Baylor Seniors Name Kearney as Collins Outstanding Professor

Dr. Christopher Kearney, assistant professor in Baylor University's biology department, has been selected by the senior class as the recipient of the Collins Outstanding Professor award.
As the Collins Professor, Kearney will give a special lecture, "Why Study Biology?", at 3:30 p.m. Monday, May 1, in Room 126 of the Sid Richardson Science Building. He also will be recognized during commencement ceremonies on May 13 and will receive a cash award of $10,000.
Kearney received his bachelor's degree from the University of California at Irvine and his master's degree from California State Polytechnic University. He earned his doctorate from Cornell University and joined Baylor's biology department in 1994. His current research, funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, examines the potential ecological risks involved with the use of genetically engineered plants on an agricultural scale. He teaches courses in molecular genetics.
Kearney has published several articles on the topic of viruses in various scientific journals. He received the Sage Graduate Competitive Fellowship (1987-1988) at Cornell University, and a travel fellowship from Fundacion Juan March to attend Virus/Host Coevolution Workshop in Madrid, Spain, in 1991.
The Carr P. Collins Foundation provides funds for the Collins Outstanding Professor program, which was initiated to honor outstanding teachers at Baylor. A professor is elected annually by the senior class.
All full-time faculty members who have taught at least four years as full-time faculty members at Baylor prior to the fall term and have taught during the fall, winter or spring terms of the year of their election are eligible to receive the award.
For more information about the Collins Outstanding Professor program, visit the Collins Professor web site at http://www6.baylor.edu/Collins_Award.taf .