Two Faculty Members Receive Top Honors

The University of Texas Permian Basin is proud to announce that two faculty members have received the UT System’s 2018 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award. Dr. Maria Avalos and Mr. Kurt Verlei join 25 other faculty members system-wide who received the honor which comes with a $25,000 award. They were recognized August 9, 2018 at a reception in Austin.

After a career spanning more than 20 years in both K-12 and higher education, Maria Avalos, Ph.D., joined the faculty in the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling at UT Permian Basin in 2013, where she teaches undergraduate courses in psychology and bilingual education. Dr. Avalos is a first-generation college student, and she conducts research and develops programs to serve the needs of academically at-risk and marginalized students.

“I am honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award,” Avalos said. “It is truly a blessing to wake up every day and serve in a role that I love, with students I cherish, and at an institution that cares about the personal and professional growth of all individuals.” Kurt Verlei is a lecturer in marketing in the College of Business. He spent decades in private industry as founder and owner of his own business and a consultant to a wide variety of businesses in the Permian Basin. “My primary objective is to foster critical thinking skills in students,” said Verlei. “It is essential for young people to be able to reason and respond with solutions. I use local business concerns as case studies to create a real-world laboratory. I’m very proud of the success many of my students have experienced.”

Nominees undergo a series of rigorous evaluations by students, peer faculty and external reviewers. The criteria includes a candidate's teaching performance, including classroom expertise, curricula quality, innovative course development and student learning outcomes