
“It really meant a lot that students and alumni felt I should win this award,” she said when the award was announced earlier in the semester. “I am sure there were a lot of great people who submitted for it, so to be recognized is a huge honor.”
Research And Creative Works
Two awards were presented that had been announced earlier in the year during the college’s Research and Creative Works Day.
Felice House, associate professor in Visualization, and Dr. Jian Tao, assistant professor in Visualization, were awarded for their efforts in interdisciplinary work, research leadership and student mentorship.
House is a figurative painter. McLaughlin described her art, specifically her portraits of women, as striving to provide a counterpoint to the passive female representations found historically in art and culture. Her work has been shown in public and private collections, including The Booth Museum of Western Art, New Mexico State University, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Google headquarters, Prentice Women’s Hospital and Pecos Hospital.
Tao’s research interests and areas of publication include digital twin technologies, machine learning, numerical algorithms, data analytics, workflow management, remote sensing, information visualization and high-performance computing. McLaughlin noted that Tao actively collaborates with several other departments and research initiatives within Texas A&M University.
House is a figurative painter. McLaughlin described her art, specifically her portraits of women, as striving to provide a counterpoint to the passive female representations found historically in art and culture. Her work has been shown in public and private collections, including The Booth Museum of Western Art, New Mexico State University, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Google headquarters, Prentice Women’s Hospital and Pecos Hospital.
College Teaching Awards
Two awards were given to faculty members who provide excellence in student advancement.
Caleb Kicklighter, instructional assistant professor in Visualization, received an award for outstanding student mentoring and innovative approaches designed to enhance student success.
Kicklighter excels as a mentor to undergraduate students, McLaughlin said. He served as a co-chair or committee member for 23 graduate students’ capstone projects, providing advice and feedback. He also conducted several directed studies while meeting with students regularly to mentor them.
Rayna Middleton Dexter, interim program director for Theatre and instructional associate professor, received an excellence in teaching award for innovative approaches designed to enhance student success.
Dexter has provided leadership in the establishment of the new Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. She was the costume designer for the first devised theatre production “SUPERHERO & SUPERHERO,” and helped students design the set and costumes for the 2023 theatrical production “Rhinoceros,” which was a collaboration with the Blinn Theatre Department.
College Service Awards
Three awards were given to faculty members for their contributions to the college.
Dr. Kim Kattari, associate professor in Performance and Visual Studies, was honored for transformative service for having an impact on the culture of the college.
Kattari was exceptional during her appointment as academic program director, McLaughlin said. She was instrumental in developing the new degrees in Theatre and Music Performance, and assisted other faculty with navigating core curriculum certification and class scheduling.
Dr. Leo Cardoso, associate professor in Performance Studies, received an award for inspirational leadership and fostering exceptional success.
Cardoso recently served as the section chair of the college’s Visual, Material and Performance Cultures section, and organized committees to create collaborative engagement to meet the needs of the college. Cardoso also served as a faculty adviser on the board for the Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research.
Jill Honeycutt, instructional associate professor and associate program director for the Visualization undergraduate degree, was honored for collegial commitment and providing exceptional support and encouragement to colleagues through service activities.
Honeycutt is the primary resource and champion for graphic design at Texas A&M, McLaughlin said. When the college formed, she proposed curriculum for a new graphic design minor program. That minor debuted in 2023, with three new courses designed by Honeycutt.
Staff Awards
Four awards were given to staff members for exceptional service to the college.
Jam Martinez, production manager, received an award for excellence in innovation for forward thinking and demonstrating the highest standards of integrity.
Martinez has become an invaluable asset to the college, McLaughlin said, as his proactive approach and dedication have significantly enhanced operations in event production. Martinez identified the need for a college-wide production calendar, and implemented processes to assist faculty with show production.
Lupe Ramirez, executive assistant II, received an award for outstanding teamwork for exceptional collaboration within and beyond the college, fostering a spirit of teamwork and unity.
Ramirez exemplifies dedication and commitment, McLaughlin said, and is consistently proactive in assisting with tasks including organizing documents, communicating with faculty candidates and working collaboratively with other staff.
Jeff Watson, theatre facility coordinator, received an award for exceptional service for outstanding collaboration both within and beyond the college.
Watson is essential to the productions produced within the college, including building sets, preparing the Black Box Theater, creating props and helping to bring visions to life, McLaughlin said. Watson’s work is valued and appreciated across all disciplines, he said.
Jill Raupe, director of academic advising, received an award for inspirational excellence for consistently motivating others through exceptional performance and positive attitude.
Raupe is a leader and advocate, McLaughlin said, and is invested in the success of the college and its students. She led efforts that include first-generation college student initiatives, and provides her colleagues with opportunities to learn, grow and participate alongside her.
Promotions
Dean Tim McLaughlin was promoted from associate professor to professor in Visualization. His areas of interest include visual effects production; real-time 3D graphics for narrative and interactive storytelling; animation authoring systems; and the relationship between visual fidelity and learning outcomes in computer graphics environments used for teaching and training.
Dr. Grace Adinku was promoted from lecturer to senior lecturer in Performance and Visual Studies. Her scholarly interests include Black/race representations in cinema; African culture, festival, art and performance; cloths, costumes, makeup and performance; precolonial and 20th and 21st century postcolonial Anglophone theatre and performance.
