March 2019 

Several faculty and staff members were honored at the UH Inventor Patent Awards and Celebration of Researchers’ Luncheon in March.

• 2018 Authors of Scholarly Book Publications:
  • Cathy Horn from the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
• 2018 New Researcher Grant Award Recipients:
  • Jennifer Chauvot, Jerome Freiberg, Conra Gist and Mimi Lee from the Department of Curriculum & Instruction
  • Zenaida Aguirre-Munoz, Consuelo Arbona, Jorge Gonzalez, Sascha Hein, Sara Jones, Han Joe Kim, Norma Olvera, Lorraine Reitzel and Bradley Smith from the Department of Psychological, Health & Learning Sciences
  • Frank Fernandez, Cathy Horn, Lyle McKinney and Virginia Snodgrass Rangel from the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies;
  • Patricia Paquin from the UH Charter School
  • Paige Evans, Leah McAlister-Shields and Mariam Manuel from teachHOUSTON

LaTonda McQueen, a master’s student in the administration and supervision program, was named teacher of the year at Matzke Elementary in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. She teaches fifth-grade math at the school.

Tori Amason and Yolanda Barnes, doctoral students in the higher education program, presented a workshop at the Empower Women's Leadership Conference in March at UH. The session focused on ways in which language perpetuates gender inequality.

February 2019

Ashley Thompson, who earned a Ph.D. in measurement, quantitative methods and learning sciences in 2016, was selected as a district finalist for Teacher of the Year in Fort Bend ISD. Thompson is a technology integration champion and sixth-grade science teacher at Hodges Bend Middle School.

Four school administrators, who are affiliated with the College of Education, received principal or assistant principal of the year awards from Houston ISD in February:

• Khalilah Campbell-Rhone: secondary principal of the year
  She received an Ed.D. in professional leadership – K-12 in 2014, is an adjunct professor in the College and is principal of Evan E. Worthing High School.
• Thomas James Cotter: secondary assistant principal of the year
  He is a doctoral student in the professional leadership – K–12 program and is assistant principal of North Forrest High School.
• Sean Negron: elementary assistant principal of the year
  He received an M.Ed. in administration & supervision in 2017 and is assistant principal of McReynolds Middle School.
• Amy Poerschke: elementary principal of the year
  She received an Ed.D. in professional leadership – K-12 in 2017, is an adjunct professor in the College and is principal of Durham Elementary.

Sahar Eshtehardi, a doctoral student in the counseling psychology program, was selected in February to serve as student ambassador for the American Psychological Association’s Society of Pediatric Psychology. She also was selected for a summer internship focused on cancer prevention and research at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Marina McCormick, a doctoral student in the professional leadership – special populations program, presented at the 2019 Texas Deafblind Symposium in Austin in February. Her presentation was called “Early Emergent Literacy for Infants and Toddlers with Deafblindness.”

Kristian Lenderman, a doctoral student in the professional leadership – special populations program, earned the Julius Glickman Educational Leadership Award from Humanities Texas for her “exceptional leadership” in the field. Lenderman, a facilitator at Northbrook Middle School, was recognized at a Spring Branch ISD board meeting in February.

Sunny Stubbs, a doctoral student in the curriculum and instruction – reading, language arts and literacy program, received a competitive research award from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation to fund resources for the theatre program at Northside High School in Houston ISD. Stubbs teaches theatre arts and advanced theatre productions at the school. The funds will be used to build a classroom play library, sponsor a playwright instructor and buy high-quality costumes.

Kellian Hughes, a doctoral student in the professional leadership – special populations program, presented at the Academic Improvement in Education conference in San Antonio in November. He presented on maximizing in-class support for school administrators. He also presented at the Region IV Mathematics conference in January in Houston. He presented on co-teaching models and teacher classifications.

Salma Akbar, a doctoral student in the professional leadership – K-12 program, was named teacher of the month at Harmony School of Innovation in Sugar Land. Akbar heads the science department and serves as site coordinator for “Project Lead the Way” and event coordinator for the parent teacher organization.

Marina McCormick, a doctoral student in the professional leadership – special populations program, has been selected to receive the Ann Silverrain Award at the 2019 Texas DeafBlind Symposium. The award honors individuals who make an exceptional effort to improve the quality of life for those who are blind or deaf. The award will be presented Feb. 23.

April Peters-Hawkins, associate chair of the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, has been accepted into the Women in Educational Leadership Program offered by the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She will attend a two-day program, including workshops, lectures and case discussions, in Cambridge in March.

Kenya Ayers, who received an Ed.D. in administration and supervision in 1999, was named president of Tarrant County College Northeast in Fort Worth, effective July 1. She is currently vice president and chair of the board of the Northwest Educational Council for Student Success in Arlington Heights, Ill. Ayers earned an American Council on Education fellowship in 2013 and completed her internship at UH in the president’s office.

January 2019

Marissa Moreno, a doctoral student in the higher education program, was selected as Lee College’s 2019 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development excellence award recipient. NISOD is an national organization that promotes teaching and leadership excellence at community colleges. Moreno will receive funds from Lee College to attend the NISOD International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence in May in Austin.

Yolanda Barnes, a doctoral student in the higher education program, was selected to be a fellow in the Houston chapter of the New Leaders Council. The nonprofit is a training program for progressive millennials. Barnes’ research includes looking at the ways in which federal and state policies unintentionally create college access barriers for underserved student populations.

Shontoria Walker, a student in the Ed.D. in professional leadership - literacy program, has been named to the International Literacy Association’s 2019 “30 Under 30” list. The list honors rising leaders who are creating positive change in the world of literacy. Walker was recognized for her work using culturally relevant pedagogy to influence literacy education for African-American boys in Houston.

Ariel Taylor, who received an Ed.D. in professional leadership – K-12 in 2017, has accepted a new position as an assistant professor of practice at the University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences. She will be teaching courses for the UTeach teacher preparation program for STEM majors.

Ashley Mullen, a doctoral student in the higher education program, received the 2018 Junior Faculty Education Research Award from Baylor College of Medicine. She is currently an assistant professor at the School of Health Professions at Baylor. Her research focuses on clinical education and student success.