2012
Graduate Studies
Magazine
Sam Houston State University
A Member of The Texas State University System
SHSU 2012 Graduate Magazine 1 A Message from Dean Tayebi 2 A Comprehensive Mentoring Program Makes Great Research for Public Administration Student Candi Harris shares her experiences as a mentor in the SAM Center.
7 Graduate Studies Enrollment Statistics 8 From Hobby to Research: One Student’s Love for Snakes Brings Him to SHSU Ed Tivador discusses how he arrived at SHSU and his passion for and research with pit-vipers.
14 On-Campus Internship for Graduate English Students
Former and current students discuss the trials and jubilations of being an intern at the Texas Review Press.
18 Defining the Roles of Reading and Literacy Coaches Mae Lane discusses her doctoral research regarding developing and assessing a job evaluation form for reading coaches.
22 Using Bacteria to “Clean Up” the World
Rebecca Montes discusses her research using bacteria isolated from Chile to detoxify commercial waste products.
26 Music Education in the Beautiful Mountains of Ashland, Oregon
Discover the American Band College and read the comments from students and guest conductors.
32 Changing the Perceptions of Society
Amanda Amacker shares her dissertation research on social perceptions of sexual assault victims.
36 Former DEA/ATF Agent Seeks PhD in Criminal Justice
Deborah Sibila returns to SHSU in order to teach future generations.
40 Q & A with Daron Peschel
Daron, Vice President in Charge of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas–Houston Branch, talks about the Executive MBA program and his roles as VP.
44 Stats on Statisticians
Former MS in Statistics students share their thoughts about the program.
THE TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM BOARD OF REGENTS Charlie Amato Chairman, San Antonio
Jaime R. Garza San Antonio
Ron Mitchell Horseshoe Bay
Trisha Pollard Bellaire
William F. Scott Nederland
Donna N. Williams Vice Chair, Arlington
Kevin J. Lilly Houston
David Montagne Beaumont
Rossanna Salazar Austin
Andrew Greenberg Student Regent, Beaumont
Brian McCall Chancellor, Austin
Currently, Sam Houston State University has more than 2,700 students enrolled in graduate programs. While it is difficult to do justice to the tremendous research and contributions made by our graduate students, I hope this sampling of stories communicates the high quality of the research and scholarship being accomplished at SHSU and the impact this research is having on the world and our students. As a Carnegie Doctoral Research University, Sam Houston State University attracts some of the brightest and most talented graduate students from across the country and around the world. All of our graduate programs have produced students who have completed research projects that have received national and regional awards, been published in high impact journals and presses, and/or been supported by external grants. Graduate students in education have worked with natives in Mali to provide educational leadership and technological training for staff and technical school teachers. Our newly opened crime lab in The Woodlands provides forensic science students with valuable hands-on experience. Graduate students in biology have excavated the bones of 50,000-yearold animals, including a three-toed horse, sloths, mammoths, and a Toxodont—an extinct animal similar to the modern-day rhinoceros. In English, graduate students receive practical training in a nationally recognized literary press. These are just a few examples of the exciting opportunities for and stimulating research of graduate students at SHSU. Sam Houston State University Graduate Studies offers a fantastic combination of excellent teachers, outstanding research opportunities, and hands-on learning with professionals in the field. At SHSU, we pride ourselves on helping students achieve their dreams and be successful in their futures.
A message from
Dean Kandi Tayebi
Kandi Tayebi
Dean of Graduate Studies Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs 1
A Comprehensive Mentoring Program Makes Great Research for Public Administration Student
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he Sam Houston ELITE program, Establishing Leadership In and Through Education, began in Fall 2010 due to the perseverance of SHSU’s own Candi Harris. The program was established to promote academic development, as well as promote and encourage civic engagement, among new freshman minority male students. Candi, a Sam Houston State University alumnus, received her Master of Public Administration in December 2011. Because of the support she received from Dr. Bernice Strauss, Candi’s mentor and supervisor and Director of Academic Support Programs for the SHSU Advisement & Mentoring Center (SAM Center), and from her political science professors, Dr. Tamara Waggener and Dr. Jeongwoo Kim, Candi was able to combine her love for developing new academic programs for undergraduate students with her graduate studies research. “The graduate program gave me the ability to be flexible with where I want to go,” smiles Candi. “I feel the program prepared me for just about anything.”
It was not long before others on campus saw Candi’s potential. Dr. Bernice Strauss strongly encouraged Candi to apply for a position as a staff associate in the SAM Center, which provided Candi with the opportunity to focus more on student academics. “Candi is a talented, hardworking professional,” says Dr. Strauss. “She strives for excellence in all that she does and brings a passion and sensitivity to all her interactions with others.” Candi continues to remain grateful for her position at the SAM Center where Dr. Strauss gave her the freedom to design new mentoring programs while also building upon those that already existed. “I started our Parents’ Finals Relief program,” Candi recalls. “We provide free child care to give parents a couple of hours to study for finals.” This small program was just the beginning of her creative autonomy to implement other programs based on student needs. With this independence, she developed the Sam Houston ELITE program. Developing The ELITE
First Generation Student Candi began her career at Sam Houston State University as a freshman, and as a first generation college student, she had high expectations of greatness. As an undergraduate, she worked in Student Activities, a division of SHSU Student Services, where her love for working with other students and student programming originated. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she accepted a position at SHSU as an events manager for Aramark, which allowed her to continue working with the student populations.
Candi’s inspiration for the ELITE program began after she attended an SHSU Grassroots session where the guest speaker was Dr. Judith Loreado, Director of Diversity Initiatives with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Candi discussed with Dr. Loreado the need for programs for minority males on the SHSU campus. “It perplexes me why minority males seem to be at the bottom of every statistical report you can think of, from educational to criminal justice statistics,” says Candi. Having an innate passion for helping minority male students, Candi wanted to
“Sometimes you have to make students participate so that they can get the support they need.” 2
By Stephanie Bluth
find a way to combine her passion and career. “I work in the academic field, and I thought how can I transfer that passion into what I do here?” With encouragement from Dr. Loreado and Dr. Strauss, Candi prepared her first ever grant proposal discussing the implementation of a mentoring program geared towards improving the academic success of first-year Hispanic and African-American young men. Knowing that it would be difficult to recruit students for an academic program that requires weekly meetings, Candi decided to include an incentive program in her proposal. Although she and Dr. Strauss differed on the details of the incentives, Candi realized that many students will not attend optional programs. Her philosophy is simple: Sometimes you have to make students participate so that they can get the support they need. The incentive program included textbook assistance for the spring semester for those students who received at least a 2.5 fall GPA and a free netbook given to each student with an overall 3.0 GPA at the end of his freshman year. Because of her efforts, the THECB awarded the SAM Center with a $10,000 seed grant to begin the ELITE program. The grant did, however, stipulate that Candi submit the outcome data to the THECB. With this data, the Board could distinguish whether or not Candi’s ELITE program was successful and if it could be successful for implementation at other Texas universities. Four months after receiving the grant, Candi began recruiting students for her new program at the Freshman Orientation summer sessions. She spent thirty minutes to an hour with each prospective participant and his family to assess the student’s academic goals for possible acceptance into the ELITE program. “I have to be pretty honest; it was very subjective,” she admits. “I wanted to have a panel and a more formal interview process, but at the time, it was just me.” Her subjective interview process, however, did allow her to select students based on her most important question, “Does this student seem committed to actually sticking to the program?” Candi’s interviewing process at the Freshman Orientation enabled her to find 30 students to begin the ELITE program in the fall 2010 semester. As per program standards, these students were required to attend small group weekly meetings throughout the year, which Candi feels kept the students on track. “Even when a student comes here with good intentions, around the middle of the semester, he gets caught up in all the organizations, the parties, and just wants to lounge around,” she says, “but every single week, there I was to say: ‘Did you study this week? How did you do on that exam? Remember academics come first.’” These small group meetings also enabled Candi to build close relationships with the students by getting to know who 3
they were as individuals and allowing them to discuss issues with their classes and personal lives while offering guidance and encouragement. “We also talked about good news. In the first few meetings, when asked for good news, nobody wanted to talk, but,” she adds, “as the weeks progressed, and we became comfortable with each other, the hands would go up.” Although Candi’s primary goal for the ELITE program was to focus on mentoring and academic success, she also wanted to address cultural and social issues—peer pressure, family problems, financial woes, and individual anxieties— that these men face. In order to address these issues while still maintaining an academic focus, she invited guest speakers to discuss topics such as money management, safe sex, graduate education, and resume building. “We wanted to be real with the students and yet have very laid back, casual, non-intimidating conversations,” she explains. Another one of Candi’s goals for the program was to establish a sense of community service within the students. She states that when minorities become successful, they may fail to turn around and help the next person behind them. “I wanted to make sure that these students heard early on that we need to focus on bettering our communities,” says Candi. In order to instill the value of community service in the ELITE students, she included a couple of service projects throughout the year. “We joined the Boys and Girls Club for their annual Day for Kids. It was so amazing to see 30 young
men show up in full force ready to help with the kids in the Huntsville community.” However, as with the implementation of any new program, Candi did experience some issues within the ELITE program. One issue she faced was that these male minority students quickly began to see her in a big sister or maternal role instead of as a mentor. “I have had students ask me if I could wake them up for class,” she laughs, “and I had to say no. The first semester is a lot of hand holding; I mean some serious hand holding. There was a lot of let me walk you here and take you there, but a major part of my job was to transition them into being more self-sufficient.” She addressed this dependency by requiring the students to attend Grassroots in order to provide a strong male role model. “Grassroots is where Dr. Strauss brings in minority professionals from around the State of Texas,” Candi explains, “so the students can get exposure to other minority men and where they came from and how they got where they are.” Success Following the posting of final grades for the Fall 2010 semester, SHSU’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment analyzed and compared data on ELITE participants, all male first-time freshmen, and a control group of male first-time freshmen with similar SAT/ACT scores and ethnicity as the ELITE participants. The analysis showed that ELITE participants had significantly lower SAT/ACT scores than male first-time freshmen but significantly higher GPAs in respect to both comparison groups. With a successful beginning for the program, Candi happily reported to the THECB that ELITE participants performed above expectations, completing the Fall 2010 semester with 80% in good academic standing. ELITE participants also showed retention rates that were 10% higher than the comparison groups. “The average freshman GPA for the fall of 2009 was a 2.67,” states Candi. “Overall my group achieved a 2.93 for Fall 2010, and I had 18 of them get a 3.0 or better.” Twentyone of the 30 ELITE students earned a GPA of 2.5 or higher and were eligible to receive textbook assistance for the following semester. After the first two weeks of the Spring 2011 semester, each eligible student had minimal out-of-pocket textbook expenses.
