Sherman, Texas -- Austin College celebrated the accomplishments of faculty during the annual Honors Convocation in Wynne Chapel, Clifford J. Grum Sanctuary on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
President Steven P. O’Day began the convocation by presenting the College’s Homer P. Rainey Award. The award was created in 1975 by the Board of Trustees to be given to a faculty or staff member in recognition of outstanding achievement or exemplary service to Austin College.
Homer P. Rainey was a 1919 graduate of Austin College who earned a doctorate from the University of Chicago. A strong and constant champion of academic freedom, he taught at Austin College, among other institutions around the country, and served four of those colleges as president. He was selected as a member of Austin College’s Athletic Hall of Honor and named a Distinguished Alumnus of the College. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Austin College and the College’s Founders Medal.
The corecipients of the 2026 Homer P. Rainey Award were Professor of Biology Dr. Steven Goldsmith and Professor of Biology and Environmental Sciences Dr. Peter Schulze. “[Steve]’s influence extends well beyond that role due to the decades he has spent living out the values of the liberal arts mission and inspiring the lives of all he encountered at the College,” said President O’Day of Goldsmith. “His legacy includes the mentoring of hundreds, if not thousands, of students, the development of several new academic programs, and receipt of millions of dollars in grant funding across the division. Steve is revered on campus for his humble servant leadership; willingness to contribute his time and talent to our students and his colleagues; his humility, good humor and work ethic.”
“During his tenure at Austin College, Pete started the Center for Environmental Studies, led in the creation of the Environmental Studies major and minor and the new Environmental Science major,” President O’Day said in his presentation of the award to its corecipient. “Pete helped to form the organization Thinking Green Campus Awareness, or “Think,” a committee of students who work to identify, organize, and publicize greening activities. Pete has also directed the 20-plus-year Sneed Prairie restoration project. These organizations, events, and campus enhancements are so central to the fabric of the institution that it’s easy to forget that they haven’t always been so, and only exist due to Pete’s willingness to go ‘above and beyond.’”
Following the Homer P. Rainey Award, Associate Professor of East Asian Studies Dr. Scott Langton was installed as The Richardson Chair for the Center for Research, Experiential, Artistic, and Transformative Education and Professor of Political Science Dr. Nathan Bigelow was installed as The John D. Mosely Chair in Government and Public Policy.
Austin College also recognizes excellence in teaching each year with two prestigious faculty awards: the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Professor Award Nominee and the Austin College Excellence in Teaching and Leadership Award.
This year’s Piper Professor Award nominee was Professor of Physics Dr. David Baker and the Excellence in Teaching and Leadership Award was presented Dr. Frank Rohmer.
Faculty appreciation concluded with the recognition of faculty who will retire at the end of the academic year; Chemistry Lab Coordinator and Instructor Karen Glenn, who has been with the College since 2012, Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Frank Rohmer, who has been with the College since 1988, Professor of History Dr. Max Grober, who has been with the College since 1997, Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Dr. Peter Schulze, who has been with the College since 1994, and Associate Professor of Economics Dr. Daniel Nuckols, who has been with the College since 1987.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, pre-professional foundations, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 45 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow an 11:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.
