February 11, 2026

Four UNT faculty members had a welcome interruption to class when leaders from the university and the UNT Foundation dropped in with exciting news — they’ve been selected for the UNT Foundation awards.

Dornith Doherty surprised during classThis year, the Eminent Faculty Award went to Dornith Doherty, University Distinguished Research Professor of studio art (pictured right). Dr. Paul Hensel, professor of political science, received the Faculty Leadership Award. Dr. Brian Richardson, professor of communication studies, received the Community Engagement Award. And the Outstanding Lecturer Award went to Dr. Nazia Khan, principal lecturer of teacher education and administration.

The awards are some of UNT’s highest faculty honors, presented each year by the UNT Foundation to recognize a sustained commitment to excellence in teaching, research and service. Winners receive a monetary reward and a commemorative medallion.

“Outstanding faculty ignite possibility. They challenge students to think deeply, explore boldly and discover their potential,” says UNT Foundation President and CEO Lynette Gillis, who was accompanied on the surprise visits by Provost Michael McPherson, Vice Provost for Faculty Success Holly Hutchins and the winners’ chairs, deans, colleagues and students.

“The UNT Foundation is proud to support and honor these exceptional faculty, who shape the leaders of tomorrow and leave a lasting impact on the university community.”

Doherty, Hensel, Richardson and Khan will be formally recognized at the Salute to Faculty Excellence Awards Celebration on Thursday, April 16, alongside colleagues who received prestigious faculty awards from units across the university, including the Division of Research and Innovation, the Office of the Provost, Faculty Senate, International Affairs and others. This year’s ceremony will feature a special performance by Brad Leali, professor of jazz saxophone, and his students from the College of Music.

Read about this year’s UNT Foundation award winners below.

Dornith Doherty poses with giant check, university leaders and studentsUNT Foundation Eminent Faculty Award

Dornith Doherty. M.F.A.

University Distinguished Research Professor
Studio Art: Photography
 
Dornith Doherty is an internationally recognized artist who has significantly advanced the field of photography and shaped the College of Visual Arts and Design.

A 2012 Guggenheim Fellow and 2016 Texas State Artist of the Year, Professor Doherty has maintained a prolific artistic practice throughout her 30 years at UNT. Through photography, video and large-scale installations, she illuminates ecological and philosophical issues such as biodiversity, climate change and the interdependence of human and natural systems. Since 2008, she has collaborated with scientists at seed banks, botanical gardens and research institutes to create projects that merge scientific imagery into poetic visual forms. In 2025, the Society for Photographic Education recognized her career accomplishments with the prestigious Insight Award.

Professor Doherty’s work resides in numerous permanent collections and has been exhibited in distinguished venues worldwide, from the National Academy of Sciences Art Gallery in Washington, D.C., to the Jardín Botánico de Medellín. Her 60-foot-tall permanent installation for Michigan State University's new Plant and Environmental Sciences building is scheduled for June 2026, and she has initiated an ambitious collaboration with scientists at the New York Botanical Garden's Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research that will be shown in New York and Texas.

Professor Doherty’s teaching is consistently described as transformative, combining technical rigor with intellectual and creative inquiry. Her students regularly earn competitive fellowships and awards — including a 2022 Guggenheim Fellowship — and go on to launch successful careers in the arts, industry and academia. Many junior faculty members have also flourished under her guidance, either through individual mentorship or through the mentoring model she created to build community and support new faculty in the College of Visual Arts and Design.

Professor Doherty earned her bachelor’s degree from Rice University and her Master of Fine Arts in Photography from Yale University.

Pictured (from left): Dr. Karen Hutzel, dean of the College of Visual Arts and Design; Professor Dornith Doherty; Dr. Lynette Gillis, president and CEO of the UNT Foundation; and Provost Michael McPherson.

Paul Hensel poses with giant check with studentsUNT Foundation Faculty Leadership Award

Paul Hensel, Ph.D.

Professor, Political Science
 
Dr. Paul Hensel’s leadership philosophy is guided by two principles: leading by example and working constructively to help his department, college and university achieve their highest potential.

Since joining UNT in 2008, Dr. Hensel has served on or chaired every committee in the Department of Political Science, including six stints on the executive committee. He’s built an equally impressive record of service at the college and university levels, with six years on the Faculty Senate, four of which were on the executive committee. His advocacy for faculty interests and willingness to engage in serious conversations modeled a standard of excellence in shared governance. As co-director of graduate studies, Dr. Hensel has transformed the advising process for political science master’s and Ph.D. students. Each semester, he creates detailed instructions to guide faculty and students, along with a complete list of courses being offered in the next semester. He also led department-wide efforts to standardize rotations of core classes, ensuring students stay on track to take their field exams and graduate on time.