“It was amazing to see 30 young men show up in full force ready to help with the kids in the Huntsville community.” 4
Even though the program was a success, Candi confesses that there were some issues with the students at the beginning of the spring semester. Those students who had earned at least a 3.0 fall GPA began the spring semester with a little bit of an ego. “It was hard to keep them on track and keep them focused,” she admits.
Candi Harris with Chris Fariogun, one of the ELITE students
However, the main difficulty Candi faced was trying to continue a connection with those students who did not qualify for any of the incentives. “I had one student who earned a 2.48,” says Candi. “I know he fell just short. I know he worked so hard. His first grade check form was a 1.0, and he worked double hard to bring that up to a 2.48. I was really proud of that because it was great progress, but he didn’t get the textbook incentive. Trying to keep these students coming to the small groups weekly, the 8 am Saturday morning service projects, was difficult but worth every bit of effort.”
ning. Candi believes “anytime students make that connection on campus with someone, and they know that someone has high expectations of them, that is what makes them successful.” Because of the students’ achievements, Candi remains confident that they will be able to continue their success throughout their undergraduate careers and even their lives. “They know where the resources are; they know why they should be studying; and they know how to go up to their professors. They can be successful as long as they keep their focus,” she says reassuringly. “No matter what the grade outcome is, they now have finished one full year of college and the chances of them going on and graduating are very, very high.” With poignant emotions, Candi offers her guidance for whomever takes over the ELITE program after her departure from SHSU. “You have to have the passion for this,” she advises. “This group of young men have such unique needs, and to make this program successful, you have to be willing to put in a little bit of extra oomph. That comes with passion. To be frank, there are jobs you can do without having the heart for it, but this is not one of them.” Many Thanks Deserved As Candi discusses her experiences with the students, staff, and faculty at SHSU, she again fights back the tears. “I am very humbled by the amount of confidence people have in me,” she says. Dr. Tamara Waggener, who is also the academic advisor for the Master of Public Administration, nominated Candi for various acknowledgments and recognitions. With Dr. Jeongwoo Kim’s encouragement and supervision, Candi presented the results of the ELITE program at the Western Social Science Association Conference in April 2011. Dr. Bernice Strauss continues to encourage Candi to pursue a
A Bittersweet Experience Candi describes her time at SHSU as more than just a memorable experience. As she reminisces about her time at the SAM Center, she struggles to fight back the swelling tears. “I really enjoyed my time at the SAM Center (even when things have been stressful!) and the way in which I was able to work so closely with students,” she exclaims. “I am especially fond of this group of students. We spent almost a year together, meeting weekly—though it felt like daily! They worked hard, made mistakes, learned lessons, worked some more, experienced success, and generally, just touched my heart.” She equates the students’ success to the fact that she and the students made such a strong connection from the begin-
Candi Harris with Miguel Arellano, one of the ELITE students 5
doctoral program. “Dr. Strauss always talks about that when you’re a first generation student, you have this complex that gosh, I never thought I could do that,” says Candi. Now that she has completed the master’s program, she states, “I can’t believe that I did it, let alone doing it while working full time with two kids.” Candi is very thankful to have had such great mentors during her time at SHSU and cannot begin to fully express her deep gratitude to Drs. Strauss, Waggener, and Kim for giving Candi their full support in her professional and academic pursuits. “My four year old talks about going to college,” smiles Candi. “He saw his father graduate in August and saw me graduate again in December with a master’s degree.” After Candi relocated to Dallas with her husband and children, she continued her graduate coursework through distance learning and received her Master of Public Administration in December 2011. Although her life led her away from SHSU, Candi did not leave the SAM Center emptyhanded. Her reports regarding the ELITE program’s successful first year resulted in the THECB awarding the SAM Center another $10,000 grant to continue the program for a second year. In addition, during her last months at SHSU, Candi submitted a $5,000 grant proposal to the International Educational Consultants Association (IECA) for ad-
ditional funding for the ELITE program textbook incentive. “Dr. Strauss called me shortly after I left the SAM Center to tell me that she received a check in the mail,” grins Candi, emphasizing the fact that the IECA grant was one of just a few awarded. Candi is delighted to know that because of her passion in working with students and her determination in seeing the continuation of the ELITE program, she was able to provide the SAM Center with “some exciting prospects for the future!” A Bright Future Ahead Since December 2011, Candi has been working at the University of North Texas for the Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant. Although the grant ends October 2013, Candi remains optimistic that she will be offered a position at UNT within Undergraduate Studies, which will allow her to continue her work with high-need student groups. “Whether it is through higher education or through some social nonprofit education agency,” she says, “I want to continue to work with at-risk populations helping them to go on their way. I am meant to work with young people, helping them to make the best of their lives and to reach their full potential. That is my whole purpose in life.”
Over the past few years, Sam Houston State University has continued to experience a significant increase in master’s, doctoral, and overall graduate enrollments. Additionally, the quality of students admitted into SHSU’s graduate programs has also increased as shown by the average GRE scores.
Graduate Enrollments Fall 2009
Fall 2010
Average GRE Scores
Fall 2011
Master's 1200
3000
1150
2500
1100
2000
1050
1500
1000
1000
950 900
500
From Candi Harris: A Message of Encouragement to the ELITE “The students need to understand that they are great. They have so much potential to do great things in this world— every single one of them, from the ones who had to go on probation to the ones who are orange key applicants. So many of them don’t understand the potential they have and, ten years or five years from now, the men that they are going to be. They need to keep their focus and to understand that great things are ahead of them and that it takes hard work and effort. They need to continue to push on and know that people are rooting for them. They have cheerleaders, and they have others who have high expectations of them, but more importantly, they need to have those expectations of themselves. They are so capable. They are bright young men with great goals. People have said many things about why young men don’t succeed at higher education, but it certainly isn’t because they aren’t goal driven. They have really awesome dreams. I just want them to know that they are great right now and that the potential they have is amazing.” 6
Doctoral
850 Fall 2009
0
Fall 2010
Fall 2011
In addition to the overall increase in graduate enrollments and the increase in the quality of admitted students, the minority populations within the graduate student body have also increased. African American
Hispanic
Asian
Native American
350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Fall 2009
Fall 2010
Fall 2011
From hobby to research: one student’s love for snakes brings him to SHSU
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hroughout his 30 years of life, Edward Tivador, III has surrounded himself with a variety of different reptiles, caring for them since the age of 5. “I love all the different colors and varieties that you see in reptiles,” Ed says. With age, however, his interests shifted from the usual turtles and lizards that children keep to larger reptiles, especially snakes. At home, Ed breeds ball pythons— in addition to spotted turtles and geckos—a hobby he began during his early college years with his interests in ball pythons predominantly being the piebald morphology. “It looks like you took a normal snake and threw white paint on him,” he describes, “so it’s got patches of normal then patches of just bright white.” According to Ed, piebald ball python ancestors originated from Ghana with U.S. populations established relatively recently. Through selective breeding, breeders in Ghana were able to isolate multiple genes that code for skin color, including the piebald morphology. “We’re breeding for technically an imperfection, what would get
them killed in the wild,” Ed explains. Since these snakes are bred in captivity and handled on a regular basis, they are much more docile than their wild counterparts, making them a great choice as pets. Ed sees this selective breeding as the first step in snake domestication and believes that “people should only buy captive bred animals. This way we are not depleting natural populations, plus you generally get healthier pets.” Misunderstood Ed’s respect for these animals is evident through his determination to enlighten people on the benefits and myths of snakes. Ed explains that pit-vipers (Crotalinae)—a subfamily of venomous vipers that includes rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads—serve an important ecosystem role and pose little threat to man. Cottonmouths live in swampy areas and eat mostly aquatic animals, such as fish and frogs, with the occasional rodent while a copperhead’s diet consists mostly of rodents, such as rats
and mice. Like other predators, snakes often prey on “weaker” animals, whose reduced survivability may be due to disease and parasites that may be harmful to humans and other animals. “No predator has a sense of morality. That is a completely human construct, and snakes are no different,” Ed states. While most individuals do their best to avoid snakes, Ed embraces their existence and understands their benefits to the environment. He strongly believes snakes and other predators serve their ecosystems by controlling the populations of other animals, a necessary process for maintaining a healthy ecosystem. For instance, if the growth of these animal populations is left unchecked, rodents would rapidly overrun rural areas, damaging crops as they extend their range, and eventually spread to suburban areas, where predators are even less abundant. “[Snakes] provide a really important ecosystem service, and people just kill them,” Ed says remorsefully. Cottonmouths and copperheads, unlike rattlesnakes, do not have rattles on their tails but do produce a rattling
At home, Ed enjoys his hobby of breeding ball pythons. With a look of admiration, he gazes upon three of his pythons (left). Each of these snakes represents one of three possible skin morphologies. From left to right: homozygous recessive, homozygous dominant, and heterozygous. By Katrina Thornton
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“I was reluctant to make animal care my job because it was my hobby.” sound, according to Ed. By rapidly hitting their tails against leaf litter on the forest floor, these snakes effectively communicate their location. Even though they rattle when agitated, Ed assures people that these snakes, and all snakes for that matter, have no malicious tendencies and only strike out in defense. “They are literally, absolutely terrified of people,” he states adamantly. Because the venom making process is energetically expressive, snakes do not actively use such a valuable resource for anything other than food and protection. If snakes have to constantly produce venom, they would have less energy available for other biological processes, such as reproduction. Even though the few naturally aggressive species—diamondback rattlesnakes, most water snakes, and rock pythons—are not malicious, people have generally labeled snakes as dangerous.
