TTUHSC Faculty Receive Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching and Research Awards

• By Suzanna Cisneros
• March 13, 2026
• Education

Texas Tech University System (TTU System) Chancellor Brandon Creighton, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) President Lori Rice-Spearman, Ph.D., and TTUHSC Provost and Chief Academic Officer Darrin D’Agostino, D.O., presented the 2026 Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching and Research Awards today (March 12).

Recognizing academic excellence, the honors are the most prestigious awards granted to faculty throughout the TTU System.

“These honorees represent the engine driving the future of health care in Texas,” Chancellor Creighton said. “Through their dedication to teaching, research and patient care, they are preparing the next generation of physicians and health professionals while advancing the medical breakthroughs that will improve and save lives for decades to come. That kind of excellence does not happen by accident — it reflects the best of Texas higher education. I also want to commend Dr. Rice-Spearman and Provost D’Agostino for their leadership at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.”

The Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching Awards recognize faculty members for excellence in teaching, as evidenced by distinction both within and beyond the institution. The Chancellor's Council Distinguished Research Awards recognize outstanding research, scholarship and creative activity of faculty members in the developmental stages of their careers.

“The faculty recognized today represents the very best of our academic mission,” Rice-Spearman said. “Their commitment to excellence in research and teaching advances knowledge and expands the care we provide to communities throughout Texas and beyond. We are proud of their extraordinary work and the difference they are making for our university and the people we serve.”

TTUHSC honorees include:

 

2026 Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching Award

Rebecca Geist, DNP

Geist is a professor at the TTUHSC School of Nursing. She is a board-certified Public Health Nurse and holds certifications in Faith Community Nursing and Texas Sexual Assault Advocacy. Geist’s scholarship focuses on environmental community factors, experiential student learning and education related to at-risk populations. She has received many honors, including Texas Nurses Association Nurse of the Year (District 18), YWCA Woman of Excellence in Medicine, Texas Organization for Nursing Leadership Excellence in Leadership Award, South Plains Great 25 Nurses recognition, TTUHSC President’s Excellence in Community Engagement Award and the School of Nursing Exceptional Mentoring Award, as well as serving on various boards in local, state and national organizations.

 

Cynthia J. Tiongco, Ph.D., OTR

Tiongco is an associate professor in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program in the TTUHSC School of Health Professions. She has been recognized multiple times for her teaching and mentorship, including three Student Government Association OT Faculty of the Year awards (2021, 2022, 2024), the President’s Team-Teaching Award in 2022 and the School of Health Professions Dean’s Outstanding Clinical Educator Award in 2016 and 2021. Tiongco teaches about the development of occupations and appreciates being part of the journey as students develop into occupational therapists. Tiongco enjoys mentorship of both entry-level and post-professional students through the Capstone process. Her research focuses on occupational participation among individuals with developmental disabilities, women in rural communities and occupational therapy students. She also co-authored three peer-reviewed publications related to this work in 2025.

 

Surendra Varma, M.D.

Varma is Executive Associate Dean, University Distinguished Professor, Vice-Chair of Pediatrics and Grover E. Murray Professor in the TTUHSC School of Medicine. After completing training at Harvard, he joined the TTUHSC faculty in 1974 and established the Pediatric Endocrine Service for West Texas. His advocacy helped lead to the Texas newborn hypothyroid screening law, which since 1980 has enabled early diagnosis and treatment for at least 100 infants each year, preventing intellectual disability. An internationally recognized expert in pediatric endocrinology and medical education, he has received numerous honors, including a Doctor of Science honorary degree from King George’s Medical University, an honorary fellowship from the Royal College of London and appointment to the Texas Medical Board by the governor.

 

2026 Distinguished Research Award

Ulrich Bickel, M.D.

Bickel is a professor of pharmaceutical sciences and associate dean for sciences at the TTUHSC Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy. Trained as a physician and clinical pharmacologist in Germany, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA before launching his research program in Amarillo, Texas. His research focuses on the blood-brain barrier, central nervous system (CNS) drug delivery and drug pharmacokinetics. Bickel’s work has earned continuous research support and recognition among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists in his field. He founded the Center for Blood-Brain Barrier Research, leads a CPRIT-funded imaging core facility, co-invented a patented T-cell receptor mimic antibody technology and is a member of the National Academy of Inventors.

 

Gail A. Cornwall, Ph.D.

Cornwall is a professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry in the School of Medicine and has more than 30 years of research expertise in reproductive biology. Her groundbreaking laboratory was among the first to demonstrate that amyloid structures perform normal biological functions in mammals, specifically regarding sperm maturation and epididymal function.

She is currently examining the role of functional amyloids in normal brain function and whether alterations in these structures lead to neurodegeneration. Cornwall has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, ranks in the top 2% of scientists worldwide and has served as the president of the American Society of Andrology.