The University of Texas at Austin Tower will glow burnt orange Wednesday, October 14, in honor of the three new inductees into the Academy of Distinguished Teachers — Richard Corsi, Mechele Dickerson and John Markert — and all members of the Academy.

The Academy of Distinguished Teachers is emblematic of the university’s commitment to excellence in teaching. Comprising approximately 5 percent of the tenured faculty in the university, the Academy provides leadership in improving the quality and depth of the undergraduate experience. Members of the Academy advise the president and provost on matters related to the university’s instructional mission; participate in seminars, colloquia, and workshops on teaching effectiveness; and serve as mentors to new faculty.

Richard Corsi is chair of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, a professor and co-director of Center for Sustainable Development. His work involves indoor air quality and pollution and human exposure to toxins in indoor environments.

Mechele Dickerson is the Arthur L. Moller Chair in Bankruptcy Law and Practice and a professor in the School of Law. As a nationally recognized bankruptcy law scholar and a global media expert on consumer debt, her research focuses on income inequality, student loans and the financial challenges facing the middle class in the U.S.

John Markert is a professor in the Department of Physics and previously served as the department’s chair He is the principal investigator of the Magnetism and Superconductivity Group.

[Learn more about the Tower’s different lighting configurations.]

Established in February 1995, the Academy of Distinguished Teachers was one of the first associations of its kind in the nation. Each year, new members of the Academy are selected through a rigorous evaluation process. Deans of colleges and schools annually nominate faculty for membership, and a committee that includes members of the Academy, students, and other faculty review the nominations and recommend a slate of honorees to the provost, who makes the final selections. Honorees are awarded the title University Distinguished Teaching Professor and serve for the duration of their tenure at The University of Texas at Austin.