Ed states that he has never been aware of any incident in which a snake blatantly showed aggression towards anyone. He insists that even the large reticulated python attacks shown on news reports are most likely due to the owners’ poor handling and feeding techniques, such as being too rough with the snake or not using gloves when feeding. “Honestly, I can’t imagine a situation where a person gets bitten by a snake, and it is anything but 100% the person’s fault,” Ed stresses. “[Snakes] get a really terrible rep and end up getting killed because of it.” Sliding Toward His Passion Ed’s journey to Sam Houston State University took him from one end of the academic spectrum to the other. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in film/television from the University of Wisconsin, Ed set his sites on professional wrestling, but after beginning
wrestling school, he quickly realized it was not a career for him. Not wanting to work in the film and television industry, Ed had one option left: reptiles. He was hesitant to turn his love and hobby for reptiles into a profession, but after repeated encouragement from friends and family, he overcame his reluctance. “I decided to try it out, and I’m really happy I did,” Ed smiles. “It was a good decision.” He began researching graduate schools across the nation, determined to find a school that met his criteria of 1) working with either pit-vipers or tortoises and 2) studying in a town as small as possible. With SHSU initially meeting both requirements, he contacted Dr. William Lutterschmidt, a physiological ecologist and professor in the Department of Biological Sciences who maintains a colony of pitvipers—a huge advantage that made SHSU one of Ed’s top four graduate school choices.
During his time at SHSU, Ed was also charged with caring for the other snakes in Dr. Lutterschmidt’s lab. These snakes, such as the timber rattlesnake seen below, feed on live white lab mice. At feeding time, Ed would gently toss a mouse into each snake enclosure. The mouse, unaware of its surroundings, begins foraging while the snake, through constantly flicking its tongue, senses the mouse, pinpoints its location, and strikes with quick force. After striking, the snake waits for the venom to course through its prey before pursuing. Snake venom, like fingerprints, has a specific composition for each snake. When ready, the snake flicks its tongue and follows the trail of its venom, eventually reaching its incapacitated prey. The evolution of venom has allowed snakes to adapt a more effective hunting technique, resulting in fewer injuries and less energy expended. 10
His interest in SHSU was soon heightened with a little help from television. While watching Evolve, a miniseries on the History Channel, Ed was thrilled to see Dr. Lutterschmidt explain skin evolution with regard to snakes. Melissa Miller, Dr. Lutterschmidt’s graduate student at the time, also appeared on the episode to discuss her thesis research on evaporative water loss of snake skin. “It was using the same snakes that I use now,” Ed says, “so it was basically from [Melissa] that I inherited my colony.” By the time Ed visited SHSU, he and Dr. Lutterschmidt had already established a great relationship via e-mail and phone. “I walked into the lab, saw the snakes, and knew it was perfect; this is exactly what I had hoped for.” Researching With Pit-vipers While at SHSU, Ed maintained a colony of 27 pit-vipers, using 24 of the individuals in his research, which focuses on determining thermal preferences of cottonmouths and copperheads at different times of digestion. With twelve individuals of each species, evenly split between the sexes, Ed performed analyses based on species, sex, and physiological condition. In order to accurately log the temperatures, Ed used iButtons, small programmable data loggers, which he first coated in a mixture of paraffin and beeswax before surgically implanting one into each snake’s abdomen. Previous studies, as Ed mentions, contained methods of suturing the data loggers to the snakes’ ribs to avoid shifting within the body. However, the wax coated iButtons cause the snakes’ bod-
“I walked into the lab, saw the snakes, and knew it was perfect. This is exactly what I had hoped for.” 11
“If I could stay here, if they had a PhD at Sam, that would really, really be my dream.”
Ed eagerly shows off his colony of pit-vipers. All the cottonmouths in his colony were captured at the field station, whereas the copperheads, he states, were obtained anyway he could get them, from the field station and even some personal yards. ies to respond to the foreign object by enclosing it in a pouch of connective fibrous tissues, offering a less invasive way to keep the data logger secure and ultimately preventing any unnecessary strain on the snake. The iButtons record the temperatures for three different feeding trials: postprandial—immediately after feeding, absorptive—a few days after feeding, and post-absorptive—one to two weeks after feeding. For each trial, Ed placed the snakes, one at a time, in a temperature gradient box, allowing each snake to thermal regulate without any threats or interruptions. For the postprandial trial, immediately after feeding, Ed placed the snakes in the gradient box for 24 hours. Three days after feeding, he again placed the snakes back into the gradient box for the absorptive trial. “The food is generally still in their gut,” says Ed, “but 12
there is not a swell in their stomach like they just ate.” Seven to thirteen days after feeding, when essentially in a state of fasting, he placed the snakes in the gradient box. “We’re kind of telling the story of food digestion,” he explains, in terms of temperature preferences. Once all trials were complete for a snake, Ed removed the iButton and retrieved the data for analysis. From the preliminary postprandial temperature preference data, Ed was unable to find any statistically significant differences in the temperature preferences among the snakes. Future Dreams and Goals After receiving his Master of Science in Biology in August 2011, Ed began working within the Department of Biological Sciences, maintaining the Center for Biological Field Studies and
also the scorpion colony for Dr. Matthew Rowe, a behavioral ecologist/ conservation biologist and professor, while continuing post-masters research. Although Ed jokes that he is “more of a zoo keeper than a traditional scientist” and states that he would enjoy a career where he can study and improve techniques in captive husbandry—the application of scientific principles to animal breeding, he is currently considering doctoral programs at University of Florida and Auburn University, both of which would provide Ed with the opportunity to continue his research of pit-vipers and other southeastern reptiles. Eventually, Ed hopes to return to SHSU after receiving his doctoral degree. “I love it here. If I could stay here, if they had a PhD at Sam, that would really, really be my dream.”
