Vice Chancellor and Dean, Mark Hussey and Clay Eastwood
Clay Eastwood received the Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence for Graduate Student Teaching at a ceremony at the AgriLife Center on Tuesday, January 9, 2018. This award recognizes graduate students for their outstanding contribution to the undergraduate teaching program at Texas A&M University.
Clay Eastwood showing how to saw
Clay has been recognized many times for her outstanding teaching. Most recently, she received the Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Graduate Teaching in 2016. Clay was honored with the Association of Former Students Distinguished Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2014, Clay received two graduate student awards: the Ronnie L. Edwards Graduate Student Teaching Award, in recognition of her important contributions as a graduate student to the undergraduate student experience, and the Z. L. Carpenter Outstanding Graduate Student Award in Meat Science, presented annually to a graduate student who demonstrates outstanding leadership skills and has contributed significantly to the Meat Science Section’s teaching, research, and extension activities.
2016 Texas A&M University Meat Science Quiz Bowl Team. Front row, Catherine Guillotte, Brogan Horton, Katy Jo Nickelson, Emily Mahalitc, and Baylee Bessire; Back row, Clay Eastwood (coach), Ty Robertson, Micki Gooch, Jordan Hevner, Dylan Tucker, and Courtney Boykin (assistant coach)
Clay is from New Braunfels, Texas and received both her Bachelor’s degree (2011) and Master’s degree (2014) in Animal Science from Texas A&M University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. focusing on fresh meat quality, food safety, and sustainability under the guidance of Dr. Jeff Savell and Dr. Kerri Gehring in the Department of Animal Science. Clay has taught ANSC 307, Meats, and has served as a graduate teaching assistant for ANSC 437, Livestock and Meat Marketing and ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue for several semesters during her graduate career. These classes provide students with intensive hands-on learning opportunities related to their field. In addition, Clay has coached the Meat Science Quiz Bowl Team, which required her to recruit and train each team to compete nationally.
Z.L. Carpenter and Clay Eastwood
Congratulations to Clay for her receiving this award and for her passion for teaching undergraduates at Texas A&M University.