Nursing Faculty Member Receives AC’s Mead Faculty Excellence Award 

Teresa Herrera who served as AC’s assistant director of associate nursing, was awarded the prestigious 2024-2025 John F. Mead Faculty Excellence Award.

She received AC’s foremost faculty accolade during commencement exercises May 9 at the Amarillo Civic Center Auditorium. 

“I was shock and thrilled,” Herrera said. “There is a lot of hard work in making a difference, so this was really a special reward coming from students and colleagues.” 

The Award is given annually to two outstanding members of the faculty who have had a particularly positive impact on students, the College, and the community.

It is named after a remarkable former AC president, whose unique contributions included leading the College over an 11-year span during the challenging 1930s and 40s, serving in the armed forces during World War II, and returning to AC in the 1960s to teach full time.

Herrera was selected for the award based on multiple nominations solicited by the Mead Award committee from students, faculty and staff.

She was characterized by one student nominator as “always the first to rise to the occasion and offer support.” 

Herrera who worked with the clinical portion of the curriculum for AC’s student nurses from 2018-2025 also served on Faculty Senate during her service to AC.

“Students have repeatedly expressed how her patience and encouragement made all the difference in their learning experience,” another nominator said of Herrera. 

Herrera has also been involved as a leader with Amarillo’s Night to Shine, a global prom night for individuals with special needs, since its community inception. 

“We appreciate all the work Teresa has done in developing area nurses,” Dr. Frank Sobey, AC’s vice president of academic affairs, said. “We wish her the best in her next endeavors.”