Little Bundles of Joy! Summer 2011 brought more than just warm weather. Two of the female copperheads in Dr. Lutterschmidt’s lab had babies! “We thought they were just fat snakes. Turns out they were pregnant,” laughs Ed. These new additions to the lab brought about great excitement since their exact date of birth are known. After the snakes are tagged and released in the Center for Biological Field Studies, a 250-acre field station located within miles of the SHSU campus, future lab members can track these snakes and measure their growth rates over time. 13
Editing and Publishing — The Interns’ Perspectives
On-Campus Internship for Graduate English Students
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he Texas Review Press at Sam Houston State University offers a unique internship experience for graduate students in the Department of English. The Texas Review Press was founded by Dr. Paul Ruffin, a Texas State Regents Professor and Distinguished Professor for the Department of English, who also serves as Press Director. Annually, the Texas Review Press publishes numerous books, along with two journals, The Sam Houston State Review—a literary magazine of short stories, poetry, and essays written by SHSU students, alumni, faculty, and staff and The Texas Review—a literary journal featuring mostly fiction and poetry, with the occasional creative nonfiction, of authors from around the world. One of the most unique features of the internship program, however, is ENGL 5333 Practicum: Editing and Publishing, a graduate English course taught by Dr. Ruffin. During this course, students work for six hours
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each week at the Texas Review Press where they learn the ins and outs of editing and publishing. “Their experiences include, but are not limited to, evaluating manuscripts (for the journal and for the press), laying out books in InDesign, designing book covers in PhotoShop, copy editing material for both the journal and press, handling correspondence with authors, and representing the journal and press at conferences and book festivals,” states Dr. Ruffin. As part of the Editing/Publishing course requirements, the students work together to produce a book—researching a topic, drafting and editing a manuscript, designing a layout and book cover—to be published through the Texas Review Press. These books are sold all over the world through the Texas A&M University Press Consortium, numerous online sources, and book stores, providing recognition beyond any other program in the nation. Additionally, the students earn
royalties from their book sales—another perk of completing the Editing/ Publishing course. One example of a student publication produced through the Editing/ Publishing course is That Rough Beast, Its Hour Come Round at Last: A History of Hurricane Katrina. The book, published in 2008, follows the devastation of the storm from its beginning as a tropical depression to its end off the eastern coast of Canada, recounts stories from those who barely survived the hurricane’s fury, and includes previously unpublished pictures of the destruction left behind. Another example of a student publication is Upon this Chessboard of Nights and Days: Voices from Texas Death Row, which was published in 2009. The book, which features nonfiction prose written by and artwork created by Death Row inmates from the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas, gained international recognition when featured on Voice of America. By Katrina Thornton
Shortly after receiving his second bachelor’s degree in English with a creative writing emphasis from Texas State University, Doug Haines was accepted into the Master of Arts in English degree program at SHSU and began his internship at the Texas Review Press. He had decided to pursue a graduate degree from SHSU because of his interest in studying under Dr. Ruffin. “I had read some of [Dr. Ruffin’s] fiction before coming here and really liked his style. The fact that he was the Texas State Poet Laureate didn’t hurt either,” laughs Doug. Due to his personal fondness for copy editing, Doug knew the intern-
“I’m a pretty slow reader, biblically slow. Fortunately, this comes in very handy when copy editing because very little gets past me.” - Doug Haines
ship would provide him with an opportunity to put his meticulous personality to good use. “I’m a pretty slow reader, biblically slow. Fortunately, this comes in very handy when copy editing because very little gets past me,” states Doug. “I remember one author that had chosen to date his stories, but he kept making pop-culture references that had not been released and/ or invented yet. After catching the first couple, I knew I was going to have to double check everything from then on… To the Cloud (a.k.a. Google)!” Just as with any job, Doug has faced many challenges throughout his internship. The biggest challenge, he states, was using InDesign and dealing with the numerous inconsistencies between it and Microsoft Word. “Occasionally, one might overhear an intern shouting at his/her computer thanks to these strange glitches,” he says while smiling, “but we work together and can usually get it all figured out one way or another.” Another intern, William Tunningley, moved from Detroit to attend the English program at SHSU. From preliminary research and the quick responses of Dr. Paul Child, academic advisor for the Master of Arts in English, William knew the program’s friendly and inviting environment would provide the perfect opportunity to further his studies. Because of his own personal curiosity in editing, William enrolled as an intern with the Texas Review Press and quickly found himself captivated by the editing process. “There’s an odd satisfaction that comes with finding and correcting little errors,” William says with a smirk. “The greatest excitement/relief comes with finishing a book, though. Not only is there a pride of accomplishment, but after wrestling with a document for a period of time, I’m thrilled to wash my hands of it and
“The greatest excitement/relief comes with finishing a book. The next book may bring more of the same, but it’s a new book, a new challenge.” - William Tunningley
move on to something new. The next book may bring more of the same, but it’s a new book, a new challenge.” William feels that the internship provided him with much more than just the knowledge and skills involved with editing and publishing. “My internship,” he says, “[gave] me the confidence, seeing some of the work that is boldly submitted to our press, to begin putting my work out there for complete strangers to read, criticize, and, perhaps, even chuckle over.” Although several students from outside universities choose to pursue 15
“It was a great feeling to find those tiny inconsistencies within texts. The world needs good editors because we often cannot see mistakes in our own writing.” - Dustin Levien
the Master of Arts in English at SHSU, the program also attracts students from within the university. Dustin Levien, after receiving his undergraduate degree in English from SHSU in May 2009, began the Master of Arts program in English the following fall. “Since I transferred into SHSU from Blinn College,” says Dustin, “I had not taken classes from Drs. Young, Krienke, Hall, Ruffin, or Bridges as an undergraduate, but they have all been instrumental in my graduate studies.” As a graduate assistant for the Department of English, Dustin has worked at the Writing Center, as a teaching assistant, and as an intern for 16
the Texas Review Press. Working at the Texas Review Press allowed Dustin the opportunity to work with Dr. Ruffin in a press that is still thriving even though other university presses have had to shut down. While interning at the Texas Review Press, Dustin’s first manuscript to review was Ice House Sketches by Robert Phillips. During his initial attempt at editing, Dustin became quite interested in the story and found it difficult to focus on the words, grammar, and punctuation in order to complete the editing process. “It is a wonderful book, one of my favorites that I dealt with during my internship,” he says. Although editing and formatting require vigorous attention to detail, the processes unfortunately became a little tedious and frustrating for Dustin, but regardless, as he admits, “It was a great feeling to find those tiny inconsistencies within texts. The world needs good editors because we often cannot see mistakes in our own writing.” “I feel like the Texas Review Press gave me the start that I need to pursue a career in the publishing industry, “ states Dustin, “which is something I have not ruled out entirely for my future.” After his internship, Dustin enrolled in the Editing and Publishing course offered through the Department of English, where he worked with other graduate students in writing, editing, designing, and producing a book—which is scheduled for publication in the next year—about Dan Phillips, a local house builder who uses recycled materials. “I would have never considered doing something like that without some prior knowledge of editing and publishing,” says Dustin. “It was an exciting book project, and I am looking forward to its publication.” Leann Fischel, another Sam Houston graduate, earned her bachelor’s degree in December 2010 with a major in English and a minor in creative writ-
ing. Although she initially chose to branch out and attend The University of Texas at San Antonio for her master’s degree, she quickly discovered that the program was not what she expected. In the fall of 2011, Leann returned to SHSU upon her acceptance to the Master of Arts in English. “That experience made me realize where I wanted to be,” says Leann. “Sam Houston is really an extraordinary place. Small classes, approachable professors, and the university itself were all reasons that I came back.” As a graduate assistant in the Department of English, Leann was given the opportunity to work as an intern
with the Texas Review Press. “As an intern, I’ve learned about the creative writing side of the spectrum—submissions, subscriptions, books, editing and revising processes,” she explains. “The first manuscript I edited and formatted was Walking Home: A Memoir of Being Raised Hispanic in Houston by Sarah Cortez. This piece was my introduction not only to the manuscripts at the Review, but also my first attempt at using Adobe InDesign.” Although Leann does not find the act of editing—correcting grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, emitting or adding punctuation, verifying the accurateness of the table of contents—as the most exciting part of the internship, she has found a great enjoyment in the world of editing and publishing. She remains grateful for the experience and appreciates the complexities with editing and formatting, describing the processes as “tasks that demand attention to detail and careful reading.” In addition to her experiences at the Texas Review Press, Leann feels that the internship has provided her with “insight into working as part of a team in the publishing world.”
MA in English Graduates — Where are they now? Allison Sigler (August 2010) • Thesis: Harry Potter is Not What He Seems: An Analysis of the Ambiguity of Evil in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows • Doctoral student, English as a Foreign Language, Ohio State University Heather Brown (May 2011) • Thesis: Irish Identity in W.B. Yeat’s Cuchulainn Cycle: Postcolonial Revisionist Myth and The Creation of National Identity • Doctoral student, English, Kent State University
“I really had no idea what I wanted to write about. Luckily, I took a directed study class on Irish literature, and that ended up being the starting point for my thesis.” – Heather Brown Christopher McCracken (May 2011) • Thesis: The Shining and Other Stories and Other Stories • Doctoral student, English (Rhetoric and Composition), Kent State University Rachel Bryant (May 2011) • Thesis: Dead Letters of Negotiation: Surviving Canadian Nationalisms and Transnationalisms • Doctoral student, English, University of New Brunswick
New Degree in Creative Writing!
“Sam Houston is really an extraordinary place. Small classes, approachable professors, and the university itself were all reasons that I came back.” - Leann Fischel
The Department of English has announced a new degree, a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing, and is now taking applications for the Fall 2012 semester. The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing is designed to assist students in their development as writers of fiction, poetry, and/or creative nonfiction by deepening the student’s critical engagement with language and literature while also providing practical, hands-on experience in the field of editing and publishing. For details, please contact the program director, the Office of Graduate Studies, or visit www.shsu.edu/graduate/creativewriting.html. Office of Graduate Studies Sam Houston State University 936.294.1971 graduate@shsu.edu
Dr. Scott Kaukonen Program Director 936.294.1407 cwmfa@shsu.edu 17
Defining the Roles of Reading and Literacy Coaches
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ae Lane, who recently received her Doctorate of Education in Reading from Sam Houston State University, has a long history in public education. The irony with regard to her career path in public education lies in the fact that Mae had initially never intended to pursue a career in education. With her entire family involved in some realm of education—first grade teacher, professor, educational diagnostician, secondary education teacher, reading specialist, superintendent—she was adamant that her path would not lead her towards the classroom. Mae’s grandmother, who was a first grade teacher and reading specialist, began this family of educators, setting in
motion a family love for education, especially for reading, that would still be alive generations later. “My grandmother was very advanced for her time,” states Mae. “She did a lot of things that research [has proven] effective, things like clapping out the syllables and movements associated with reading.” Determined to shape her own career path, Mae found work in the corporate world as a training specialist, but after just a few years, she began to feel uninterested in her job and realized that she was destined for a career that offered more meaning on a grander scale. Although she had tried desperately to avoid a career in education, her family heritage had already instilled in her the makings of a great educator. “I fought it as long as I could, but it’s in my blood I guess,” Mae says with a smile.
