William P. Clarke, PhD, professor in the Department of Pharmacology, was named a 2023 Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.
Clarke received a $5,000 award, certificate and gold pin, to be presented at the foundation’s request by William L. Henrich, MD, MACP, president of UT Health San Antonio.
The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation is a local foundation that awards excellence in teaching and provides scholarships and student loans. The Piper Professor Award was established in 1958 to recognize superior teaching at the college level and is made annually to only 10 educators across Texas, honoring their outstanding achievements in teaching.
“Receiving this award for excellence in teaching at the graduate school level is an incredible honor, and one that I do not take lightly,” Clarke said. “For me, this award represents validation that the time and effort I put into my teaching makes a difference in the lives of my students. It means that my students are engaged, learning and thriving in my classes, and that I am having a positive impact on their education and future careers.”
Clarke has won numerous other honors in his 29 years of teaching at UT Health San Antonio. Notably, in 2014, he received the esteemed Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award from The University of Texas System Board of Regents.
“My teaching philosophy is centered on the belief that learning is a collaborative and dynamic process that involves both the acquisition of knowledge and the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” Clarke said. “As a teacher, my goal is to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment that fosters intellectual curiosity, creativity and innovation.”