Two WT Education Professors Honored for Teaching Excellence

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Two West Texas A&M University faculty members who specialize in special education have been recognized for their exceptional work.

Dr. Jennifer Denham, clinical assistant professor of education, and Dr. Stephanie Hart, the Lanna Hatton Professor of Learning Disabilities, have been named winners of the Liz and John Mozola Faculty Excellence Award.

Both teach in WT’s Department of Education, part of the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences.

“We are delighted to recognize these two exceptional educators,” said Dr. Betty Coneway, department head and the Dr. Geneva Schaeffer Professor of Education and Social Sciences. “Their expertise enriches multiple education programs, and their commitment elevates student learning in countless ways.”

The award was established in 2018 to recognize teacher educators, those who prepare future instructors and train them to provide exemplary education in their eventual classrooms.

Denham joined WT in 2019 after working in special education for 11 years. She earned her bachelor’s, two master’s and a doctorate in educational leadership from WT.

In addition to teaching reading and special education classes, Denham is a facilitator for WT’s PACE alternative certification program and a cohort leader for the University’s Texas Reading Academies. She also is a certified academic language therapist through the Academic Language Therapy Association.

Her research interests include literacy, exceptional children, communication, and dyslexia and related disorders.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Mozola Faculty Excellence Award,” Denham said. “Teaching is more than a profession—it is a calling. I feel honored to be recognized for work that allows me to contribute to positive change in education, especially through preparing preservice teachers to understand disabilities and literacy.”

Hart, director of the Center for Learning Disabilities since 2024, earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas and her master’s and educational doctorate from Texas Tech University.

She has provided teacher coaching in behavior management to school districts across the Panhandle, and she previously served as director of Texas Tech University’s OnRamps dual-enrollment program. She also provides support to community organizations, including the J.T. & Margaret Talkington YWCA and the Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research.

Hart’s research interests include autism, applied behavior analysis, observational assessment, and single-subject design. She has conducted research in a variety of school-based settings, from pre-K to university levels. Hart also is a board-certified behavior analyst.

“I am honored to teach in a department that places a high value on professors with personal experience in public education,” Hart said. “This commitment to grounding research and instruction in real-world practices reinforces our mission to prepare professional educators who are confident, skilled, and reflective critical thinkers, effective communicators, and advocates of diverse learners.”

Educating the educators is baked into WT’s history.

WT opened in 1910 as West Texas State Normal College, a school that trained teachers. Today, about 75 percent of all teachers and administrators throughout the Panhandle region have at least one degree or certificate from WT.

In addition to training teachers, counselors, educational diagnosticians, instructional designers, curriculum specialists and school administrators, the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences also prepares school psychologists and social work professionals. The College offers programs in psychology, sociology and the law, as well as direct engagement with the community through its programs in criminal justice and emergency management administration. The College currently serves about 1,700 students, making it the second-largest College at WT.

Recruiting and retaining the best faculty and staff members is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. A Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University also is home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: West Texas A&M University's Dr. Jennifer Denham, clinical assistant professor of education, left, and Dr. Stephanie Hart, the Lanna Hatton Professor of Learning Disabilities, have been named winners of the Liz and John Mozola Faculty Excellence Award.

—WT—