Texas Tech University System Chancellor Robert L. Duncan recently recognized Elizabeth Goebel Jones, Ph.D., as a recipient of the 2017 Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching and Research Awards. These awards recognize excellence in academics and research and are the most prestigious honors granted to faculty members throughout the TTU System.

“It is an honor to present these talented and dedicated faculty members with these awards,” Duncan said. “I am grateful for the commitment to excellence all of these individuals have made to not only our institutions, but to the lives of the students they impact on a daily basis.”

The awards are made possible through philanthropic gifts to the Chancellor’s Council, which has recognized top teaching and research faculty across the Texas Tech University System. To date, 151 faculty members have received awards totaling $965,000.

The Chancellor’s Council, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, was originally created in 1967 as the President’s Council to recognize donors who helped Texas Tech University accomplish its highest goals. The program was renamed and expanded in 1996 with the establishment of the Texas Tech University System. Today, the Chancellor’s Council plays a vital role in creating opportunities for all four universities. Among the many areas, the council funds student scholarships, faculty awards and top scholar recruitment.

The award recipients receive a $5,000 stipend and an engraved medallion.

Jones is the founding chair of the Department of Medical Education. She is a tenured professor with an additional appointment in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. She is co-director of the Family Medicine Accelerated Track, a nationally recognized program to increase the primary care physician workforce, especially throughout Texas. She also serves as the director of the Patients, Physicians, and Populations course, a longitudinal experience for first- and second-year medical students.