COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Professor and Associate Department Head for Academic Programs Dr. Pete Teel for receiving the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Teaching.
Teel was honored for the Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Teaching in the Educational Enrichment and Innovation category during a special awards presentation at the AgriLife Center on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
The main goal of the awards ceremony is to recognize and reward excellence in the College’s faculty, staff, and students in their dedication and hard work and to recognize all the faculty who were promoted in 2014.
Teel has been the Department’s Associate Department Head for Academic Programs since 1994 and has been instrumental in improving the academic operations of the Department. Recently Teel has been instrumental in creating the Undergraduate Certificate in Public Health Entomology. Launched in 2012, the certificate’s goal is to prepare students for opportunities in public health services from local to international levels, military services, and relevant graduate and professional schools.
Teel also has provided leadership in the growth and development of the Forensic and Investigative Sciences program from a single course into a separate major and developed a capstone course for the undergraduate curricula called Case Studies in Problem Solving (ENTO 435), which he taught from 2006-2010.
He also led the development of the TickApp, which is a free mobile smartphone application designed to educate a broad range of audiences on tick identification and biology, tick borne diseases, and control and management. Since its inception, the app has been used as an instructional resource in three courses, reaching more than 250 Aggies per semester, as well as being used by the USDA, Texas Animal Health Commission, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service arm of the USDA, and Veterinary Services. Within weeks of the first launch, it has been utilized by people in all US states and >60 foreign countries, with 5 of the top ten US states being from the northeastern and New England area where the majority of 20,000+ new Lyme Disease cases are diagnosed annually.
“I strongly believe that the diverse venues used by Dr. Teel to improve the educational experiences of our students as well as his commitment to teaching innovation deserve to be rewarded with the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Educational Enrichment and Innovation category,” said Entomology Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale.
“Dr. Pete Teel is an excellent colleague and mentor to younger faculty, especially regarding departmental teaching efforts,”
Assistant Professor Dr. Aaron Tarone said. “By developing quality curriculum and providing innovative course material, Pete has enhanced the quality of learning that our undergraduates experience both in the FIVS and ENTO majors.”
The College also recognized 25 faculty members for promotion or tenure, and in Entomology Dr. Spencer Behmer was promoted to the rank of Professor and Drs. Michel Slotman and Cecilia Tamborindeguy were promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. These are significant milestones in the career of these faculty.