The UL Lafayette Foundation will honor four University of Louisiana at Lafayette faculty members selected by their colleagues as exemplary educators.
The honorees will be recognized at the foundation’s Distinguished Professor Awards banquet at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 14, at the Cajundome Convention Center.
Dr. Keng Deng, professor of mathematics, and Lynda Frese, professor of visual arts, will be lauded with this year’s Distinguished Professor Award.
Dr. Janis R. Guilbeau, assistant professor in the College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, and Dr. Robert Willey, associate professor in the School of Music, will each receive the Dr. Ray P. Authement Excellence in Teaching Award.
The Distinguished Professor Award has been presented since 1965. The Excellence in Teaching Award was established in 1992. It was renamed in 2008 to honor former UL Lafayette President Dr. Ray P. Authement.
The awards, which include a $5,000 stipend, are given yearly to faculty members who are nominated and selected by their colleagues.
Julie Bolton Falgout, executive director of the UL Lafayette Foundation, praised this year’s honorees for high professional standards in teaching, scholarship, research and devotion to students. Each also possesses qualities and traits that extend their impact beyond the classroom and campus, she added.
“The honorees have exemplary teaching skills and a passion for helping to mold young students with innovative teaching ideas and techniques. They also have values that enable them to serve as ambassadors for the University,” Falgout said.
Deng, who holds the Coca-Cola/Board of Regents Support Fund Endowed Professorship in Mathematics, has been a member of the mathematics faculty since 1990. He has directed nine doctoral students and is working with three more.
His research in areas such as partial differential equations, mathematical biology and applied mathematics has resulted in more than $450,000 in National Science Foundation grants.
The author of more than 70 research papers, Deng is associate editor for the International Journal for Information and Systems Sciences.
Frese, who holds the SLEMCO/Board of Regents Support Fund Endowed Professorship in Art, joined the Visual Arts Department in 1986. She is an internationally recognized collage artist and educator who teaches all levels of photography.
The recipient of numerous grants, her most recent work and the publication Pacha Mama: earth realm has been funded with funds from the Louisiana Scholars and Artists program.
Frese has been featured in 26 solo exhibitions and 126 group exhibitions.
Guilbeau, who holds the SLEMCO/Board of Regents Support Fund Endowed Professorship in Nursing, is an alumna of the University.
As coordinator of the Nurse Practitioner Program for the College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, Guilbeau plays a key role in the success of the department’s online programs and distance learning initiatives. She is involved in the community as well. She serves on the board of directors of the Junior League of Lafayette and is an active member of her church parish.
Willey, who holds the Ruth Stodgill Girard Professorship in Music, teaches the majority of music media classes. He has helped secure grants of nearly $500,000 that have been used to provide audio and video studio equipment.
An accomplished musician and composer, Willey is heavily involved in the success of the bachelor of music program.
The cost to attend the UL Lafayette Foundation’s Distinguished Professor Awards Banquet is $25.
For reservations, go to ullafayettefoundation.org or call the UL Lafayette Foundation office at (337) 482-0700.