CONWAY, Ark. (January 27, 2011) – Hendrix biology professor Dr. Joyce Hardin has been selected to receive the Exemplary Teacher Award from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for fall 2010.
Dr. Hardin was one of 14 professors at United Methodist-related schools, colleges, and universities chosen for the honor.
“Since joining the Hendrix faculty in 1989, Dr. Hardin has been exemplary in the fullest possible meaning of the word,” said Dr. Robert L. Entzminger, Provost of the College. “A beloved teacher with a wide range of course assignments in the Department of Biology, she has been honored both for her teaching and research and has held a number of prestigious positions, including the presidency of the Arkansas Academy of Sciences.”
“Her dedication to the College has led her to accept administrative assignments as Area Chair of Natural Sciences and Vice President of Student Affairs, in which role she oversaw the designing of the new Student Life and Technology Building,” added Dr. Entzminger. “Returning to full-time teaching in 2008, she was named the inaugural Judy and Randy Wilbourn Odyssey Professor and is currently serving as chair of the Environmental Studies Program.”
According to the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s press release, the Exemplary Teacher Award program is “an important partnership with United Methodist-related educational institutions, [and] expresses the church’s support of and appreciation for outstanding teaching on our campuses.”
The recipients of the annual award receive a certificate of appreciation and a cash award.
“While the amount of this award is modest, it does manifest in a tangible way the profound respect that The United Methodist Church has for the teaching-learning process and it does, therefore, recognize particularly talented professors,” said Dr. Gerald D. Lord, associate general secretary of GBHEM’s Division of Higher Education. “The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry is pleased to be the vehicle for expressing this appreciation on behalf of The United Methodist Church.”
To learn more about United Methodist-related educational institutions, visit www.gbhem.org/education.
Hendrix, founded in 1876, is a selective, residential, undergraduate liberal arts college emphasizing experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. The college is featured in the 2010 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the country’s best 371 colleges, was identified as the nation’s top “Up and Coming” liberal arts college for 2011 by U.S. News and World Report, and is ranked among 45 “Best Buy” colleges by the 2011 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.