June 2020

Margarita Tovar, a doctoral student in the professional leadership – K-12 program, has been elected to the board of the Association of Hispanic School Administrators to serve a two-year term. Tovar is principal of Dogan Elementary in Houston ISD.

Samantha Brooks, who earned an M.Ed. in administration and supervision in 2008 and an Ed.D. in professional leadership in 2018, has been named the new principal of North Houston Early College High School in Houston ISD after serving as dean of instruction at South Early College High School in the district.

Four alumni who graduated in 2019 have won Teacher of the Year awards from their respective schools:

• Megan Harper, who earned a bachelor’s in teaching, was awarded 2020 First Year Teacher of the Year at Carleston Elementary in Pearland ISD, where she is a third grade teacher.
• Kallie Holtkamp, who earned a bachelor’s in teaching, was awarded 2020 Rookie Teacher of the Year at Glenn York Elementary in Alvin ISD, where she is a fourth grade teacher. Holtkamp also went on to win 2020 Rookie Teacher of the Year for the district.
• Krystal Kennedy, who earned a bachelor’s in teaching, won 2020 Rookie Teacher of the Year at Franz Elementary in Katy ISD, where she is a first grade teacher.
• Anicia Rodriguez, who earned a B.S. in human development and family studies , was awarded 2020 Rookie Teacher of the Year at Briargrove Elementary in Houston ISD, where she is a fifth grade teacher.

Margaret Hale, clinical full professor and chair of the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, has been selected to serve on Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Advisory Board for Adult Literacy to help support the city’s literacy efforts.

Amy Murdock, a doctoral student in the higher education program, has been awarded a $1,500 scholarship from the UH Asian American Studies Center to serve as a mentor to undergraduate students. The program is part of the Center’s new Multicultural Success Initiative grant focused on expanding mentorship, research and community engagement to support Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander students and the community.

Hope Pacheco, a student in the higher education Ph.D. program and an assistant dean of students at UH, was named the 2020 Outstanding Field Instructor of the Year by the UH Graduate School of Social Work. Pacheco works towards social justice through a program she started called Las Comadres College Mentoring, which supports first generation female Latinx students.

Yonelly Gutierrez, a program manager in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, has been elected president of the UH Hispanic Alumni Association. Gutierrez will begin her two year term in August.

May 2020

Johnny Paz, who earned an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction in 2014, has been named the new assistant principal of Cleveland High School in Cleveland ISD after serving as assistant principal of Hambrick Middle School in Aldine ISD.

Darryl Henson, who earned an Ed.D. in professional leadership in 2014, was named superintendent of Marlin ISD south of Waco. He previously served as assistant superintendent of school leadership at Cedar Hill ISD and principal of North Forest High School in Houston ISD.

April 2020

Students and faculty in the Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences had a strong presence at the Texas Council of Family Relations 2020 annual conference in Houston in March:

• Erica Jordan, the department’s assistant chair for student success, served as chair of the 2020 conference, themed Building Resilience Within All Families.
• Kadija Moon, a doctoral student in the counseling psychology program, won first place in the graduate research poster division for her poster titled “Psychological Outcomes of Individuals Reared in a Military Family.”
• Amanda Ogbureke, an undergraduate student in the human development and family studies program, presented her research poster on cyberbullying among adolescent students. Her faculty advisor is Clinical Assistant Professor Saira Rab.

Sahar Eshtehardi, a doctoral student in the counseling psychology program, will serve as the diabetes special interest group trainee member at large for the American Psychological Association’s Society of Pediatric Psychology (Division 54). She will collaborate with diabetes psychologists and assist in furthering diabetes research. She will serve from May 2020 through April 2022.

Leticia Guzmán, who earned an Ed.D. in professional leadership in 2019, was named acting superintendent for Royal ISD in Pattison, Texas. She previously served as director of federal, state and special programs for the district. Guzmán also earned an M.Ed. in administration and supervision in 2009 and a B.S. in teacher education in 2000 from the College.