Berkey Receives Enron Teaching Excellence Award at UHV
Each spring at the University of Houston-Victoria, students are asked to nominate an instructor who they feel is an outstanding example of UHV’s commitment to quality education, personally delivered. From these nominations, a professor is selected to receive the Enron Teaching Excellence Award, and this year’s recipient is Dr. Timothy Berkey, assistant professor in the School of Education and Human Development.
“Selecting the winner was a difficult job due to the quality of the nominees, particularly for the finalists with excellent teaching evaluations,” said Dr. Chen Chien-Ping, who chaired the award committee. Students submitted 450 ballots this year to nominate 59 UHV instructors.
Berkey joined the UHV faculty as an assistant professor in fall 2005, after 30 years of service in the public school system. He began his career as a teacher, later earning a doctorate of education from the University of Akron and working as a high school principal and superintendent.
Students who nominated Berkey cited the respect, high expectations, encouragement, and responsiveness he shows to students. They also noted his wealth of information, as one student wrote, “He is well versed on the issues that affect me, my students, my community, and my world.”
“I am honored to be recognized for this award, and I believe that it reflects the strong desire among UHV faculty to provide high-quality instruction,” said Berkey.
Other honors he has received include recognition by the Ford Foundation and JFK School of Government at Harvard University for starting one the top 10 innovative government programs while serving as a high school principal.
The Enron Teaching Excellence Award was established in 1993 through an endowment to the University of Houston System. Since that time, it has annually recognized professors who exemplify the university’s commitment to provide innovative, high-quality instruction that is responsive to students’ needs and relevant to their lives.
Prior to UHV’s spring commencement ceremony, UHV President Tim Hudson presented Berkey with a plaque and a check. To view a photo from 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.
