Get to know Dr. Kevin Dougherty, one of Baylor’s newest Master Teachers

Earning recognition as a Master Teacher at Baylor is a rare honor — the highest a BU professor can receive for his/her teaching. In January, President Linda Livingstone announced the lifetime designation for four Baylor professors, increasing the roll of Master Teachers to 33 since the honor was first bestowed more than 40 years ago.

Among the newest honorees is Dr. Kevin Dougherty, an award-winning Baylor sociology teacher and researcher. Since coming to BU in 2005, he has twice won Baylor’s Outstanding Professor Award (2010 & 2015), and he now serves as committee chair for the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, an award program designed to honor great teachers in higher ed.

“I love to learn. And I love to learn with others,” says Dougherty. “Every semester, I welcome a new set of friends to explore our place in society and our potential for making society a better place for all. I am honored to know that my teaching has a lasting impact on students. My students, likewise, have a lasting impact on me.”

Each semester, Dougherty teaches large sections of his highly interactive, highly rated “Introduction to Sociology” course for undergraduates. At the graduate level, he also leads seminars on teaching and religious organizations.

Beyond the classroom, Dougherty’s research focuses on religious organizations, and he has written on such topics as religious leadership, racial diversity in congregations, and congregational growth and decline. His published research has appeared in leading academic journals and been covered by such major outlets as CNN, NPR and USA Today. Dougherty also is part of the team leading the Baylor Faith and Character Study, tracking the long-term impact of a Baylor education on a person’s faith and character development from when they arrive at BU to 10 years after graduation.

Dougherty joins such Baylor legends as Robert Reid, Ann Miller, Ray Wilson, Tom Hanks and Bob Darden among the university’s 33 Master Teachers. Honorees are nominated by their former students and BU faculty/staff, and selected for their profound impact in the classroom and on students’ lives.

Sic ’em, Dr. Dougherty!