Three professors from the College of Arts and Sciences are recipients of the Provost Academic Professional Track (APT) Faculty Teaching Excellence Award: Instructional Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy Dr. Larry May, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Instructional Professor in the Department of Philosophy Dr. Glen Miller, and Lecturer in the Department of Global Languages & Cultures Petr Kandidatov.
The trio was recognized among their class of 2025-2026 recipients at a luncheon hosted by the Texas A&M Center for Teaching Excellence on March 4. Each recipient of the award receives a $5,000 grant to support continued teaching innovation.
The university-level award was established in 2019 with a gift from the Marie M. and James H. Galloway Foundation to recognize Texas A&M University faculty who demonstrate outstanding teaching practices in the classroom and create meaningful learning experiences for their students.
Dr. Larry May
Instructional Assistant Professor, Department of Physics & Astronomy
Dr. Larry May’s appreciation for the importance of teaching was sparked as an undergraduate at Texas A&M, where he always noticed and remembered professors who cared deeply about how students learn. “I really want to ensure that my students understand that their education is important to me,” he said. “Being recognized by the university that I attended and where I now work is special.”
May earned his Bachelor of Science at Texas A&M, double majoring in chemistry and mathematics, and in 2015 completed a Ph.D. from Texas A&M in nuclear chemistry.
He co-coordinates multiple sections in two courses: Newtonian Mechanics for Engineering and Science (PHYS 206) and Electricity and Magnetism for Engineering and Science (PHYS 207). In a given calendar year, he coordinates about half of all undergraduate students who take calculus-based mechanics and electricity and magnetism.
While they are often called “weed out” classes by students, May disagrees with the term. “Weed out implies that we are intentionally trying to fail students,” he said. "That is not the case, but I do hold them to a high standard and want all of them to do the best they possibly can in their given circumstances. The faculty at Texas A&M are here to help and support our students.”
Dr. Glen Miller
Instructional Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Philosophy
Miller hopes that students walk away from his classes seeing themselves as serious contributors who are worthy of respect in discussions. “I want my students to have a sense of resilience and to develop a trust that they acquire for themselves when they've thought through a particular topic,” he said.
After completing a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, he continued his education at the University of North Texas to earn a Master of Arts and Ph.D. in philosophy.
At Texas A&M, Miller developed and teaches Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (PHIL 383), a course that examines AI’s capabilities and explores questions of responsibility and its application across various domains of human existence. He also teaches Ethics and Engineering (PHIL 482) and Ethics in a Digital Age (PHIL 282).
“I need my students to be good philosophers so they can understand these questions, but also to help their peers and me understand them as well,” Miller said.
Miller explained that all his classes are interactive so students become “excellent intellectual agents.” He starts by listening to his students. “I want to hear what my students are thinking, rather than jumping into a preset slide deck,” he said. “We think through ideas together as opposed to me speaking as the expert and everyone else simply listening and taking notes.”
Miller said receiving the APT Faculty Teaching Excellence Award affirms the energy he invests in his students. “Even though I want them to do well, the ultimate goal is not for students to get an A in my courses,” Miller said. “I want them to aspire to do meaningful things in their lives and succeed in what they set out to accomplish.”
Petr Kandidatov
Lecturer, Department of Global Languages & Cultures
With more than a decade of experience teaching languages, Kandidatov creates valuable resources to support communication and comprehension in his classes. He finds that language learning works best when students feel supported and can see the purpose behind each of their tasks.
Kandidatov earned a Bachelor of Arts in the theory and methodology of teaching foreign languages and cultures from Moscow Pedagogical State University, before continuing his studies at Southern Arkansas University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in modern languages, followed by a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).
He specializes in Russian and German, and in the development of his classes, moves away from reliance on traditional learning materials, such as textbooks to focus on creating interactive, engaging and accessible lessons. He also developed Russian Readers, a mobile app free to Texas A&M students, which features grade-level stories, audio, images and embedded grammar tutorials, which can be used to supplement learning outside of the classroom.
Kandidatov said that one of his greatest joys is watching students realize that they can communicate in a language that once felt intimidating or impossible. “That moment, when a student who started as a hesitant beginner starts expressing real ideas in Russian or German, never gets old.”
Receiving the ATP Faculty Teaching Excellence Award is incredibly meaningful, he said. “Teaching is the work I care about most, and it has been the focus of my entire career.”
Kandidatov was also featured in this recent College of Arts and Sciences news story.