Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year

Dr. William H. Bellinger Jr., chair and professor of religion and The W. Marshall and Lulie Craig Chair of Bible, has been named the 2013 Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year. The annual award is presented to a faculty member who makes a superlative contribution to the learning environment at Baylor.

The Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year award is based on teaching, research and service. In presenting the award, Dr. James Bennighof, Baylor vice provost, said those who nominated Bellinger for Professor of the Year cited his "warm and caring spirit in everything he does," as well as Bellinger's distinctive "robust laugh" that has endeared him to students. He added that persons nominating Bellinger also praised his sense of humor in the classroom that made learning fun and put students at ease.

Bellinger is the author of 11 books, more than 20 scholarly articles and countless reviews and lectures. He joined the Baylor College of Arts & Sciences faculty in 1984. He earned a BA degree from Furman University, an MDiv degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a PhD from Cambridge University.

As this year's recipient, Bellinger received a cash award and will present a public lecture in the fall on an academic topic of his choosing.

Collins Outstanding Professor

Baylor's graduating class selected Tim Thomasson, clinical professor in accounting and business law in Baylor's Hankamer School of Business, to receive the 2013 Collins Outstanding Professor Award.

The award is generously provided by the Carr P. Collins Foundation in order to recognize and honor outstanding teachers at Baylor University.

In honor of his accomplishments as a professor, Thomasson received a cash award, citation on a plaque and recognition at the spring commencement.

"I am so thrilled to receive this award. Our Baylor students are just awesome, not only in the classroom but also in the community. They continue to make me proud as both a professor and an alum," Thomasson said.

On April 30, Thomasson also delivered a special lecture -- "How Do You Give Back to the Kingdom?" -- that analyzed lessons learned by one company resulting from a direct question from faith-based investors.

Centennial Professor

Dr. Greg Garrett, professor of English, was selected as the 2013 Baylor Centennial Professor by the Centennial Faculty Development Review Committee.

The award is funded by the Centennial Class of 1945 and supports faculty development. Each year, a tenured Baylor faculty member is designated as the Centennial Professor and is provided with funds for a project that will aid in developing his or her ability to function as a university professor and contribute to academic life.

Garrett has taught at Baylor since 1989, and he will use the cash award that accompanies the honor to further work on a book titled Entertaining Judgment: The Afterlife in Literature and Culture, his first book for Oxford University Press.

"I want to express my gratitude to the 1945 Centennial Class for their support of Baylor faculty, and for this personal honor, which has been granted to friends and colleagues who are among Baylor's most prolific writers and finest teachers," Garrett said. "I am humbled to join their company."

Garrett teaches classes in creative writing, literature, film and theology in the Baylor English department and George W. Truett Theological Seminary. His advanced degrees include a PhD in English from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Divinity from the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest. He is the author or co-author of more than a dozen books of fiction, nonfiction and memoir, and of 75 short stories, essays and scholarly articles.