Discovering the Perfect Program Although Mae’s journey culminated on the steps of the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum, her voyage of discovery began almost a decade earlier and over 200 hundred miles away in Dallas. She began her pursuit of a doctorate at a university in Dallas studying education administration. However, after completing two semesters, Mae realized that she “no longer had a passion for administration.” With a longing to study a subject more in tuned to her personal desires, she began searching for a doctoral program in reading. After spending many hours researching, Mae came to the realization that only a couple 18
By Christopher O’Brine
of schools in Texas offer a doctorate strictly in reading, none of which were in Dallas. With her family and work in the Dallas area, Mae settled for a respected doctoral program in education with an emphasis in literacy but again found herself facing that familiar feeling of discontent. With her passion for reading and literacy remaining strong, Mae knew she needed to find a doctoral program to fit her goals and ambitions of improving literacy in schools. “I have always had a love of reading. If you can’t read, you can’t do anything,” Mae states. She believes that the inability to read “is such a handicap for students who are very bright but struggle in that one area.” For these students, reading can greatly hinder their learning and overall achievement. After the tragic passing of her mother, Mae felt that she needed a change in her life and reopened her search for the perfect doctoral program. “I was working as an assistant principal. I had wonderful teachers, a wonderful principal, and a great campus,” she says, “but I got tired of dealing with difficult parents. Even though it was the only thing I didn’t like, it’s what took a significant amount of time [out of] my day. I just thought I cannot do this anymore, and it was time to make a change. It’s now or never!” She decided to visit two Texas schools that offered a doctorate in reading, one of which was Sam Houston State University. However, soon after arriving on campus and meeting with Dr. Debra Price, director of the doctoral reading program and professor in the Department of Language, Literacy and Special Populations, Mae knew SHSU was where she belonged. In order to dedicate her time and energy to her doctoral program, Mae sold her house and moved her life to Huntsville.
Job Guidelines for Literacy Coaches Through her experiences with public education, Mae has always been aware of the literacy issues faced within schools.
“There [have] never [been] clear guidelines as to the entire scope of what literacy coaches should or could do for their schools,” Mae explains. As a research assistant for the Department of Language, Literacy and Special Populations at SHSU, Mae worked with Dr. Price and Dr. Mary Robbins to survey (1) if school districts in the area had evaluation forms for reading and assistant literacy coaches and (2) how these evaluations corresponded to their literacy coach job description. Surprisingly, the three of them found that these districts were using evaluations that had only “about a 30% correlation to the actual job of a literacy coach.” Working with Huntsville ISD literacy coaches, Mae, Dr. Price, and Dr. Robbins developed a more effective evaluation form, which the school district piloted in 2010. “Some principals are even using it with their behavior coaches and other academic coaches,” Mae adds, “including adapting it for math coaches.” Mae parlayed this initial study into her dissertation research—determining if the evaluation form created for Huntsville ISD effectively measures the job performance of literacy coaches. In order to determine the effectiveness of the form, Mae generated a multiple section survey in which
“My grandmother was very advanced for her time. She did a lot of things that research [has proven] effective” 19
“I feel like if I could just change one or two teachers, then I know that they will effectively be able to inspire” each section included a Likert-type scale and comments. At the end of the survey, Mae included an open-ended questions section regarding self-efficacy. In hopes of finding literary coaches willing to complete the survey, Mae posted the evaluation form and survey on SurveyMonkey.com, contacted local school districts, and posted the survey link on the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) website. By the beginning of the Fall 2010 semester, Mae had received some responses but not as many as she had hoped. She took this preliminary data along with her research proposal to the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) conference in Nebraska. Dr. Rita Bean, professor at the University of Pittsburgh and leading expert in the field of literary coaching, who also attended the conference, expressed her excitement about Mae’s research. “Dr. Bean was thrilled with the research,” says Mae. “She thought it could be a real contribution. She actually e-mailed me [requesting] that I send her the direct link to my survey [in order to find] some other literacy coaches to respond as well.” Mae’s survey responses came from a variety of educators, including professors who work with future educators, campus administrators, central office administrators, reading specialists, and consultants. “I had 89 responses from 26
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different states and one from an American school in Brazil,” Mae states. “It was kind of cool to see that universally there is an issue with valid measure of literacy coaches.” Along with the survey, Mae completed interviews with four literacy coaches, each from a different school district. After finishing her data collection, Mae eagerly dove into her responses and preliminarily reports and found that most of the individuals who completed the survey “found a majority of the [evaluation] items as either important or essential.” In addition, most of the open-ended questions received positive responses, including that the evaluation form “clarified the job expectations of the literacy coach” and “would help with setting goals and self-reflection.” From her survey responses, Mae concluded that, overall, the literacy coach evaluation form was a valid instrument for assessing the job descriptions and performance of literacy coaches. Because of her research, literacy coaches now have better defined roles in their careers which, in turn, may provide them with the credibility necessary to believe in themselves as educators.
A Teacher Forever Although Mae’s acceptance into the doctoral program removed her from the classroom, her removal from teaching was only temporary. During her time as a graduate student, she worked as a doctoral teaching assistant within the College of Education. Her teaching assistantship allowed her to instruct undergraduate education majors at SHSU about content reading for secondary teachers. “I feel like if I could just change one or two teachers,” Mae says, “then I know that they will effectively be able to inspire and have an effect on a lot of students throughout their careers.” Her love for impacting future educators also provided the opportunity for her to teach as a clinical assistant professor for the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, teaching classes in human growth and learning, elementary education, and secondary education. “I had a good experience in public schools. I taught high school and middle school English, was an assistant principal at middle school and elementary school, and taught elementary language arts,” says Mae. However, after 18 years in public education, Mae looks forward to her new career in higher education.
Photo courtesy of Brian Blalock
Sam Houston State University
College of Education
The Standard of Excellence in Teacher Preparation Accredited Since 1954
Main Campus • Huntsville, TX | The Woodlands Center • College Park Drive • The Woodlands, TX University Park–Northwest Houston Campus • SH 249 • Houston, TX | SHSU Online 21
Using bacteria to “clean up” the world
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s children, we are all asked the same question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” For Rebecca Ann Montes, the answer was simple; she wanted to be a doctor, but, of course, as she grew older, her career interests frequently changed from doctor to pediatrician to forensics. Her interest in science, however, never wavered. Rebecca began her undergraduate career at Sam Houston State University with a major in forensic chemistry, still fixated on becoming a forensic pathologist. After a couple years of general chemistry courses, Rebecca changed her major to chemistry. “I fell in love with the research aspect of chemistry,” Rebecca says with a smile, “with finding new ways to experiment with chemicals and new ideas to implement into research which could potentially help the environment.” One reason for Rebecca’s change in major was her educational experiences with Dr. Thomas Chasteen, an analytical environmental chemist and professor in the Department of Chemistry. Because of his enthusiasm in the classroom, Rebecca chose Dr. Chasteen as her summer undergraduate research advisor. “I greatly enjoy his
love for chemistry and his love for research,” she says. “I enjoyed working with him so much as an undergrad that I decided to keep working with him as a graduate. He has taught me so much about chemistry and about life in general.”
Bacteria and Metalloids Rebecca’s graduate research involves the study of the toxic effects of molecules containing metalloids and the effects of these compounds on metalloid-resistant bacteria. Metalloids are naturally occurring metal-like trace elements that can be useful for cellular metabolism at low concentrations while high concentrations can cause deformation and eventual death to most organisms. Metalloidresistant bacteria, however, can survive and grow in areas with high concentrations of metalloid-containing molecules. According to Rebecca, mining and oil refineries produce waste that contain selenium and tellurium oxyanions—metalloids which, in this form, are toxic to most organisms. “In order to get rid of that waste without making it harmful to the environ-
ment, you need to break down that selenium and tellurium into less toxic [forms],” explains Rebecca. These metalloid-resistant bacteria convert the selenium and tellurium oxyanions into their elemental non-toxic forms, making the waste material acceptable for introduction into the environment. Although the exact mechanism for this conversion is unknown, Rebecca speculates it could be a defense mechanism that evolved for bacterial survival. In her research, Rebecca uses two strains of metalloid-resistant bacteria, LHVE and TM1b, isolated from Chilean copper mines by microbiologists at the Universidad de Santiago de Chile and provided to SHSU through an exclusive collaboration. She intends to determine the maximum concentration of selenium and tellurium the bacteria can withstand. Rebecca performs minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) experiments to measure the concentrations at which bacterial growth is simply inhibited; the bacteria survive but are unable to reproduce. Using a wild-type E. coli, she also monitors the effects of selenium and tellurium on non-metalloid resistant bacteria.
“I fell in love with the research aspect of chemistry, with finding new ways to experiment with chemicals and new ideas to implement” 22
By Katrina Thornton
SHSU Chemistry Research Leads to Collaboration with Scientists in Chile Sam Houston State University’s Department of Chemistry formed a collaboration with the biochemists and microbiologists at the Universidad de Santiago de Chile due to a shared research interest which, unfortunately, Chilean researchers were unable to pursue at their university. The collaboration officially began when a doctoral student from Santiago travelled to SHSU to work in Dr. Chasteen’s lab. Over the next nine years, four additional doctoral students travelled to SHSU to work in his lab. Additionally, during this time, Dr. Chasteen travelled four times to Chile to work with the Chilean students in their research labs. This international collaboration has provided a huge benefit for all students involved. Students from Dr. Chasteen’s lab have been able to work with the doctoral-level students from Chile while the Chilean students travelling to SHSU have had the opportunity to perform research that would have otherwise not be available to them. “All of these interactions,” says Dr. Chasteen, “result in collaborative research projects that culminate in the presentation of our work at national and international scientific meetings and twelve peer-reviewed publications so far.” The collaborative research has been partially funded by the Robert A. Welch Foundation in Texas and the Chilean National Foundation for the Investigation of Science and Technology.
Rebecca uses a microtiter plate for each bacterial strain to perform these experiments. She injects a bacterial sample into each well followed by the selenium and tellurium oxyanions— selenate, selenite, tellurate, or tellurite—which are each represented in two rows. Rebecca uses four oxyanion concentrations for every three wells, decreasing the concentrations twofold across the plate.
