Each year the Texas Exes give a voice to the students of The University of Texas at Austin and allow them to choose the best professors and teaching assistants on campus. This year, the students have chosen 30 teachers as the recipients of the Texas Exes Teaching Award.

The 2012 Texas Exes Teaching Awards will be presented Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 5:30 p.m. at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center. Texas Exes President Machree Gibson and university Provost Steven Leslie will speak at the event. Honored professors will each receive a $1,000 award, and graduate instructors will receive $500 awards.

“We are thrilled to promote excellence in teaching by honoring these professors and teaching assistants who students say are the most outstanding on campus,” said Leslie Cedar, executive director of the Texas Exes. “Because students nominate and select these individuals, the award has tremendous meaning for our entire university community.”

Since 1982, the Texas Exes have honored a faculty member in each school and college, and in 1991 joined with the Office of the President to also honor graduate instructors who have had a positive influence on the educational experience of university students. After accepting nominations from the student body, a student committee from each school reviews the nominations and selects that school’s recipients.

This year’s professor honorees are Lois Weinthal, Architecture; Clint Tuttle, Business; Courtney Byrd, Communication; Kathryn Starkes, Education; Jennifer Maynard, Engineering; Scott Kanoff, Fine Arts; Jay Banner, Geosciences; Karen Pavelka, Information; Billie Ellis Jr., Law; Kirsten Bradbury, Liberal Arts; Nicola Davies, Natural Sciences; Megan Pfitzinger Lippe, Nursing; Veronica Young, Pharmacy; Angela Evans, Public Affairs; and Shane Whalley, Social Work.

This year’s graduate ins tructor honorees are Britni Harvison, Architecture; Vinay Mohan, Business; Kellyn Wieland, Communication; Christian Zúñiga, Education; Ted Junseok Song, Engineering; Rebecca Atkins, Fine Arts; Goodwin Wharton, Geosciences; Jessica Meyerson, Information; Betsy Stukes, Law; Corinne Greiner, Liberal Arts; John Schocken, Natural Sciences; Julie Zuñiga, Nursing; Michael Sandoval, Pharmacy; Justin Baker, Public Affairs; and Isaac Akapnitis, Social Work.