Two MSU historians honored as Regents' Professors
Two MSU historians honored as Regents' Professors
Dr. Michael L. Collins, professor of history, and Dr. Kenneth E. Hendrickson, Jr., who serves as Hardin Distinguished Professor of History, were each named a Regents' Professor by the Midwestern State University Board of Regents on Feb. 11.
In May 2004, the Board of Regents established the Regents' Professorship to recognize faculty who have made exemplary contributions in each of the three areas of teaching, research or creative work, and service and have gained the respect and admiration of colleagues in the profession. Candidates for this honor must have 15 years experience in higher education with a minimum of five years' service to MSU and must hold the rank of professor. A Regents' Professor receives an award of at least $10,000 for three consecutive years and carries the title for life.
The selection process begins as tenured faculty members submit nominations to the Provost who, in turn, provides the Regents' Professor Selection Committee the nominations and vitae of those nominees who meet minimum objective requirements. The committee recommends three finalists from whom the Provost and University President select the individual or individuals to be recommended to the Board of Regents for approval.
"It was an absolute pleasure to recommend the finalists to the president because they are such outstanding faculty members who would be an asset to any university in the United States," stated University Provost Friederike Wiedemann. "It is a joy to work with colleagues of this caliber."
Dr. Collins received his Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Ph.D. degrees from Texas Christian University. He has served at MSU since 1985, currently as professor of history.
Collins' quantity of publications and quality of writing have established him as a leading authority on such subjects as Theodore Roosevelt and the Texas Rangers. He has written a number of well received books and articles. His latest book, "The Texas Devils: Rangers and Regulars Along the Lower Rio Grande," is forthcoming in the near future.
While at Midwestern State University, he served as director of the Division of Humanities and subsequently as dean of the College of Liberal Arts. In summer 2004, Collins returned to the faculty in order to have more time for research and teaching.
Through his years of teaching, Collins' student evaluations have been outstanding, and he has won every teaching award from major student organizations on campus.
His colleagues across the state and country have honored him repeatedly by electing him to the Executive Council of the Texas State Historical Association, the Executive Board of the West Texas Historical Association, as president of the Southwestern Historical Association, and as vice president-elect of the Southwestern Social Science Association (SSSA). Nationally, he has served for the past six years as chairman of the Phi Alpha Theta Program Committee for the SSSA.
Dr. Hendrickson earned his Bachelor of Arts and his Master of Arts degrees from the University of South Dakota and his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. He has served MSU for more than 30 years, currently as professor and chair of the department of history. He has authored a number of books, edited several others, and is recognized as one of the most widely published scholars on the MSU campus. He is well-known s an authority on modern Texas political and economic history.
Hendrickson is a Fellow of the Texas State Historical Association and of the East Texas Historical Association, and recently served as national president of Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society for students and scholars of history. Additionally, he has earned a reputation as an expert in the field of Middle Eastern affairs, establishing the Texas Committee for U.S.-Arab Relations.
His community activities currently include serving on the Board of Directors for the Wichita Ballet Theatre, Wichita Falls Symphony, Wichita Falls Museum and Art Center, and Wichita County Heritage Society.
2/11/05