May 8, 2018
Mark Mear, a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics (Texas ASE/EM), has been inducted into The University of Texas Academy of Distinguished Teachers. Mear is one of only four faculty members across the entire university inducted to the academy for 2018.
The Academy of Distinguished Teachers, established in 1995, was one of the first of its kind in the nation and is emblematic of the university’s commitment to excellence in teaching. New members are selected through a rigorous evaluation process each year and are nominated by deans of colleges and schools across campus.
Comprised of approximately five percent of the tenured faculty in the university, Academy members advise the president and provost on matters related to the university’s instructional mission; participate in seminars, colloquia, and workshops on teaching effectiveness; and serve as mentors to new faculty.
“Mark Mear is an exceptional classroom teacher who has a long-term record of commitment to undergraduate and graduate education and cares deeply about student success,” said ASE/EM department chair Noel Clemens. “He is a highly valued member of the department and without a doubt a truly exceptional teacher. In my opinion, there is no one more deserving of this honor.”
Mear has been recognized for his excellence in teaching with numerous awards, including the Lockheed Martin Award for Excellence in Engineering Teaching (2000), the Texas Exes Teaching Award (2006) and the Student Engineering Council Teaching Award (2010).
He holds the Engineering Foundation Centennial Teaching Fellow in Engineering #1 and serves as associate chair for academic affairs in Texas ASE/EM. His research interests include development of numerical techniques for fracture analysis, integral equation modeling of discontinuities in elastic solids, micromechanical modeling, and development of constitutive relations for damaged materials.
