Dr. Ray P. Authement Excellence in Teaching Award Recipients
Penny Powell
Master Instructor of Microbiology and Lab Coordinator
Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Penny Powell is a Dr. Ray P. Authement Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient for the Eminent Faculty Awards. She has served as an instructor of microbiology courses as well as the Microbiology and A&P Lab Coordinator for the School of Biological Sciences. Beginning her teaching career in 1985, Penny Powell has taught thousands of University of Louisiana at Lafayette students, striving to instill curiosity and the value of lifelong learning. Her goal as an educator has been to meet students where they are and introduce them to the world of microbiology. Beyond the classroom, she has served students as an academic advisor, receiving the Outstanding Advisor Award numerous times.
Throughout her career, she has been acknowledged for embracing new technologies and innovative practices. She has obtained numerous certifications in online education and is regarded highly for her ability to create exceptional online learning environments. Her course instruction has been recognized at the highest level, with one of her courses gaining a Quality Matters certification, a national recognition reserved for online course design excellence.
Dr. Douglas Williams
Professor of Educational Curriculum and Instruction
Director of the Center for Innovative Learning and Assessment Technologies
College of Education & Human Development
Haig/Board of Regents Professorship in Education ISenior Instructor of Health Information Management
Dr. Douglas Williams is a Dr. Ray P. Authement Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient for the Eminent Faculty Awards. He serves as a Professor in the Department of Educational Curriculum & Instruction as well as the Director of the Center for Innovative Learning and Assessment Technology. He holds the Joan D. and Alexander S. Haig/LEQSF Professorship in Education. He is also a past recipient of the Distinguished Professor Award.
In the classroom, Dr. Williams strives to provide students with innovative experiences to teach concepts that are relevant to their own future K-12 classrooms. His students explore relevant and actionable ways to teach creativity and innovation through coding, robotics, design thinking, and engineering design. Dr. Williams also serves as the co-chair of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Learning Lab school. The project aims to bring a laboratory school to the university, providing a hands-on environment to prepare the next generation of educators and advance educational innovation in the area. He also has collaborated with other education professionals to develop the ChangeMaker K12 program, a curated collection of thinking routines, hands-on design challenges, and communication exercises that empower educators to pursue teaching innovation. In the community, Dr. Williams works with the FIRST LEGO League, allowing him to mentor students ages 9-16 in robotics engineering challenges and refine his own skills working with children to benefit his teaching.