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Selenite is more toxic than selenate, but Rebecca explains that “tellurate and tellurite are [much] more toxic than any of the selenium compounds.” Because of this toxicity, the maximum concentrations of the tellurium oxyanions that cause a toxic effect are 1000-times less than their selenium counterparts. The results from the MIC experiments, however, are not an accurate measure of toxicity
due to the varying intermediate colors (see bottom left picture). Therefore, Rebecca determines the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) to see which bacteria are actually dead. To do so, Rebecca plates the bacteria from each well onto separate Petri dishes containing growth medium suitable for each bacteria. After 24 hours, she observes which Petri dishes lack bacterial growth in order to determine which oxyanion concentrations can be considered lethal. In addition, Rebecca is also studying the effects of selenocyanate (SeCN) on metalloid-resistant bacteria, using the same techniques as above. Selenocyanate is known in the scientific community to be toxic to the environment; however, the extent of its toxicity is unknown. Rebecca seeks to provide further insight as to the toxicity levels of selenocyanate and the selenium and tellurium oxyanions, along with the concentrations that the bacteria can withstand. Current US EPA drinking water standards, as she explains, are
“My graduate area of research… the toxic effects of telluriumand selenium-containing compounds on metalloid-resistant bacteria.”
at 50 parts-per-billion, meaning only 50 out of one-billion parts can contain selenium and tellurium compounds. However, refinery wastes containing compound concentrations below the current standard are acceptable for introduction into the environment. Based on her results, Rebecca is hoping that refineries will find a way to implement the research to determine if the metalloid-resistant bacteria could actually convert the selenium and tellurium waste into non-toxic forms in real-life situations. “If a refinery is producing a concentration that is too high for the bacteria,” she concludes, “then we need to find another bacterium that can either grow in high concentrations or find another way to convert [the oxyanions] to a less toxic form.”
Publications and Presentations Due to Rebecca’s contributions to the tellurium and selenium oxyanion research, she was included in the author byline of two peer-reviewed articles, which were published in Analytical Biochemistry and Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Rebecca has also submitted a firstauthor manuscript to the Journal of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, which she hopes will be published this year. In addition to the publications, Rebecca presented her research titled “Toxicity of selenocyanate on the metalloid-resistant bacterium LHVE” at the 14th annual Sam Houston State University Graduate Research Exchange, which was held on March 29, 2011. The Exchange gave her the opportunity to share her research with
other SHSU graduate students across the disciplines.
From Sam Houston to Rutgers After the completion of her research and the successful defense of her thesis titled The Bacterial Toxicity of Selenocyanate and the Incorporation of Tellurium and Selenium in Bacterial Cells, and the Synthesis and Biosynthesis of Cadmium Telluride Nanoparticles and Their Elemental Quantification via ICP-AES, Rebecca was thankful to receive her Master of Science in Chemistry, which was awarded to her on May 12, 2012. During her last year at SHSU, Rebecca was also busy locating a doctoral Chemistry program. “With a doctoral program, I want to stay in environmental [research], and I’m actually interested in doing it with nanotechnology,” she adds.
“We actually had one of our undergrads do some research with nanoparticles [through the collaboration with Chile],” states Rebecca. The Department of Chemistry’s collaborators in Chile have discovered a way to make cadmium telluride quantum dots, or nanoparticles, by using only four reagents. The researchers in Chile are still trying to determine how to use these particles in environmental toxicology. After applying to Rice, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Texas A&M, and The University of North Texas, Rebecca made her decision: Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. Although her doctoral studies will lead her away from nanotechnology, Rebecca is excited to begin her new program in the fall at Rutgers where she will pursue a PhD in Chemistry with a focus in analytical chemistry.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Thomas Chasteen
The above photograph shows a two-liter bioreactor that contains a growing, liquid culture of a bacterium that is converting a toxic, water soluble form of selenium into an insoluble, less toxic (and beautifully red) form. 25
Changing the Perceptions of Society
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eet Amanda Amacker, a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Sam Houston State University, who began her graduate studies after completing her Bachelor in Science in psychology at the University of Houston. During her time at SHSU, Amanda completed the master’s degree in clinical psychology, and after two years, she dived straight into the doctoral program. Presently— having now completed her dissertation—Amanda is working on her pre-doctoral internship at the Federal Correctional Institution in Ft. Worth and plans to graduate in 2012 with her PhD in Clinical Psychology. An accomplished researcher who has already published in journals such as Psychology of Women Quarterly and Violence Against Women, Amanda says psychology was not an obvious career choice at first. She explains, “When I experienced the ‘what am I going to do with my life’ search as a teenager, I realized one aspect I had to have in my career: science. I have always loved the nature of science: hypotheses, results, implications; I adored investigations that could lead to an answer.” Amanda considered various science related majors— even engineering—but she felt compelled by another very strong impulse: to help people. “My personality and interactions seemed to befit a helping or people-oriented profession. Thus, beginning college, I was in a conundrum of sorts regarding career aspirations,” she recalls.
“Beginning college, I was in a conundrum of sorts regarding career aspirations.” 32
After taking her first psychology course, however, Amanda fell in love. “Combining my interest in science with a helping profession was ideal,” she states, “and I enjoyed the subject matter to boot.” During her undergraduate career, Amanda wrote an honors thesis titled “The Role of Self-Construal and Perceived Similarity in Interpersonal Depressed Mood Induction,” which cemented her love of research. “While in graduate school, I completed my master’s thesis, doctoral dissertation, and several independent research projects; I found a field where my thirst for science is quenched. Additionally, the practice of psychology satisfies the people-oriented side of me.”
Social Reactions to Sexual Assault Victims As an undergraduate student, Amanda participated in lab research and discovered an interest in social reactions. “I did some research on social reactions to depressed individuals, and it really got me thinking about how interesting it was that people can be in a certain state and [the] reactions that they receive from others can change their outlook and change what’s going on.” Once at SHSU, Amanda worked with Dr. Heather Littleton, former assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Philosophy, on research involving sexual victimization. This collaboration helped solidify Amanda’s interest in social reactions to sexual assault victims, and in August 2009, she and Dr. Littleton presented a poster titled “Perceived Similarity and Responsibility Attributions to a Sexual Assault Victim” at the American Psychological Association in Toronto, Canada. Since 2008, Amanda has also worked with Dr. Audrey Miller on the study of self-perception and other attribution in context, where she has focused largely on sexual assault research. “Sadly,” Amanda admits, “it is typical for sexual assault victims to be held accountable for their assaults, and I study By Justin Fuller
the mechanisms that influence culpability judgments.” With this, Amanda studies perceived similarity. “Perceived similarity, in the literature in general, has two components: one of them is situational similarity—can I see myself in the same types of situations as an individual (whether the individual is a victim or not), and the other component includes personal factors, such as age and gender.” These two components together comprise perceived similarity, i.e. can one individual see him or herself as relatively similar to another individual. Amanda’s doctoral dissertation, which extended findings from her master’s thesis, considers how similarity judgments affect the degree of blame that people attribute to a victim for the sexual assault. Previous research determined how much people blamed sexual assault victims by describing a victim in a vignette and then asking the research participants 1) how similar they felt they were to the victim and 2) how much they blamed the victim for the assault. This research established that a relationship did exist—people who see themselves as similar to the victim tend not to blame the victim as much.
But what happens to people’s perceived similarity judgments if you record them both before and after a sexual assault? Amanda wanted to explore this phenomenon further by discovering how much sexual victimization altered perceived similarity judgments toward the victim. She hypothesized that similarity perceptions could predict victim blame judgments for the assault. Her results are consistent
“I found a field where my thirst for science is quenched. Additionally, the practice of psychology satisfies the peopleoriented side of me.” 33
“I think my research could help educate people and make us aware of how we react to and treat sexual assault victims.”
“Something I really appreciate about researching sexual assault victimization, especially in a campus population, is that [the research] is very applicable to this environment.” According to Amanda, rape on college campuses is a real issue, and date rape is rampant and largely underreported. “I think that my research and other sexual assault research, especially on social reactions to these victims, could help educate people on what rape is and make us aware of how we react to and treat sexual assault victims.”
Why SHSU? with the defensive attribution hypothesis—individuals are motivated to protect themselves from feeling vulnerable after experiencing others’ adversities, and thus react by ascribing personal responsibility to those who experience misfortunes. From her findings, Amanda concluded that people tend to emphasize their differences with a sexual assault victim even when they had previously reported feeling very similar to the person.
The Broader Impact Although, it is easy for Amanda to become absorbed in her research and excited about the findings, she often asks herself what does this mean for real life.
Amanda chose SHSU’s clinical psychology doctoral program because of its forensic emphasis, allowing her to learn about the intersection of psychology and the law. “Our program is unique in that it is a clinical psychology program that is APA accredited—the gold standard for doctoral programs in psychology—which means we get a broad clinical training.” Amanda adds, “Dr. Mary Alice Conroy, our director of clinical training, who has had a long career in the federal prison system actually doing forensic evaluations for the courts, is able to bring that [forensic experience] into our classes.” This clinical experience allows SHSU doctoral students the opportunity to act as forensic psychologists, alongside licensed psychologists, with responsibilities including performing competency-to-stand-trial evaluations on a defendant.
