image: Beth Beason-Abmayr, the Kathleen and Randall Matthews Chair in Biosciences at Rice University.
Credit: Rice University.
Beth Beason-Abmayr, a respected educator and champion of innovative teaching, has been awarded the Arthur C. Guyton Distinguished Educator Award by the American Physiological Society. The national honor recognizes outstanding contributions to physiology education and will be presented at the American Physiology Summit in Baltimore this spring.
Beason-Abmayr, the Kathleen and Randall Matthews Chair in Biosciences at Rice University, is a dedicated advocate for undergraduate education, having mentored and inspired thousands of students since joining Rice’s biosciences department in 1998. She specializes in hands-on, inquiry-driven laboratory instruction, actively integrates collaborative learning in her courses and teaches a popular flipped course in animal physiology.
“Receiving the Arthur C. Guyton Distinguished Educator Award is truly humbling,” Beason-Abmayr said. “Teaching is not just about delivering information — it’s about engaging, challenging and empowering students to think critically and apply their knowledge in meaningful ways. I’m honored to be part of a community that values and supports innovative education.”
The award is named in honor of Dr. Arthur C. Guyton, a renowned physiologist known for his influential “Textbook of Medical Physiology.” The award celebrates educators who have made a profound impact on teaching and mentoring in the field of physiology through curriculum development, instructional innovation and student engagement.
“Beth Beason-Abmayr exemplifies the highest standards of teaching excellence,” said Thomas Killian, dean of Rice’s Wiess School of Natural Sciences. “Her passion, dedication and innovative approach to education have profoundly impacted generations of students. This award is a well-deserved recognition of her extraordinary contributions to education.”
In addition to her work in the classroom, Beason-Abmayr is deeply involved in faculty leadership. She serves as a faculty fellow at Rice’s Center for Teaching Excellence, a faculty associate at Brown College and chair of the biosciences undergraduate curriculum committee. She is also a committed mentor beyond Rice, contributing to national organizations such as the American Physiological Society, the National Institute on Scientific Teaching, the Council on Undergraduate Research and the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition.
“Throughout my time at Rice, I have taken three classes taught by Dr. Beason and have been a TA for her twice,” senior Zoe Folarin said. “I can’t think of any teachers that are as dedicated to improving the craft of education and mentorship as Dr. Beason. Working with her and being taught by her has had an immensely positive impact on my life and has directly informed my decision to weave being an educator into my future career.”
At the heart of Beason-Abmayr’s teaching philosophy is a commitment to lifelong learning.
“The classroom is a space for discovery — not just for students but for educators as well,” Beason-Abmayr said. “I continue to learn from my students every day, and that’s what makes teaching so rewarding.”
Beason-Abmayr holds a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Auburn University and a doctorate in physiology and biophysics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Vanderbilt University before joining Rice’s faculty on a teaching fellowship sponsored by Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Her commitment to education has been recognized with multiple accolades, including the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching, the Rice University Teaching Award for Excellence in Inquiry-Based Learning and the Wiess School’s Outstanding Teaching Award. She has also been named a favorite professor by multiple residential colleges and Rice Scholar-Athletes.
“I worked with Dr. Beason as a graduate student to integrate my research into a teaching laboratory class, and over the past 20 years, we have now taught together many times,” said Elizabeth Eich, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry and professor in the practice of biosciences at Rice. “Her passion for education and her transformative impact on students and faculty alike make her truly deserving of this recognition.”