Dr. Roger E. Kirk, Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Statistics and Master Teacher in the Baylor College of Arts & Sciences, has been named the 2012 Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year. The annual award is presented to a faculty member who makes a superlative contribution to the learning environment at Baylor.

As this year’s recipient, Kirk will receive $20,000 and present a public lecture in the fall on an academic topic of his choosing.

Kirk earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Ohio State University, and received a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship in mathematical psychology from the University of Michigan.

A member of Baylor’s faculty since 1958,  Kirk was named the Outstanding Tenured Teacher in the College of Arts & Sciences in recognition of his teaching effectiveness. In 1993 Baylor appointed him a Master Teacher, the highest honor granted to Baylor faculty members.

Kirk is the 2005 recipient of the American Psychological Association’s Jacob Cohen Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Mentoring. He also is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and past president of the Society for Applied Multivariate Research, Division 5 of the American Psychological Association, and the Southwestern Psychological Association.

One way that many people at Baylor and in Waco know Dr. Kirk and his wife is through their prowess on the dance floor. Both are avid ballroom dancers and enjoy participating in ballroom dance competitions and doing dance demonstrations.

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Dr. Kirk!