In addition, the program is flexible enough to allow each student to tailor the program to his or her interests. “We don’t have a direct-mentor model,” says Amanda, “where most doctoral programs match students to a specific advisor.” This lack of a direct-mentor model in SHSU’s doctoral program fosters a highly collaborative environment throughout the entire department. “In our program,” she adds, “we are allowed to seek out multiple mentors depending on our interests, which makes for an excellent ‘open door’ policy among our faculty. Most students work with most faculty—at least in some capacity—throughout their graduate education, and the majority of faculty members collaborate with other faculty members on research projects.” Although Amanda has collaborated more extensively with Dr. Audrey Miller than other faculty members due to similar research interests and personalities, the majority
“Our program is unique in that it is a clinical psychology program that is APA accredited— the gold standard for doctoral programs in psychology.” of doctoral students work with multiple advisors. Amanda states, “I think it’s something that’s really unique and good here.”
Doctorate of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology • Enjoy great funding opportunities. In the fall of 2011, the doctoral program in Clinical Psychology added nine new students to the program and was able to provide 100% funding to all its new graduate students. • Experience clinical psychology at other institutions around the country through the program’s predoctoral internship. Previous students have interned at Baylor College of Medicine, Federal Correctional Institution Ft. Worth, Federal Medical Center Devens, Federal Medical Center Rochester, Fulton State Hospital, Houston Independent School District, Patton State Hospital, U.S. Airforce Lackland, UT Health Science Center, Western State Hospital, and Yale University. Current students are working as interns at Arkansas State Hospital, Connecticut Valley Hospital, Manhattan Psychiatric Center, Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, Patton State Hospital, Utah State Hospital, and Wyoming State Hospital. • Maintain options in your choice of career. Most Clinical Psychology graduates pursue careers as licensed psychologists and are practicing across the country—California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, North & South Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming—and even Saskatchewan, Canada. Some of the graduates choose to teach at universities, such as Argosy University, California State, James Madison University, Marymount University, Southern Connecticut State, Prairie View A&M, UT-Permian Basin, University of Virginia, Valdosta State University, and SHSU.
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Former DEA/ATF agent seeks PhD in Criminal Justice
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octoral student Deborah Sibila had already accomplished a 22-year career in law enforcement, working for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) before she came to the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University.
Officer and the Military Sibila, who participated in Sam Houston State University’s ROTC program, received her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the university in 1980. Within weeks after graduation, she reported to the Military Police School at Fort McClellan, Alabama, for Officer Basic Training. Her initial assignment as Second Lieutenant was at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, with the 543rd Military Police (MP) Company, where she served as a platoon leader for a garrison MP Company responsible for routine law enforcement duties on a major military installation. Sibila still vividly recalls her first public disturbance call at the military bowling alley, where a fight between
patrons turned into a parking lot brawl and forced her to call for backup. About 50 drunk and disorderly soldiers, who didn’t particularly like law enforcement, had surrounded her and three of her MPs. “Nothing really trains you for that first incident,” admits Sibila. “You’re about to get your butt kicked, but you have to keep your head and make sure that your people do their jobs professionally while still looking after themselves and the people they’re supposed to protect.” Luckily, reinforcements quickly arrived on the scene with two military patrol dogs that rapidly dispersed the crowd. “I really learned how to appreciate dog handlers that night,” she says. After Fort Knox, Sibila was reassigned to Fort McClellan to the 12th MP Battalion, where she was responsible for coordinating training for six MP companies. She remained at Fort McClellan for the rest of her military career.
Never a Dull Moment After four years of active duty, Sibila left the military and took a job with the Defense Investigative Service, where
she conducted background investigations for military and Department of Defense personnel seeking Top Secret clearances. The job entailed interviewing neighbors, colleagues, and friends; credit and criminal history checks; and conducting in-depth personal interviews. “You got good at interviewing people and eliciting information that they do not necessarily want to give you,” says Sibila. “Writing and the ability to communicate were extremely important.” Deficiency in writing and communicating, as she states, can make you appear incompetent and “takes away your credibility as an investigator.” In 1987, Sibila moved to Houston after being offered a position as a Special Agent for BATFE, a federal agency charged with protecting communities from violent criminal organizations; the illegal use and trafficking of firearms and explosives; acts of arson, bombing and terrorism; and the illegal diversion of alcohol and tobacco. After spending a year investigating arson for profit in the commercial sector, Sibila began working with a joint task force gang unit consisting of members from
“I always remember wanting to be a cop, to help people, and to make a difference.” By Beth Kuhles
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“My strength is that being a practitioner, I can bring a unique perspective to teaching.” the BATFE, DEA, and Houston Police Department. While assigned to the unit, she worked undercover, posing as the girlfriend of a biker gang member. “I liked the undercover work,” Sibila laughs. “It was like play acting.” Because of her joint task force work with the DEA, the agency offered her a job where she again was involved in undercover work. One week after graduating from the DEA academy, Sibila orchestrated a buy-bust
operation to capture a major dealer. The bust was successful, and Sibila and her team arrested the suspects and seized $50,000 in cash and five cars. “I drove away in a BMW on New Year’s Eve 1991,” she says. “There were agents running all around. We got five vehicles, money, and three search warrants.” In 1999, Sibila was promoted to Supervisory Special Agent and transferred to Brownsville, Texas, where
she supervised a task force group that targeted a Mexican drug cartel responsible for the transportation of drugs across the Mexican border. In those days, according to Sibila, Mexico was merely a conduit for cocaine and marijuana from South America, but today, it is a major producer of those drugs as well as methamphetamines. After a successful run at Brownsville, Sibila spent three years assigned to DEA Headquarters in Washington D.C. where she was responsible for writing operational policy that governed DEA law enforcement procedures throughout the world. However, her policy writing came to an end in 2005 when her mother became terminally ill. Knowing that she needed to be with and care for her mother, the agency granted Sibila a hardship transfer to the DEA Office in San Antonio, Texas, where she supervised an enforcement group of approximately 10 to 12 agents. In July 2009, she retired from the agency. Life with the DEA was often times stressful, Sibila recalls. Long hours, in addition to working day-in and dayout with the criminal element, meant there were few outside friends. The job became your life. Sometimes, she saw fellow agents failing to follow proper protocol in situations that were potentially dangerous for the agent(s) and co-workers. “It’s an ‘us verses them’ attitude. I saw the reality of it,” she says.
A Future in Teaching After retiring from the DEA, Sibila wanted to begin a new career path: sharing her knowledge and experiences through teaching. She decided it was time to earn a doctorate and less 38
than a month later—armed with Hazelwood grants provided to qualified Texas veterans—she returned to SHSU to pursue her PhD in Criminal Justice. Sibila has always had an “underthe-skin” desire to teach, stemming from one of her undergraduate classes taught by Dr. Sam Souryal, professor for the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University. His passion for the subject, enjoyment in teaching, and positive interactions with students helped pave the way for Sibila’s future, and the fact that she strongly identified with Dr. Souryal in terms of career paths also helped. “He had a law enforcement career and then went to teaching,” says Sibila. “I knew even then that I wasn’t going straight for the teaching bit. I was going into law enforcement, and then maybe, I would have another career after that.” In the fall of 2009, Sibila began her first semester as a doctoral student in the College of Criminal Justice, and in November, she appeared as a guest speaker at Real Talk with CJ, a seminar series sponsored by the College of Criminal Justice in which professionals in the field discuss their experiences and what it takes to succeed. Sibila’s experience with Real Talk gave her an exciting sneak peak at teaching. From the moment she began speaking, she felt herself come alive in front of the audience and knew she belonged in front of a classroom. “My strength is that being a practitioner, I can bring a unique perspective to teaching,” says Sibila. “I always remember wanting to be a cop, to help people, and to make a difference. I knew one day, I would come back and want to share what I had learned through my career with the
Photo by Harriet McHale
next generation of law enforcement professionals.”
Researching the Role of the Detective Now in her final semesters of coursework, Sibila has set her sights on research. She is working with Dr. Larry T. Hoover and Dr. Willard Oliver on investigation and detective work. “So little has been written about the role of detectives and what exactly they do,” she says. “Even looking up material about detectives is so limited.” As an investigator for over 20 years, Sibila investigated firearms, illegal trafficking of explosives, money laundering, and narcotic trafficking but never really thought about why detectives did certain things. “It was almost instinctive going from one point to another,” she recalls.
With so few practitioners returning to obtain a doctoral degree, Sibila believes her experiences will give her unique perspective on the investigative process and detective work involved. “I think this is going to be my niche—working with investigations and what detectives do.”
Other Duties as Assigned In addition to her studies, Sibila is enjoying her time as an instructor and is teaching “Criminal Investigation” this spring semester. She also currently serves on the advisory board for the Drug Impairment Training for Texas Employers (DITTE), a program designed to educate Texas employers in order to help employers recognize the signs and symptoms of impairment due to alcohol, illegal drug, and prescription drug use.
“I think this is going to be my niche — working with investigations and what detectives do.” 39
Q & A with Daron Peschel Vice President in Charge Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas–Houston Branch Alumnus – Sam Houston State University
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aron Peschel, Vice President in Charge of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas–Houston Branch, has a hefty job responsibility. At only 45 years of age, Daron oversees the operations of one of only twelve regional federal reserve banks in the country. So, the question is: How did he get here? Daron joined the Federal Reserve Bank in 1989 as a management intern at the Houston Branch. In 1994, he was selected to serve on special assignment at the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., and in 1998, he was named Operations Officer. Since joining the Bank’s official staff, he has served as principal team member and financial officer for the Houston Branch building project; overseen the Branch’s cash operations, financial management, administrative services, and property management; and served as Secretary to the Houston Branch Board of Directors. In 2011, Daron was named Vice President in Charge of the Houston Branch, with responsibility for the Bank’s operations in 41 Texas counties. Daron also provides leadership in the community, serving on the Advisory Board for the Chair of Banking at SHSU and the boards of Junior Achievement, Central Houston, and Buffalo Bayou Partnership.
