Teaching Excellence Awards

​2026 Teaching Excellence Award Recipients 

Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture

Dr. Yanli Zhang is a dedicated educator who serves as a professor in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. He earned a bachelor's degree in forestry engineering from Beijing Forestry University and a doctoral degree in forestry from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He was a postdoctoral researcher and visiting assistant professor at the University of Northern Iowa.

Since joining Stephen F. Austin State University in January 2009, Zhang has taught a diverse range of geospatial science courses, including “Introduction to GIS,” “GIS Application,” “GIS Database Management,” “GIS Programming,” “Land Measurement” and “Surveying and Mapping.” A certified online instructor, Zhang fully implements the online platform to facilitate face-to-face teaching with hands-on experience. He is dedicated to his students, committed to quality teaching and encouraging of career development. Despite the fast-advancing nature of geospatial science, he consistently keeps teaching materials up to date by engaging in professional development programs. He also arranges students to attend professional society conferences.  

Zhang actively mentors undergraduate research and serves as research advisor to graduate students in forestry and environmental science. His research interests lie in geospatial analysis, geographic information system application 

College of Liberal and Applied Arts  

Dr. Elizabeth Gloyd is an associate professor of criminal justice in the Department of Government and Sociology at Stephen F. Austin State University. She uses an active-learning approach in her classroom, and her courses are known for blending theory with real-world application, challenging students to think critically about justice and society. 

Gloyd’s commitment to teaching is reflected in her record of innovation, mentorship and student engagement. Her use of classroom technology and funded teaching initiatives highlights her commitment to instructional creativity. She integrates new ideas into her courses and actively guides students in building meaningful connections between classroom learning and professional development. 

Gloyd earned her Doctor of Philosophy in criminology from Florida State University, Master of Science in criminal justice from Florida Atlantic University and Bachelor of Science in criminology and criminal justice from Florida State University. She continues to refine her teaching by integrating new course designs with emerging technology, experiential learning and innovative pedagogical approaches. .

College of Sciences and Mathematics  

Dr. J. Brannon Gary is a native of Troup in rural East Texas. He received his Bachelor of Science in chemistry from The University of Texas at Tyler and earned both his Master of Science in chemistry and Doctor of Philosophy in organometallic chemistry from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). Under the direction of Dr. Melanie S. Sanford at the University of Michigan, Gary studied platinum group metal complexes capable of activating and functionalizing carbon-hydrogen bonds. Next, Gary was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University studying the relevance of the copper(III) oxidation state in biological enzyme active sites. Following that, he served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of North Texas in Denton under the direction of Dr. Thomas Cundari using computational chemistry to study reactions of inorganic complexes.

In fall 2017, Gary joined the faculty at Stephen F. Austin State University as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He teaches a variety of undergraduate introductory courses for science and nonscience major students. His goal is to provide students with a foundation of chemistry knowledge to prepare them for their desired fields and future careers. He also teaches upper-level chemistry courses for advanced chemical bonding and graduate courses for inorganic and organometallic chemistry. Since fall 2023, he has served as an associate professor in the department.

Gary’s research interests include inorganic, bioinorganic and computational chemistry. Currently, his research focuses on how enzyme systems are capable of using cheap Earth-abundant metals (iron, copper, cobalt and zinc) to perform chemical transformations that are typically performed with expensive and rare metals (platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, gold and ruthenium). Using computational chemistry, he hopes to understand the key design features enzymes exploit for reactivity and use these design principles to develop new cheaper and efficient industrial processes.

Outside the office and work, Gary enjoys sports (college basketball and football), playing golf and guitar, working out and supporting students he has taught and advised for academics and research by attending their SFA athletics and fine arts events. 

James I. Perkins College of Education 

Dr. Rachel Jumper is an associate professor of family sciences at Stephen F. Austin State University, where she has taught for the past 11 years. Her teaching focuses primarily on graduate courses in human development and family studies, including “Theories of HDFS” and the program’s capstone course in which students complete their comprehensive examinations. Jumper teaches in fully online programs at both the graduate and undergraduate level and is deeply committed to building strong personal connections with her students and fostering meaningful engagement.

Jumper’s scholarship reflects her commitment to teaching, learning and collaboration. She has published work in collaboration with colleagues at SFA on experiential learning in HDFS courses as well as research in collaboration with colleagues across the country related to academic programs in family and consumer sciences. Jumper’s dedication to students and the university community has been recognized with the Perkins College of Education Teaching Excellence Award in 2022 and the Perkins College of Education Service Excellence Award in 2024.

