Texas A&M University and The Association of Former Students have selected 27 outstanding faculty and staff to be honored with the 2026 university-level Distinguished Achievement Awards. Since 1955, the Distinguished Achievement Awards have been awarded to those who exhibit the highest standards of excellence at Texas A&M.
The award honors Texas A&M faculty and staff members in teaching, research, individual student engagement, graduate mentoring, extension/outreach/continuing education/professional development, administration, executive management and staff support.
“The university-level awards from The Association of Former Students highlight how our campus community and culture continually grow stronger,” said Dr. Blanca Lupiani, vice provost for faculty affairs. “Each year, the list of honorees includes familiar names we already associate with ‘distinguished achievement,’ but it also introduces new faces who set fresh standards for faculty and staff excellence at Texas A&M University.”
The 2026 recipients are:
Administration
- Shawn G. Gibbs, School of Public Health
- Joseph P. Pettibon II '92, Strategy and Business Services
Extension, Outreach, Continuing Education, and Professional Development
- James D. Pennington, Department of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences
Graduate Mentoring
- James D. Batteas, Department of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences
- Quan Li, Department of Political Science, The Bush School of Government & Public Service
Individual Student Engagement
- Christopher W. Diem '05, Student Affairs, Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine
- Daisey M. McCloud, Student Career Planning & Placement, Texas A&M University at Galveston
Management Executive
- Cheryl L. Hanks '94, Office of the Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
- Kristie Scrutchfield Orr '91, Disability Resources, Division of Student Affairs
Research
- Akhil Datta-Gupta, Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering, College of Engineering
- Arum Han, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
- Shuiwang Ji, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, College of Engineering
- Jodie Lutkenhaus, Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering
- Sherry J. Yennello, Department of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences
- Yuxiang Sun, Department of Nutrition, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Staff
- Maggie Guzman '20, Residential Life & Housing, Division of Student Affairs
- Jamie Norgaard '02, Office of the Dean, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Teaching
- Diane C. Bedford, Dance, Music, Theatre & Performance Section, College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts
- Rebecca Buckley, Department of Food Science & Technology, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
- Timothy M. Dellapenna, Department of Marine & Coastal Environmental Science, College of Marine Science & Maritime Studies
- Jeremy W. Holt, Department of Physics & Astronomy, College of Arts & Sciences
- Sara D. Lawhon '97, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
- Dawson T. Nodurft '19, Department of Physics & Astronomy, College of Arts & Sciences
- Karen E. Rambo-Hernandez, Department of Teaching, Learning & Culture, College of Education & Human Development
- Shannon Washburn '94, Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
- Anna W. Wolfe, Department of Communication & Journalism, College of Arts & Sciences
- Christopher G. Yust '06, James Benjamin Department of Accounting, Mays Business School
The selection process for this award is rigorous, with recipients chosen by a campuswide committee composed of faculty, staff, students and former students. The award is a testament to the esteem and high regard in which colleagues hold the recipients.
In recognition of their achievements, each recipient will receive a monetary award, an engraved watch and a commemorative certificate. Recipients will be honored April 24 at the Academic Awards Ceremony in the Memorial Student Center Bethancourt Ballroom.
