At Louisiana Tech’s recent fall faculty/staff meeting, two faculty members were honored with yearly awards for their dedication to students and teaching. Mark Guinn, a professor of theater, was awarded with the University Senate Chair Award, and Dr. Katie Evans, an assistant professor of math, received the Virgil Orr Junior Faculty Award. The University Senate Chair Award is awarded annually to a full-time tenured faculty member whose research, teaching and service are seen as significant contributions to the mission and purpose of the university. In his nomination packet, Guinn stated that he has been able to serve the community through theater, his area of expertise. “As an active artist in the theater, I strive to provide a professional model of the theater artist that incorporates these ideals,” he said. “From the elucidation of principles in the classroom to the challenge of choices in the design studios and rehearsals, I find the teacher/mentor life a richly rewarding experience that exists within and beyond the classroom.” The University Senate Chair recipient receives a $2,000 stipend and a plaque. The Virgil Orr Junior Faculty Award was established in 2000 from a proposal developed by the University Senate and approved by Dr. Dan Reneau, president of Louisiana Tech. Junior faculty are defined as non-tenure track faculty, regardless of years of service or untenured faculty in tenure-track positions. The purpose of the award is to recognize junior faculty who have made significant contributions to the mission and purpose of the university. Evans stated in her nomination packet that her teaching was based on what she learned as a student: that a fundamental principle of writing and public speaking is to know your audience. “This is a principle that I carry into the classroom every day,” Evans said. “By knowing the background and interests of my students, I am better equipped to help them learn the mathematical material in a real and personal way. If students can see mathematical connections to their own majors, they are more likely to be interested in the subject and have a more personal stake in their learning.” The winner of the Virgil Orr Junior Faculty Award receives a $1,500 stipend and a plaque.