Paul Hensel posing with giant check and university leaders

A leader in his discipline, Dr. Hensel founded the groundbreaking Issue Correlates of War (ICOW) research project in 1997, filling a critical need for foundational data still used by scholars worldwide. Funded by major grants from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Agency for International Development and others, the project has trained dozens of graduate research assistants and earned the 2019 J. David Singer Award for Data Innovation from the American Political Science Association.

Dr. Hensel earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan and his master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Pictured (from left): Dr. John Ishiyama, chair of the Department of Political Science; Dr. Albert Bimper, executive dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; Provost Michael McPherson, Dr. Paul Hensel, Dr. Lynette Gillis, president and CEO of the UNT Foundation; and Dr. Holly Hutchins, vice provost for faculty success.

Brian Richardson posing with giant check and studentsUNT Foundation Community Engagement Award

Brian Richardson, Ph.D.

Professor, Communication Studies
 
For 25 years, Dr. Brian Richardson has created learning experiences that empower UNT students to make an impact in their community while gaining knowledge and skills that enrich their lives and prepare them for career success in any field.

Two of his standout graduate courses — Communication Consulting and Organizational Communication — give students opportunities to lead real consulting projects with local organizations and conduct organizational communication research projects, often with community partners. In addition to more traditional consulting projects with partners like the City of Denton, his students have provided consulting and training workshops for organizations such as Cumberland Youth and Family Services, which provides stable housing and other services for children and families; The Ladder, which offers life-changing education and resources for survivors of community and family violence; Opening Doors for Women in Need, which helps previously incarcerated women and men gain independence and self-sufficiency; and many others. His students have even traveled to Panama, Nicaragua and Peru with his co-led Study Abroad courses on international disaster communication. Through these experiences, they see firsthand how effective communication skills can transform individual lives, families, communities and the world.

Brian Richardson posing with giant check and university leadersDr. Richardson is the founder and advisor for the COMM Alumni Mentoring Program and serves as faculty advisor for COMM Future Pros, a student organization focused on career-readiness. His UNT honors include the Ulys and Vera Knight Faculty Mentor Award and the CLASS Advisory Board Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching.

Dr. Richardson earned his bachelor’s degree in communication from Lamar University, his master’s degree in human relations and supervision from Louisiana Tech University and his Ph.D. in communication studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

Pictured (from left): Dr. Lynette Gillis, president and CEO of the UNT Foundation; Provost Michael McPherson; Dr. Brian Richardson; Dr. Holly Hutchins, vice provost for faculty success; Dr. Albert Bimper, executive dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; and Dr. Suzanne Enck, chair of the Department of Communication Studies.

Nazia Khan posing with giant check and studentsUNT Foundation Outstanding Lecturer

Nazia Khan, Ed.D.

Principal Lecturer, Teacher Education and Administration
 
Whether she’s leading an introductory course or mentoring doctoral candidates through the dissertation process, Dr. Nazia Khan has a singular talent for creating supportive learning environments that foster meaningful connections. Her students consistently describe her as approachable, compassionate and deeply invested in their academic, personal and professional growth.

Dr. Khan joined the UNT College of Education in 2017. As associate chair of initial certification and chair of three departmental committees, she has significantly advanced the college’s mission to support Texas’ growing demand for high-quality, workforce-ready teachers. She also is an accomplished scholar; her work on conceptual understanding and equity in science classrooms addresses issues at the forefront of teacher education and directly informs practice and policy.

Driven by her belief that learning is most powerful when students connect theory to practice, Dr. Khan has designed or re-designed numerous UNT courses in science education and curriculum design. Her interdisciplinary, inquiry-based classes equip future educators with a practical understanding of immersive learning, next-generation technology and industry-relevant skills so they can lead with confidence, empathy and purpose. Through grant activity and community partnerships — including collaborations with the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Capital One and local school districts — she has expanded opportunities for both pre-service teachers and K-12 students.

Nazia Khan posing with giant check and university leadersDr. Khan is a 2025-26 Faculty Leadership Fellow and a past recipient of the College of Education Outstanding Lecturer Award. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology with a specialization in adolescent education from the New York Institute of Technology. She completed her master’s degree in science education and her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction in science education at Hofstra University.

Pictured (from left): Provost Michael McPherson, Dr. Lynette Gillis, president and CEO of the UNT Foundation; Dr. Nazia Khan; Dr. Holly Hutchins, vice provost for faculty success; Dr. Angie Cartwright, interim dean of the College of Education; and Dr. Ruth Lowery, associate dean for graduate studies and faculty affairs in the College of Education.