Two Professors Receive William A. Brookshire Award for Teaching Excellence

Two College of Engineering professors—Richard Hughes and Charles Pecquet —have each been selected to receive the 2016 William A. Brookshire Award for Teaching Excellence.

The award, presented for the first time this year, honors full-time faculty members in the College of Engineering who demonstrate an unwavering commitment to exemplifying the highest levels of excellence inside the classroom.

Hughes, a professional-in-residence and Campanile Charities professor in the Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering, and Pecquet, an instructor and coordinator in the Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management, were nominated and ultimately selected because of their abilities to create and implement new pedagogies and embrace technology to improve the overall in-class experience for future LSU Engineers.

“Dr. Hughes and Dr. Pecquet have both done their departments, the College and the University a great service by dedicating themselves to superior instruction and mentorship,” said Interim Dean Mary Julia “Judy” Wornat. “They are the first two professors to ever receive this generous award, and they have certainly set a high bar for future recipients.”

A dean-appointed committee of administrators, faculty and student leaders reviewed the nomination packages, which included letters of recommendation from the professors’ colleagues and students, and selected the winners. The recipients were notified of the award last week by the Dean and their respective department chairs.

“I was told about the award almost immediately after returning from the main graduation ceremony, where I hooded my latest Ph.D. student,” Hughes said. “Graduation day is probably one of my favorite days on campus because the students are relieved and excited and celebrating with their families and friends. Now, the May graduation ceremony for me will also include the memory of being notified that I had received this award.”

Asked how Hughes felt when he received the news of his award, he chose one word: humbled.

“I know that there are many high quality teachers in the College of Engineering and throughout the University that care deeply about and work very hard at improving the quality of their teaching,” he said. “I am honored to be considered one of their peers.”

Pecquet agreed, saying it’s “astonishing” to be one of the first faculty to receive the award. “I’m still trying to take it all in,” he added.

“While LSU continues to successfully contribute world class research in many fields, it is humbling and inspiring to be recognized for simply teaching,” Pecquet said. “LSU has an outstanding student body that makes teaching a truly rewarding vocation.”

The recipients expressed gratitude toward the College and their students, and to Brookshire, an alumni and longtime supporter of the College of Engineering who established the award.

“I am humbled to know that there are people like Dr. Brookshire and his family that care enough about the education of current and future engineers to set up such a substantial award focused on teaching,” Hughes said.

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For more information, contact communications manager Sydni Dunn at 225-578-5706 or sydnid@lsu.edu.