The Texas State University System Board of Regents recognized Texas State University’s Mark A. Paz II, an assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Communication Studies, as TSUS Regents’ Teacher for 2025.
The award was presented Feb. 13 at the TSUS Board of Regents meeting in Beaumont.
The Regents' Teacher Award recognizes exceptional teachers based on their outstanding performance as educators, contributions to the development of courses and use of innovative teaching methods, among other criteria. Winners maintain the title of "Regents' Teacher" for the duration of their service within TSUS. Paz is the 16th recipient from Texas State.
Paz came to TXST in 2008 and has a sustained record of excellence in teaching that spans the ensuing 17 years. His teaching quality is recognized by multiple awards, including the College Award for Teaching from the College of Fine Arts and Communication, the Presidential Distinction Teaching Award and the Presidential Awrwd for Excellence in Teaching in 2024. He has been named the Alpha Chi Favorite Professor in both 2018 and 2019, as well as the Favorite Faculty Member for both the Alpha Delta Phi and Zeta Tau Alpha sororities.
Paz is a distinguished classroom teacher, dedicated student mentor and integral contributor to communication studies in the educational research field. He has nine teaching-related publications and presentations on the national stage. He has served on multiple honors thesis committees, guiding students to successful completion. He has taught seven different courses in his discipline and the Honors College during his time at TXST. Paz has also consistently received high praise from students and has earned some of the highest student evaluation scores at the university.
He has served the university in a variety of roles which include faculty advisor for the Lambda Pi Eta National Communication Association Honors Society since 2017 and the university’s TEDx speaker coach and organizer since 2016.