TSUS Foundation Announces 2026 Regents' Award Winners

(HUNTSVILLE) - The Texas State University System Foundation today announced the 11 recipients of the 2026 Regents' Professor, Student Scholar, Teacher, and Staff Excellence Awards. The honorees, representing faculty, staff, and students from TSUS member institutions, were announced during a TSUS informational program in Huntsville.

Regents' Professor Award

Honors professors who demonstrate a distinguished record of teaching, research or other scholarly activity, and service at the local, state, and national levels.

• Philip Cole, Ph.D. - Physics, Lamar University
• Craig Henderson, Ph.D. - Psychology and Philosophy, Sam Houston State University
• Anne Hee Hiong Ngu, Ph.D. - Computer Science, Texas State University

Regents' Student Scholar Award

Recognizes students for outstanding academic achievement and scholarship, leadership abilities, and contributions to their institutions and communities.

• Daniel DeMatos - Senior, Finance and Accounting, Sam Houston State University
• Melissa Oparanozie - Junior, Biology, Texas State University
• Isabella Tran - Junior, Biology, Lamar University

Regents' Teacher Award

Recognizes faculty members for excellence in teaching, contributions to curriculum development, and the use of innovative teaching methods, among other criteria.

• Ashwini Kucknoor, Ph.D. - Biology, Lamar University
• Ewa Siwak, Ph.D. - Instruction, Texas State University
• Nicole Wagner, Ph.D. - Agricultural Sciences, Texas State University

Regents' Staff Excellence Award

Honors staff members who excel in six areas: commitment to the university and its mission, job competency, collegiality, length of service, community involvement, and exceptional achievement.

• Rhonda Beassie - Vice President for Administration, Sam Houston State University
• Cynthia Dean - Director of Contract Services, Lamar University

Established in 2007, the Regents' Awards recognize faculty, students and staff who have made extraordinary contributions to their institutions, communities and the state. Nominees undergo a rigorous evaluation process involving peer faculty and external reviewers.

Recipients of the Regents' Professor Award and Regents' Student Scholar Award will be formally recognized at the November 2026 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 meeting in Austin.

About the Texas State University System
The Texas State University System is the state's first university system, with seven institutions serving more than 102,000 students from far West Texas to the Gulf Coast. Established in 1911, the mission of TSUS is to provide high-quality, affordable degree and credential programs to meet the needs of Texas' diverse and fast-growing economy.