Faculty Awards

John H. Buchanan Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching

Every year, Samford University recognizes two faculty for their contributions to teaching and learning. One of those awards is the John H. Buchanan Award for Excellence in Teaching. The selection process for this awards is delineated below.

The provost’s office sends a nomination/questionnaire form along with a list of eligible current (part-time and full-time) faculty members to all senior students. To be considered for the award, nominees must be undergraduate faculty and have taught at Samford for a minimum of four years. Part-time faculty, currently teaching, must have taught at least one course each of the four years. Seniors return the completed forms to the provost’s office. A faculty member who is awarded within the past 10 years is not eligible to receive the award.
The provost appoints an unannounced selection committee composed of faculty and students. This committee meets and discusses the top nominees in regards to their perceived teaching excellence.
The committee votes by secret ballot.
The provost collects the ballots, determines the highest vote recipient, and announces the Buchanan Award winner at the fall convocation.

Nominate a Faculty Member

Past Recipients

1964–1965 Joseph L. King & E. Merritt Whitman, AS/AS

1965–1966 Stanley Susina & Mary Washington, Pharm/AS

1966–1967 Everett Lemerson & Paul Schatz, Bs/Law

1967–1968 W. T. Edwards & J. Wayne Flynt, AS/AS

1968–1969 Sigurd F. Bryan & F. Allan Hayes, AS/AS

1969–1970 Hugh C. Bailey & Pauline Powell, AS/AS

1970–1971 Jack Duncan, Bs

1971–1972 Mabry Lunceford, AS

1972–1973 Karen Joines, AS

1973–1974 Anthony McBride, Pharm

1974–1975 Paul Hall, Mus

1975–1976 Timothy Burelle, Pharm

1976–1977 Michael Howell, AS

1977–1978 Lorene G. Smith, Nurs

1978–1979 Fred Hendon, Bs

1979–1980 Raymond Harvey, Ed

1980–1981 James S. Brown, Jr., AS

1981–1982 William Cowley, AS

1982–1983 Janice Teal, AS

1983–1984 Marlene Reed, Bs

1984–1985 Charlotte (Jones) Freeman, AS

1985–1986 Steve Bowden, AS

1986–1987 Mary Hudson, AS

1987–1988 Ed Hall, Pharm

1988–1989 Shirley Schooley, Bs

1989–1990 Jennings Marshall, Bs

1990–1991 Larry Davenport, AS

1991–1992 John Cousins, Bs

1992–1993 Edward L. Felton, Jr., Bs

1993–1994 Pam Sims, Pharm

1994–1995 Richard Neely, AS

1995–1996 Bill Service, Bs

1996–1997 Mary Sue Baldwin, Nurs

1997–1998 Dennis Sansom, AS

1998–1999 Stephen L. Chew, AS

1999–2000 Paul Blanchard, AS

2000–2001 David Little, Ed

2001–2002 Tom Woolley, Bus

2002–2003 Dennis Jones, AS

2003–2004 Dan Sandifer-Stech, Ed

2004–2005 Donald Sanders, PA

2005–2006 Chuck Sands, Ed

2006–2007 Paul Richardson, Arts

2007–2008 Betsy Dobbins, AS

2008–2009 Lowell Vann, Arts

2009–2010 David Foreman, AS

2010–2011 Alan Jung, Ed

2011–2012 Randy Todd, AS

2012–2013 Julie Steward, AS

2013–2014 William Collins, AS

2014–2015 John Petrella, HP

2015–2016 Marissa Grayson, AS

2016–2017 David Finn, Ed

2017–2018 Carol Ann Vaughn Cross, AS

2018–2019 Joel Davis, Arts

2019–2020 Jason Wallace, AS

2020–2021 Chris Metress, University Professor

2021-2022 Beth McGinnis, Arts
2022-2023 Laura Byland, Arts

2023-2024 Erin Gilchrist, Ed

George Macon Award

The George Macon Memorial Award may be given annually to a faculty member who through outstanding performance as a teacher, as a counselor, and as a friend to students demonstrates the ability to inspire students to greatness. An anonymous committee of faculty considers nominations for this award, which carries with it a pin of distinction and a check for $1,000, arose from the creative interaction of a teacher with his student. The award honors the teacher, George Macon, who graduated from this school in the class of 1884 when it was called Howard College and joined the faculty in 1887 to teach chemistry, natural history, applied mathematics and engineering. He served twice at Howard College for a total of 23 years before taking an appointment elsewhere in 1918. The award was established by Roy L. Smart in 1976, a full 60 years after Smart was a student in George Macon’s classes at Howard College. The George Macon Award celebrates the enduring influence a teacher can have on students, and in so doing, it encourages us all to appreciate anew the profound significance of being called to teach.

