Joyce Asing Cashman Named Outstanding Teacher by Board of Regents
Last Updated on September 30, 2016 at 12:00 AM
Originally published October 01, 2016
By Daniel Perez
UTEP Communications -test
Established in 2008, The University of Texas System Regents' Outstanding Teaching Awards (ROTA) program recognizes educators for their outstanding classroom performance and innovation in undergraduate instruction.
Joyce Asing Cashman, Ph.D., assistant professor of practice for STEM education, is one of seven UTEP ROTA recipients for 2016.
To be considered for a ROTA, faculty members undergo a series of rigorous evaluations by students, peer faculty members and external reviewers. The review panels consider a range of activities and other criteria in their evaluations, including outstanding teaching, mentoring, personal commitment to students and motivating students in the classroom.
“Our award-winning faculty not only excel in the classroom, they are outstanding scholars, researchers and writers,” Howard C. Daudistel, Ph.D., interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, said. “I congratulate each one of them for their success and thank them for their commitment to maintaining UTEP’s stature as a leader in higher education.”
Asing Cashman earned her Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from University Putra Malaysia in her home country of Malaysia, her master’s in computer application from Middlesex University in London, and her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from New Mexico State University.
She began her career working with software and information systems for the private and public sectors in Malaysia. Teaching was something she wanted to do since she was a child, but she really became passionate about pursuing a teaching career while a teaching assistant at NMSU. In 2008, Asing Cashman joined UTEP, where she works to prepare aspiring teachers to teach STEM education. She promotes active learning in her classes, where she serves as the facilitator and allows her students to gain hands-on teaching experience. She also likes to utilize techniques such as drawing and having her students present topics they are learning about to the tune of their favorite songs.
Asing Cashman said she learns a lot from her students.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s on a subject matter or just life in general,” she said. “When my students succeed, I feel proud and at the same time humbled. My students have taught me about perseverance, focus and tenacity. They make me want to learn more and keep getting better for them.”
Asing Cashman plays a significant role in preparing her students to be successful in their own careers as teachers.
“Under Dr. Asing Cashman’s constant care and support, the University students are prepared and ready to become highly qualified teachers in our district,” said Susana Gonzalez, principal at Loma Terrace Elementary in the Ysleta Independent School District. “Her calm and patient personality helps to make her a person who leads from the heart.”
This year’s ROTA recipients bring the number of UTEP faculty who have received this prestigious award to 65. The award program is one of the nation's largest monetary teaching recognition programs in higher education. Each honoree received $25,000 and was recognized at a ceremony on Aug. 24, 2016, in Austin, Texas.
“UT educators provide invaluable mentorship and deliver high-quality instruction and innovation while enhancing the minds of the nation’s next leaders,” UT System Board of Regents Chairman Paul L. Foster said. “Their deep commitment to outstanding education ensures student success across the System. The Board of Regents is honored to recognize our dedicated faculty members through the ROTA program.”
The other UTEP honorees include José de Piérola, Ph.D., associate professor of creative writing; Jorge Lopez, Ph.D., Rho Sigma Tau-Robert L. Schumaker Professor of Physics; Maria Cristina Morales, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology and anthropology; Aurelia Murga, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology and anthropology; Germán Rosas-Acosta, Ph.D., associate professor of biological sciences; and W. Shane Walker, Ph.D., assistant professor of civil engineering.