A renowned geography professor, Dr. Sarah Bednarz, and an internationally acclaimed marketing professor, Dr. Leonard Berry, have been named 2008 winners of Texas A&M University’s Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence Award. With stipends of $25,000 each, these awards are believed to be the highest in monetary value of their type in the nation.

Bednarz, professor of geography, and Berry, who holds the ranks of Distinguished Professor of marketing and is holder of the M.B. Zale Chair in Retailing and Marketing and Professor of Humanities in Medicine, were notified of their awards Tuesday by surprise visits to their classrooms from Texas A&M President Elsa Murano. Formal presentation of the awards will be made at one of the university’s commencement ceremonies.

The award, established in 2003 by former President Robert M. Gates to underscore the importance of teaching at a major research university, includes the title of “Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence” – with the recipient retaining that title for the remainder of his or her career.

“We have a highly distinguished and dedicated faculty—nationally and internationally acclaimed—and we are ever mindful that all that we are about begins with the successful and effective imparting knowledge to our students,” Dr. Murano notes. “We are firmly committed to teaching excellence, and Professors Bednarz and Berry personify that commitment.”

Bednarz came to Texas A&M in 1988 as a lecturer, having previously taught public schools at A&M Consolidated, Hearne and St. Mary’s School in Evanston, Ill. She holds degrees from Mount Holyoke College, the University of Chicago and Texas A&M.

She has published more than 70 scholarly papers and has given presentations at more than 100 conferences and symposia around the world. She is the winner of numerous awards, among them the Gilbert Grosvenor Award from the Association of American Geographers, the George Miller Award from the National Council for Geographic Education and several teaching awards from The Association of Former Students.

One of Bednarz’ students said of her teaching ability: “Besides offering me support in the classroom, Dr. Bednarz has provided me with an example of effective and engaging teaching that I hope to emulate. As a teacher, I hope to develop my own lectures as she did to connect the material to the lives of my students. I hope to provide all of my students with the level of caring and support that Dr. Bednarz gave to all of us.”

Berry joined the Texas A&M faculty in 1982 as a professor and director of the Center for Retailing Studies and, in 2001-2002, served as a visiting scientist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and Scottsdale, Ariz. He received his degrees at the University of Denver and Arizona State University.

Berry received the Paul D. Converse Award by the American Marketing Association in 2008; the Sales and Marketing Executives International’s Pinnacle Award for Marketing Educator of the Year in 2000; and is the namesake for an annual community award for customer service that was established in Brazos County in 2002. He also was named University Distinguished Lecturer at Texas A&M in 2002 and was given The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award in Research in 1996. He also created for the American Marketing Association the “Faculty Consortium,” an annual summer workshop that faculty from throughout the world attend to learn to teach and do research in emerging content areas or sub-specialties in marketing.

Berry’s nomination stems from his ability to simultaneously educate and energize his students. “His enthusiasm is contagious, his ability to integrate cutting-edge knowledge into his classes impressive, and his capacity for inspiring students legendary,” his nomination letter states.

His joint appointment in the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine reflects the exemplary level of his teaching skills, both with students and colleagues, another nominator said. Another colleague calls Berry, “a true masterpiece of a teacher,” adding, “He motivates his students to do their best, he inspires his colleagues to reach for their potential, and he continues to demand nothing but the best from himself.”

Nominations of the recipients were made by students, faculty members and deans by each of the university’s 10 colleges. The Faculty Senate reviews each and narrows the list, and the president makes the final selections.

Writers: Keith Randall (979) 845-4644 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and Kelli Levey (979) 845-4645 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it