Page 16 - Dean's Report - 5 Years of Accomplishments

FACULTY

CREDENTIALS

National Faculty Recognition
In January 2019, the Association of American Law Schools honored Assistant Professor James Nelson
and Michael A. Olivas, the William B. Bates Distinguished Chair in Law and director of the Institute
for Higher Education Law & Governance.

Olivas received the Triennial Award, a lifetime achievement accolade. Nelson won the AALS
Scholarly Papers Competition for his article, “Corporate Disestablishment.” In his paper, Nelson
identifies and defends a set of legal principles limiting corporate religious liberty in the wake of the
Supreme Court’s decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby.

Faculty Hires in the Last Five Years

The faculty has expanded to include additional individuals with excellent credentials who are
passionate teachers and renowned scholars.

Since the beginning of Dean Baynes’ tenure, UHLC has revamped the non-tenure track (NTT)
faculty, hiring a number of outstanding candidates after rigorous national searches. The faculty also
implemented a comprehensively revised NTT faculty policy that provides improved job security for
these faculty members and integrates them more fully into the UHLC community.

UH Teaching Awards

The University of Houston Law Center faculty has always distinguished itself with excellent
teaching. Since 2015, eight members of the Law Center faculty have been awarded UH Teaching
Excellence Awards at a ceremony presided over by Paula Myrick Short, UH senior vice president for
academic affairs and provost.

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