AUSTIN, Texas – School of Social Work Associate Professor Lori Holleran Steiker was honored by The University of Texas at Austin Academy of Distinguished Teachers at a dinner held Oct. 8 for new members. The Academy is one of the highest awards this university offers for teaching excellence.
Earlier in 2012, Dr. Holleran Steiker was elected as a new inductee as were three other university faculty members: Dr. Andrew Dell’Antonio, School of Music, College of Fine Arts; Dr. E. Glenn Lightsey, Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics; and Dr. Sean Theriault, Department of Government, College of Liberal Arts.
Holleran Steiker joined the School of Social Work faculty in 2000. From 2009-2012, she served as Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs. Holleran Steiker joins School of Social Work faculty members Dr. Diana DiNitto (1997) and Dr. Marilyn Armour (2010) in the Academy.
The Academy of Distinguished Teachers is emblematic of the university’s commitment to excellence in teaching. Comprising approximately five percent of the tenured faculty in the university, the Academy provides leadership in improving the quality and depth of the undergraduate experience. Members of the Academy advise the president and provost on matters related to the university’s instructional mission; participate in seminars, colloquia, and workshops on teaching effectiveness; and serve as mentors to new faculty.
Established in February 1995, the Academy of Distinguished Teachers was one of the first associations of its kind in the nation. Each year, new members of the Academy are selected through a rigorous evaluation process. Deans of colleges and schools annually nominate faculty for membership, and a committee that includes members of the Academy, students, and other faculty review the nominations and recommend a slate of honorees to the provost, who makes the final selections.
Honorees are awarded the title University Distinguished Teaching Professor and serve for the duration of their tenure at The University of Texas at Austin.
School of Social Work Associate Professor Lori Holleran Steiker and three other new inductees into the Academy of Distinguished Teachers pose for a group photo with University President Bill Powers (center) on the evening of the dinner in their honor, Oct. 8.