Category: Faculty Spotlights
Bible professor finds healing, answers through solitude
A young Jerry Taylor spent a lot of time wrestling with the same question over and over, “Why me?” An older Dr. Jerry Taylor finally got his answer. “I now understand why,” he said, sitting in his office in ACU’s Biblical Studies Building. Taylor discovered his “why” through years of questioning – and listening. … Continued
Dr. Denise Barnett | Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Denise Barnett is one of the first faces to greet incoming students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department. And she can definitely relate to these students. After graduating high school, Barnett left her hometown of Monahans to come to ACU and major in speech-language pathology. She had never even seen the campus before … Continued
Dr. Cynthia Powell | Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
“A very important movement in science education is the inclusion of inquiry-based experiments,” says Dr. Cynthia Powell, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry and director of the prehealth professions program. “Inquiry-based experiments require students to plan and execute their own experiments. And a lot of research has shown that this type of experiment … Continued
Dr. Rebecca Hunter | Associate Professor of Biology
Dr. Rebecca Hunter, associate professor of biology, has traveled to many places in her search for learning, including the deep waters of the Antarctic. She spent four months on a research vessel in the Southern Ocean, earned a master’s degree in wildlife and fishery sciences and a Ph.D. in biological sciences, and did research … Continued
Haley brings advertising experience into the classroom
Having a great professor can change a student’s outlook on college. Joyce Haley, who teaches advertising in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, is that and more. Students love her spunky attitude and the way she brings an advertising agency feel to life in the classroom. In addition to teaching, she also serves as … Continued
Aquino’s love of teaching stems from love of learning
The irony of the last name isn’t lost on Dr. Fred Aquino. It’s pronounced “Aqueeno” and comes from the same root as “Aquinas,” as in Thomas Aquinas, the 13th century Dominican friar who heavily influenced Western thought and is regarded as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. Both names derive from the town of … Continued
Nil Santana | Assistant Professor of Art and Design, Director of Maker Lab
[aesop_image imgwidth=”100%” img=”https://mllcnzvqahci.i.optimole.com/cb:a79E.7a2e/w:auto/h:auto/q:mauto/f:best/https://www.acu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/nil_santana.jpg” alt=”Nil Santana” align=”center” lightbox=”on” caption=”Nil Santana” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”] The integration of technology into the 21st-century classroom is an essential part of the ACU experience. However, for professors in ACU’s creative arts programs the use of technology requires – ironically – more creativity. Today, there is a sense of communal construction of … Continued
Rusty Towell: Innovative scholar, down-to-earth teacher
Remember the adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover” when meeting Dr. Rusty Towell (’90) for the first time. More to the point, don’t pre-judge Towell based on the cover of his scholarly books, publications and presentations. Don’t let titles like “Recent Measurements With the NIFFTE Fission TPC and the Potential to Advance Thorium … Continued
Dr. Mark Riggs | Professor of Mathematics
Dr. Mark Riggs’ area of expertise is statistics, but at heart he is a musician. And, he notes, the two often go hand in hand. “Many people seem to link an aptitude in mathematics with music, and I am no exception,” says Riggs, professor of mathematics at ACU. “I have played the viola almost all … Continued