Venneman First to Receive New UHV Faculty Award for Community Service
Among the honors bestowed at the recent University of Houston-Victoria spring commencement ceremony was a Distinguished Faculty Service Award given to Dr. Sandy Venneman for her work benefiting the community.
This is the first year for the Distinguished Faculty Service Award, conceived by President Tim Hudson, which recognizes the significant, positive contributions UHV faculty regularly make as representatives of the university. These include making public appearances; consulting with business, government, and education organizations; serving on committees; and participating in student recruitment and job placement. Venneman received the award based on nominations from students, faculty, staff and community members.
“An important part of UHV’s mission is to extend educational, informational, and cultural opportunities to the region. We couldn’t do this without faculty who share the university’s commitment to service,” said Hudson. “Dr. Venneman is an excellent example of UHV professors having an impact both in and out of the classroom. I couldn’t be more pleased that she is the first to receive this award.”
No stranger to recognition, Venneman received the ENRON Teaching Excellence Award in 2003, just four years after joining the UHV faculty in 1999. Prior to that, Venneman also received a Sigma Xi award for her research in anesthetics.
Venneman came to UHV after earning a doctorate from Saint Louis University and completing post-doctoral work at the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA. Currently she teaches psychology and biology at UHV and serves as president of the Faculty Council. She regularly acts as a guest speaker and presenter at seminars in the areas of psychopharmacology and equestrian sports psychology.
The award recipient was determined by a committee chaired by Dr. Barba Patton. Faculty members eligible for the award had to have worked at UHV for at least three years, during which time they demonstrated a commitment to service activities.
In recognition of her achievement, Venneman was presented a plaque and check by Hudson prior to the commencement ceremony. To view a photo of the presentation, visit this site.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
