Lamar University community members earn 2026 TSUS Regents’ Awards

Four members of the Lamar University community have been selected to receive 2026 Texas State University System Regents' Awards, recognizing excellence in teaching, research, scholarship and service.

Philip Cole, Ph.D., professor of physics, received the Regents' Professor Award. Junior biology major Isabella Tran was selected for the Regents' Student Scholar Award. Ashwini Kucknoor, Ph.D., professor of biology, received the Regents' Teacher Award, while Cynthia Dean, director of contract services, was named a recipient of the Regents' Staff Excellence Award.

Established in 2007, the Regents' Awards recognize faculty, students and staff members who have made extraordinary contributions to their institutions, communities and the state.

Dr. Philip Cole

Regents' Professor Award

Cole is a professor of physics and executive director of Lamar University's Center for Midstream Management and Science. He previously served as chair of Lamar University's Department of Physics and has spent more than three decades conducting research and collaborating with major international physics facilities.

A nuclear physicist, Cole has participated in research collaborations at Jefferson Lab, ELSA in Germany and J-PARC in Japan. He has also mentored doctoral students and served as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Bonn. Cole earned his doctorate in nuclear physics from Purdue University and his bachelor's degree in physics from Cornell University.

Isabella Tran

Regents' Student Scholar Award

Tran is a junior biology major in the Reaud Honors College and a Beck Fellow. Her academic and research experience includes work as an undergraduate research assistant in Lamar University's Chemistry Department, where she contributes to research involving fluorescent chemosensors and the early detection of cancer.

She also serves as a supplemental instruction leader, helping fellow students navigate challenging biology coursework through peer-led study sessions. In 2025, Tran completed a summer research internship at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she conducted cancer biology research and presented her findings at a research symposium.

Dr. Ashwini Kucknoor

Regents' Teacher Award

Kucknoor is a professor of biology whose teaching includes microbiology, immunology and molecular biology. Her research focuses on the molecular pathogenesis of parasitic protozoan species and the interactions between pathogens and their hosts.

Her work has included research on human and animal pathogens, antimicrobial development and student learning. Kucknoor has also explored innovative teaching methods, including a "learn before lecture" approach designed to strengthen student engagement and learning.

She earned her doctorate in molecular biology from the University of Calgary and also holds degrees in plant physiology and agriculture from the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bangalore, India.

Cynthia Dean

Regents' Staff Excellence Award

Dean serves as Lamar University's director of contract services and public information coordinator. She has worked at Lamar University for more than a decade in a variety of roles involving contracts, sponsored programs, legal support and public information.

In her current position, Dean oversees the university's contract processes and public information operations, helping ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements while supporting transparency and efficient institutional operations. Her previous Lamar roles include manager of contract services and public information coordinator, legal assistant and contract and grant specialist in Sponsored Programs Administration.

Before joining Lamar University, Dean worked in banking and as a paralegal and office manager. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Louisiana State University Alexandria.

Recipients of the Regents' Professor Award and Regents' Student Scholar Award will be formally recognized at the November 2026 TSUS Board of Regents meeting in San Marcos. Recipients of the Regents' Teacher Award and Regents' Staff Excellence Award will be honored at the February 2027 Board of Regents me

Added a link to the Regent's Award in that first paragraph... just FYI!