Dr. Annice Yarber, Associate Professor of sociology, and Dr. Terry Winemiller, Associate Professor of anthropology and geography, were recently named Distinguished Teaching Professor and Developing Scholar, respectively.
At an awards luncheon on May 1, Dr. Joy Clark, Interim Associate Provost of undergraduate studies, presented Yarber with the award.
"Since her tenure as an assistant and now associate professor at AUM, Dr. Yarber has distinguished herself as a respected colleague in the Department of Sociology and as a teacher and mentor,” Clark said. “Dr. Yarber has developed several new courses for the Department of Sociology and also teaches online. Moreover, she serves as an advisor to sociology students and is the faculty advisor of the Sociology Club. Dr. Yarber was the mentor for the sociology major who, in February, won first place in the undergraduate paper competition at the Alabama-Mississippi Sociological Association meeting in Starkville, Miss. Additionally, she has served on two master’s committees."
Yarber teaches Sociology of Health and Illness, Human Sexuality, Divorce and Remarriage, and Human Behavior and the Social Environment. The Distinguished Teaching Professor award recognizes career accomplishments that show evidence of a productive teaching career. This often includes successful implementation of innovations, such as use of technology in the classroom, student research, teaching-related publications, or the development of new courses.
Dr. Matt Ragland, Interim Associate Provost of research and graduate studies, presented Winemiller with the Developing Scholar Award. Winemiller is actively engaged in a number of innovative research projects that incorporate geographic information systems (GIS). His primary research interests include Maya archaeology, settlement pattern research, cultural geography, mapping methods, and the application of remote sensing technology and geographic information systems in the study of anthropology, archaeology, and geography. Most recently, Winemiller spearheaded the effort to win a generous grant for AUM from Google Inc. for software and support to develop a public access website similar to Google Earth, the first university project of its kind sponsored by Google. The public can view the project at http://oldfederalroad.aum.edu/
The Developing Scholar award is awarded to Auburn Montgomery faculty members in order to recognize outstanding and sustained contributions to research and creative activities at about the mid-point of their careers. The primary goal of the award is to recognize researchers who have demonstrated the potential to be future research leaders. The award bears an annual stipend of $3,500 for a two-year term.
Dr. Clark, Dr. Yarber, and Chancellor Veres
Chancellor Veres, Dr. Ragland, and Dr. Winemiller
Reporting by Frank Miles