College of Marine Sciences & Maritime Studies

Marine Biology’s Dr. Philip Matich Receives College Level Teaching Award

Dr. Deborah Thomas, dean of the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies, Dr. Philip Matich, and Kyle Easley from the Association of Former Students

On August 23, Dr. Philip Matich, an instructional assistant professor in the College of Marine Sciences & Maritime Studies marine biology department, received the College-Level Teaching Award at the annual Academic Affairs Forum. Dr. Debbie Thomas, chief academic officer of the Galveston Campus and new dean of the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies, presented Matich with the award alongside Kyle Easley from the Association of Former Students. 

Every year since the fall of 1982, the Association of Former Students gives this prestigious award to outstanding faculty who demonstrate devotion, talent and dedication to teaching Aggies. 

Dr. Anna Armitage, interim department head for the Department of Marine Biology, nominated Matich for the award, including input from students and colleagues in the nomination. 

“I was excited to nominate Dr. Matich for this award and am thrilled that he has received this recognition,” said Armitage. “His creativity and engagement in the classroom are evident in the diverse range of courses he teaches each year, many of which he developed from scratch. He is responsive to departmental and student needs, teaching both existing courses and developing new ones as requested.”

Armitage continued, praising Matich’s skills as an educator. “Dr. Matich has demonstrated his teaching talents in high enrollment, generalized classes, as well as in smaller, specialized classes. He meets students where they are in their learning journey while still maintaining a high level of rigor in his classes. As an example, one student noted that Dr. Matich’s course did not feel overwhelming while the class was in progress, but marveled how much new material was effectively communicated during the course.” 

Matich, who was recently featured in the Houston Chronicle and on Good Morning America, maintains a robust research program, allowing student participation in research and advancing their growth as scientists. Additionally, his published and submitted manuscripts have provided 42 Galveston Campus students with authorship opportunities in scholarly journal articles, enriching their academic and professional growth. 

Matich earned his Bachelor of Science in Marine Science at University of South Carolina in 2007 and his Ph.D. in Biology at Florida International University in 2014. Matich joined Texas A&M – Galveston as faculty in 2018. 

Award winners from previous years can be found on the Office of Academic Affairs website.