Nominate a Faculty Member

Past Recipients

1976–1978 Myralyn Allgood, AS

1978–1979 Carolyn Satterfield, AS

1979–1980 Austin Dobbins, AS

1980–1981 Roy Brigance, AS

1981–1982 Ray Atchison, AS

1982–1983 Marion Ferguson, Ed

1983–1984 Fred Kelley, Jr., AS

1984–1985 Thomas Denton, AS

1985–1986 Lowell Vann, AS

1986–1987 James Fisk, AS

1987–1988 Eleanor Ousley, Mus

1988–1989 David Vess, AS

1989–1990 Brad Bishop, Law

1990–1991 Jean Ann Box, Ed

1991–1992 Tea Sam Roe, Pharm

1992–1993 Not awarded

1993–1994 Barbara Money, Nurs

1994–1995 Donald Sanders, Mus

1995–1996 Not awarded

1996–1997 Larry Ianotti, Law

1997–1998 Fisher H. Humphreys, Div

1998–1999 James S. Brown Jr., AS

1999–2000 Jon L. Clemmensen, AS

2000–2001 Albert Brewer, Law

2001–2002 Mary Hudson, AS

2002–2003 Janet Alexander, Nurs

2003–2004 Betty Sue Shepherd, PA

2004–2005 Marlene Rikard, AS

2005–2006 Sharon Lawhon, PA

2006–2007 Not awarded

2007–2008 Roderick Davis, AS

2008–2009 Christopher Metress, AS

2009–2010 Maurice Persall, Ed

2010–2011 Steve Jones, Bs

2011–2012 Jim Angel, Ed

2012–2013 Penny Marler, AS

2013–2014 Gretchen McDaniel, Nursing

2014–2015 Moya Nordlund, Arts

2015–2016 Howard Walthall, Law

2016–2017 Gary Bumgarner, Pharmacy

2017–2018 Bryan Johnson, University Fellows

2018–2019 Not awarded

2019–2020 Carol Ratcliffe, Public Health

2020–2021 James Barnette, AS

2021–2022 Rhonda Parker, AS
2022-2023 Greg Kawell, AS

2023-2024 Amy Broeseker, Pharmacy

2024-2025 Celeste Hill, Ed

Jennings B. Marshall Award for University Service

The award will be given to full-time faculty members who have made significant and sustained service contributions to the university during their career at Samford University.

University service is defined as participation and leadership in activities other than teaching and research that contribute in important ways to the mission of Samford University.

Faculty members eligible for the award are full-time faculty who have exhibited sustained university service activity over several years and who have provided significant leadership within the university. Their contributions should be further evidenced by substantial time commitments and significant accomplishments related to their service activities. All individuals entitled to vote in the all-university faculty elections are eligible for the faculty service award.

Nominations are to be made by full-time faculty or administrators other than the nominee. The nomination should include a narrative detailing the faculty member’s university service contributions over at least the five years leading up to the nomination and should address the nominee’s participation, leadership, time commitment and accomplishments. In addition, a discussion of how the efforts of the nominee have contributed to the mission of Samford University should be included.

The selection will be made from nominations by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee with the assistance of Jennings B. Marshall (as long as he will participate).

Nominate a Faculty Member

2009–2010 Jennings B. Marshall, Business

2010–2011 Nancy Whitt, AS

2011–2012 Elizabeth Wells, Library

2012–2013 H. Hugh Floyd, AS

2013–2014 Lowell C. Vann, Arts

2014–2015 Steven Epley, AS

2015–2016 Tom Woolley, Business

2016–2017 Emily Hynds, AS

2017–2018 Roger Lander, Pharmacy

2018–2019 Kristie Chandler, Education

2019–2020 Jane Martin, Nursing

2020–2021 Rosemary Fisk, AS

2021–2022 Dennis Sansom, AS
2022-2023 Stephen Chew, AS

2023-2024 Angela Ferguson, AS

2024-2025 Scott McGinnis, AS

Faculty Awards

John H. Buchanan Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching

Past Recipients

George Macon Award

Past Recipients

Jennings B. Marshall Award for University Service

Thomas W. Woolley Scholarly Achievement Award

Past Recipients

Contact Form