Beyond the university, Jumper serves her community as a volunteer with Court Appointed Special Advocates, advocating for children in the foster care system. 

Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts 

Angela Bacarisse, professor of costume design in the Denard Haden School of Theatre and Dance at Stephen F. Austin State University, holds a Master of Fine Arts in theatre from the University of Memphis and a Bachelor of Arts in theatre from the University of Delaware. As a member of the SFA faculty since 2001, Bacarisse specializes in musical theatre, costume history, stage design and arts management. In recognition of her excellence in teaching, she received the Elliott College of Fine Arts Teaching Excellence Award in 2014. She takes particular pride in her alumni, whose work spans Broadway, regional theatre, K-12 education and a wide range of other professional fields.

Bacarisse has designed costumes and/or lighting for more than 200 productions in theatre, dance and opera at SFA as well as for university theatres across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Her professional design credits include Playhouse on the Square, the Texas Shakespeare Festival, Summer Theatre at Mount Holyoke, Pioneer Valley Summer Theatre, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, Blowing Rock Stage Company, Opera East Texas and Asheville Lyric Opera. She has also worked as a costume technician at the Alley Theatre in Houston, the Texas Shakespeare Festival and the Mac-Hayden Musical Theatre. In addition, her film and television credits include “Great Balls of Fire,” “Hearts of Dixie” and “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls,” and she served as tailor for the first season of “Elvis: Good Rocking Tonight.”

As a director and choreographer, Bacarisse has led numerous successful productions, including “How I Became a Pirate,” “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” “A Year with Frog and Toad,” “Oklahoma!” and “Sweet Charity.” She was the first female director/choreographer of musicals in the Denard Haden School of Theatre and Dance. Her work, along with that of her students, has been recognized for excellence by the American College Theatre Festival. Since 2015, she has produced and directed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, providing students with experiential learning opportunities at the world’s largest performing arts festival. She and her colleagues are currently planning their next production for summer 2026.

Nelson Rusche College of Business 

David Kaiser is the director of the Chadwick Banking Program and a lecturer with the Department of Economics and Finance in the Nelson Rusche College of Business. Prior to joining SFA, he worked in the community banking industry for over 30 years. Kaiser blends his experience as a lender, manager, auditor, executive officer and bank director into each of the courses he teaches. Specializing in banking-related curriculum, he teaches banking fundamentals and commercial bank management, commercial credit analysis, selling financial services and real estate investment and finance. 

Kaiser is passionate about community banking and strives to bring the banking industry to the classroom through interactive projects, guest lectures and real-world analysis. As the banking program director, he strives to develop connections between students in the Rusche College of Business and the community banking industry through internships, recruiting assistance and participation in industry conferences and events. 

An Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business-certified instructional practitioner, Kaiser is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington; holds a Master of Business Administration from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington; and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University, Chico. 

Non-Tenure Track Representative 

Anne Marie Eubanks is a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at Stephen F. Austin State University, where she serves as the course coordinator for both “Computer Science Principles” and “Computer Programming Principles.” Since 2010, she has been dedicated to equipping students with the foundational skills necessary to thrive in the ever-evolving field of technology. 

In the classroom, Eubanks’ teaching philosophy centers on the transition from information to actionable knowledge. She prioritizes the “why” behind technical concepts, fostering a familial classroom environment that encourages discussion and hands-on experimentation. To this end, she developed a specialized lab exploring the dual nature of generative AI in software development, reinforcing the programmer’s responsibility to maintain a deep, technical mastery of their craft. Beyond the classroom, she serves as a departmental advisor, guiding students through graduation requirements and connecting them with essential campus resources to ensure their success. 

Eubanks’ commitment to education further extends into leadership and community outreach. As an instructional team member for WeTeach_CS, she prepares high school educators for the TExES 241 certification. Additionally, she leads the computer science module for SFA’S STEM Academy, introducing high school students from Nacogdoches and Lufkin to topics such as machine learning and web development. For over 15 years, she has also served as the regional registrar for the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (South Central). Through these sustained efforts in teaching and service, Eubanks continues to champion the success of her students and the broader academic community. 

Teaching Excellence Award Recipients from Previous Years