Sam Houston State University professors whose scholarly accomplishments, service and academic engagement stand out among their peers have been honored with the 2026 Faculty Excellence Awards. The recipients are Felicia Mirghassemi, Excellence in Teaching; Kandi Tayebi, Excellence in Service; Mitchel Roth, Excellence in Scholarly & Creative Accomplishments; Lilibeth Al-Kofahy, Excellence in Non-Tenure Track Teaching and Zachary Doleshal, David Payne Academic Community Engagement Award.
Mirghassemi creates an engaging, inclusive and intellectually stimulating environment in the classroom. She incorporates experiential activities that allow students to actively engage with material.
During her time at SHSU, Tayebi established herself as a leader and mentor. She has served multiple programs on campus, including the McNair Scholars Program, ASPIRE and Road to PhD.
Roth is a scholar. Throughout his time at SHSU, Roth has made significant contributions to the criminology and criminal justice field.
Al-Kofahy has established an unmistakable and sustained pattern of teaching excellence during her time at SHSU. She is described as compassionate and deeply invested in student success.
Doleshal has shown a deep commitment to community engagement through his Academic Community Engagement (ACE) courses and community partnerships.
