The Office of the Provost at Sul Ross State University has announced the recipients of the 2025 Faculty Awards.
They will be celebrated at reception on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 4 p.m. at the Wildenthal Memorial Library on the Alpine campus.
Recipients of the awards and a $2,000 prize include the following:
Dr. Billy Jack Ray, Faculty Service Award
Dr. Ray is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology. He became at member of the SRSU faculty in 2017. He has contributed through service on university committees and as a member of the Quality Enhancement Plan improvement initiative, earning recognition with the Academic Assessment Award in 2021.
He serves as a faculty advisor to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Baptist Student Ministry and the Kinesiology Club, and volunteers as an assistant coach with the Lobo Football team.
Beyond SRSU, Dr. Ray has served as a part of the Texas Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance in additional to several other state and national councils. He also volunteers at First Baptist Church and as a part of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Board of Directors.
The purpose of the Faculty Service Award is to encourage service at all levels within the university faculty, to provide recognition for such performance, and honor individual faculty whose service to the educational community at large has been exemplary. Any full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member who has been at Sul Ross for at least three years is eligible to apply.
Dr. Hong Young Chang, Outstanding Scholar Award
Dr. Chang is an associate professor of chemistry in the Department of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences. He has been a member of the faculty at SRSU since 2020.
He has spent nearly two decades researching the structure of crystals and other minerals and registered a patent for “Ferroelectric Fluoride Compositions and Methods of Making and Using Same.”
Dr. Chang was awarded five grants totaling nearly $300,000 in the last three years alone from the Welch Foundation, Texas Advanced Computing Center and the American Chemical Society for research related to nonlinear optical materials, a phenomenon where properties change depending on the intensity of light when it interacts with matter.
For the Outstanding Scholar Award, eligible faculty are evaluated on the number and quality of scholarly and/or artistic works completed, acceptance rate in peer-reviewed journals or grants, external reviews, past, present and future research. Any full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member who has been at SRSU for at least three years is eligible to apply.
Dr. Jessica Velasco, President’s Award for Online Teaching Excellence
Dr. Velasco is an associate professor of Political Science and Public Administration and has been a member of the SRSU faculty since 2017. She serves as the advisor for Omicron Phi, the national Political Science honor society, the Pre-Law Association, the College Republicans and Young Democrats, and as the Faculty Athletics Representative.
In an online course evaluation, more than 86 percent of the students “strongly agree” that Velasco is well-organized, accessible and tolerant of student ideas. More than 94 percent of the students “strongly agree” that she demonstrates effective knowledge of the subject.
The award for Online Teaching Excellence recognizes outstanding achievement in online course design, delivery and accessibility and honors faculty who demonstrate exceptional commitment to student engagement, inclusivity and high-quality online instruction.
Dr. Jeanne Qvarnstrom, Outstanding Teaching Award
Dr. Qvarnstrom is a professor of Education and has been a member of the Sul Ross faculty since 2012. She coordinates the Master of Education degree program and previously served as the Assistant Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness.
Her nominator wrote that Dr. Qvarnstrom is “supportive of her students and does so much to help others throughout the university, working with colleagues on all campuses and across colleges … She is a joy to work with, and I appreciate her willingness to do what is best for our students and our education programs. She is very deserving of this honor.”
The recipient for Outstanding Teaching is selected based on a comprehensive evaluation of professional excellence and service. Criteria include contributions to the mission of Sul Ross State, respect and admiration from colleagues and involvement in professional or honor societies. Consideration is also given to community engagement, university service and participation in student activities. Scholarly achievements such as publications are recognized, but the greatest weight is placed on classroom effectiveness and exceptional dedication to the teaching profession.
Eligible full-time faculty must teach at least nine semester credit hours in the fall and spring semesters for the last two years, and must not have already won the award in the last two years.
For more information, email provost@sulross.edu.