Drs. Yanli Zhang, Jared Barnes receive Teaching Excellence Awards

Drs. Yanli Zhang and Jared Barnes received SFA’s 2020 and 2021 Teaching Excellence Awards, respectively.

Zhang joined SFA’s ATCOFA faculty in January 2009. He earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry engineering from Beijing Forestry University and a doctoral degree in forestry from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

“I am extremely honored to receive the Teaching Excellence Award, and I am earnestly grateful for the guidance, support and help I have received from my great colleagues and our dean of the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture,” Zhang said. “Only within this warmest academic family could I reach this stage, and I am very humbled.”

Zhang completed postdoctoral work and served as a visiting assistant professor at the University of Northern Iowa. He teaches geospatial science and land survey courses. Additionally, he actively mentors undergraduate research and serves as a research advisor to graduate students in forestry and environmental science who are specializing in geospatial science.

Zhang’s research interests include geospatial analysis, geographic information systems application in natural resources management, drone application, and 3D modeling and printing.

Dr. Jared Barnes, associate professor of horticulture, joined the ATCOFA in 2014. His teaching and research interests include connecting people with plants; fruit and vegetable production nursery management; plant breeding; southern perennials; and the ecology, cultivation and design of naturalistic plantings.

“I am so honored to receive this teaching award,” Barnes said. “I love cultivating minds by sharing the wonders of the plant world, and having my passion recognized is very touching for me.”

Barnes’ outreach and contributions in the field of horticulture are locally and nationally recognized. In 2016, he was named the Perennial Plant Association’s Young Professional of the Year, as well as a member of Greenhouse Product News’ Class of 40 Under 40. In 2017, he received the Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful Sustainability Award. Most recently, he was honored with the Perennial Plant Association’s Academic Award.

Barnes received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Tennessee at Martin and master’s and doctoral degrees in horticulture science from North Carolina State University. When he is not in the classroom, he can be found mentoring students and working with plants in the SFA Plantery and Sprout Garden located behind the Department of Agriculture Building on the SFA campus.

SFA’s Teaching Excellence program is an opportunity to recognize outstanding faculty members for their contributions to the university through excellence as teachers. Each of the university’s six colleges selects a member of its faculty to receive an award.

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