"Professor Of The Year" To Give Lecture

by Frank Raczkiewicz

Sometimes the best part of success is the journey that takes you there. That's what Dr. Kevin Pinney, a chemistry professor at Baylor University since 1993, will discuss in-depth at the Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year lecture at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 17, in room D109 of the Baylor Sciences Building. Pinney's lecture, "Take Time to Celebrate Even the Small Successes: The Process of Getting There Is Often the Most Important Part of the Journey" is free and open to the public.

"While goals, plans, and time-lines are often very important in planning agendas, I also think it is extremely important to step outside of our more focused energy on achieving certain end goals and recognize and celebrate both the large as well as even the very small successes that are achieved along the way," Pinney said. "In the midst of achieving that ultimate goal, many other important successes happen. For instance, students obtain valuable education, important research collaborations are established and new science may be discovered, just to name a few."

One of Baylor's top researchers, Pinney is co-founder of Baylor's Center for Drug Discovery (CDD), an interdisciplinary research collaboration that supports the development of compounds. Pinney and his research team are credited with creating several new tumor-starving compounds, signifying a major step forward in the quest for a cancer-eradicating agent.

"I am so thankful to so many individuals in regard to this award," Pinney said. "I also feel so deeply blessed by God to have the opportunity to work with such wonderful people doing the teaching, research, and service that I hold so very dear."

The award is presented each year to a faculty member who makes a significant contribution to the learning environment at Baylor. They must exemplify the highest standards in teaching, research and service. As a recipient, Pinney will receive $20,000 and must present a public lecture on an academic topic of his choosing.

A 1918 Baylor biology graduate, Dr. Cornelia Marschall Smith earned a master's degree from the University of Chicago and her doctorate from Johns Hopkins. She was a Baylor professor of biology from 1940-67, chair of the biology department from 1943-67, and director of Strecker Museum from 1943-67. Smith retired in 1967, but maintained an office in Armstrong Browning Library to assist charitable causes. In 1980, Baylor honored Smith with an endowed chair known as the Cornelia Marschall Smith Professorship in Biology. She passed away Aug. 27, 1997, at the age of 101.