Quick Facts
Photo courtesy of Daron Peschel.
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Education:
University of Texas at Austin, BBA – Finance Sam Houston State University, MBA – Banking and Financial Institutions
Family: Married to Susie (19 years) Two daughters – Brooke and Bailey Interests: Financial Literacy & Civic Affairs Long-distance Running – more than 20 marathons completed By Somer Franklin
In order to shed a little more light on his path to success and what he is doing now, Daron recently spoke with the Office of Graduate Studies staff regarding his background and career. Office of Graduate Studies: Where are you from? Daron: My family’s roots are in Texas, but my father was in the military, so we moved constantly while I was growing up, including three years in the Philippines. I went to a dozen different schools but came back to Texas for college. I’ve been in Houston now for 23 years, and I’m proud to call it my “adopted” hometown. Office of Graduate Studies: How did you first become interested in Finance? Daron: Finance is in my DNA. My father was a career military financial officer, and he taught us that one of the best ways to truly understand an organization is to compre-
hend its financial underpinnings. His idea must have taken root—my sisters are accountants, my brother studied data processing, and I pursued a career in finance. Although I hate to admit it, my father, as usual, was right. Office of Graduate Studies: What made you decide to pursue an MBA? Daron: There is no question that in today’s competitive global marketplace, learning has evolved from a sporadic event to a life-long pursuit. After receiving my undergraduate degree in finance, I fully planned to work and pursue an MBA program but could not find a good fit for my niche needs, so I settled for a number of executive education programs. Then SHSU introduced the Banking MBA, and I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it and graduated as part of the second cohort of this specialized degree.
“My decision to choose SHSU came down to one simple fact: Sam is the only university in the nation that offers a fully accredited MBA in commercial banking.”
Office of Graduate Studies: Why did you chose SHSU for your MBA?
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“One of the most rewarding aspects of the program is the professional relationships that continue with my professors and cohort members to this day.” Daron: Considering that my family has matriculated at UT Austin for three generations, choosing to break tradition for another “orange” school was difficult. But there are many advantages to Sam’s graduate program, from its rigorous academic framework to its cuttingedge format. Ultimately, my decision to choose SHSU came down to one simple fact: Sam is the only university in the nation that offers a fully accredited MBA in commercial banking. Office of Graduate Studies: How would you describe your experience in the MBA program at SHSU? Daron: Except for being near the tail-end of the age distribution curve of my cohort, the program exceeded all my expectations. The curriculum provided a blend of theory and real-life application with a concentration in disciplines critical and relevant to banking. The faculty members were highly engaged and accessible, and the very small class size ensured robust interaction and personal attention. This winning formula was further enriched by the professional experiences of my cohort and the vast network of Texas bankers connected to SHSU. One of the most rewarding aspects of the program is the profes-
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sional relationships that continue with my professors and cohort members to this day. I have yet to attend a major banking function in Texas and not cross paths with someone affiliated with Sam’s banking program. Office of Graduate Studies: What is your role as a member of the Advisory Board for the Chair of Banking at SHSU? Daron: The Chair of Banking program is one of the crown jewels in SHSU’s College of Business Administration. Dr. James Bexley has built a unique and nationally recognized program that is helping to develop the next generation of bankers and sharpen the skill set of mid-career professionals. My role as an advisory member is to serve as a resource to ensure the program is meeting the academic and emerging needs of the financial industry, suggest and review potential opportunities for the program, and act as a liaison. The advisory board represents a tremendous cross-section of Texas banking, and I am honored to serve on it. Office of Graduate Studies: As Vice President in charge of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas–Houston Branch, how would you describe your job responsibilities?
Daron: To understand my role, it’s helpful to review what the Fed does. As the central bank of the United States, the Fed is responsible for fostering a sound banking system and a healthy economy. It conducts monetary policy, supervises and regulates banks, and provides financial services to banks and government. Because Houston is the fourth largest city in the U.S. and a global economic center, the Houston Fed is a large and very active Federal Reserve branch. The branch has the second largest cash vault in the country (only the New York Fed’s is bigger), and we process currency day and night to keep up with the demand. We have several research economists based here, who focus on energy and other regional industries. Many foreign banks have offices in Houston, so the branch has a staff of bank examiners with this specialization. Public outreach plays a key role for us, as it helps us maintain an economic dialogue with the community. We host thousands of visitors each year in our visitor center and conference center, including business, banking, academic, and civic groups. Our community development staff partners with organizations throughout Houston and Southeast Texas, and we sponsor a wide variety of economic education programs.
Smith-Hutson Building
So, my job responsibilities, in a broad sense, are to oversee the local implementation of these activities. Office of Graduate Studies: Is there a particular passion you bring to your leadership of the Houston Branch? Daron: There are two, really. First, I’m a huge advocate of financial literacy. In 2010, 1.6 million students earned bachelor’s degrees from U.S. colleges—and that same year, over 1.5 million Americans filed for bankruptcy. When you have as many Americans filing for
bankruptcy as graduating from college, it’s clear that yes, Houston, we do have a problem. That’s why programs like Junior Achievement are so important. My second passion is community stewardship. Ensuring that Houston remains a great place to live and work makes sense both economically and in terms of the legacy we leave the next generation. Office of Graduate Studies: What advice would you offer to a potential or recent Business graduate? Daron: Make sure you have integrity in everything you do. I would
advise any graduate to carve this into a mental stone tablet. Office of Graduate Studies: As an avid distance runner, have you discovered any parallels between the business world and running? Daron: Absolutely. Whether in marathons or professional life, there is no substitute for self-discipline, proper training, adaptability, goals, and a can-do attitude. It also helps if you love what you are doing. Lacking any one of these qualities dramatically increases your chances of “hitting the wall.”
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Stats on Statisticians Graduates of the Master of Science in Statistics degree program are sought after by top-rated Statistics doctoral programs nationwide. Whether these students pursue a doctoral degree, opt for a career in the corporate world, accept a profession in research, or decide to become a teacher, they will, no doubt, be successful in their careers and lives. Ryan Sides • Graduation Date: May 2011 • Project: An Introductory Look at the Situational Context Inherent in the RBI using Both an Analytical and Intuitive Modeling Approach • Occupation: Doctoral student, Baylor University “I really enjoyed my time at Sam Houston State. I made relationships with professors and other students that will last for the rest of my life. I came into SHSU fairly unfamiliar with my field, and as I work towards a PhD at another institution, I feel more prepared than ever.” Karrie Everett • Graduation Date: December 2010 • Project: Bayesian Quality Control: x-Bar Charts • Occupation: Mathematics teacher, Episcopal High School “I could have chosen almost anywhere to go to graduate school, but I chose SHSU because of the sense of community in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics. Many of my professors went above and beyond what was required. Looking back, my teaching assistantship was more valuable to me than I realized at the time. It taught me leadership skills and forced me to look at statistics in a different perspective.” Svetlana Steich • Graduation Date: May 2010 • Project: Analysis of Hurricane Frequency and Power via Quality Control Tools • Occupation: Instructor of Mathematics, Paris Junior College “The small class size at Sam Houston State University guarantees one-on-one time with the professors. Also, the program is very foreigner friendly, and professors are always patient with their students who do not speak English as their first language. I feel that this program has prepared me very well for my next step in life.”
Shamitha Ranwala • Graduation Date: May 2010 • Project: A New Method for Ranking Cricket Teams • Occupation: Doctoral student, University of Louisiana at Lafayette “Statistics is an extremely diverse discipline and can be applied to almost every type of science. The truth is no applied science is complete without statistical reasoning and support. The Statistics program at SHSU is designed to give a broad coverage of both statistical theory and application, with the flexibility to address your interests.” Ranil Samaratunga • Graduation Date: May 2010 • Project: Analysis of the Hosmer Lemeshow Goodness of Fit Test • Occupation: Doctoral student, Southern Methodist University “The master’s program helped enhance my knowledge on theoretical aspects as well as practical applications of statistical science. Completing the program under the guidance of an exceptional faculty in a friendly environment was a great educational experience for me. It gave me the confidence to progress towards my goal of becoming a qualified person in the field of statistics.” Uditha Wijesuriyan • Graduation Date: May 2010 • Project: The Synthetic S^2 Control Chart • Occupation: Doctoral student, University of Texas at Dallas “I am so proud to be a grad student at SHSU. It was my first exposure with the US education system and the faculty. I was fortunate to have such excellent faculty for my studies. As a result, I could step on to the next level at UTD as I desired. I am thanking all of you for recommending me there. I can never forget all the things gathered to my life from SHSU.”
Honors & Awards STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS • Agriculture student Amy Wilson was awarded the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award from North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture. • Andrés Olaya Ruiz, MA in Spanish student, published a short story in the Spanish magazine “Solanuna.” • Leah McAlister-Shields, Helen Jackson, and Hilton LaSalle, doctoral students in the College of Education, won the 2012 “Dean’s Award for Exceptional Graduate Student Research” at Southwest Educational Research Association conference.
• Robin Jackson and Youngoh Jo, doctoral students in Criminal Justice, won 1st and 2nd place, respectively, at the Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice Conference fall 2011 paper competition. • Rebecca Hamlin received the Outstanding Contribution to Public Service Award from the Texas Psychological Association in 2011. • Biology student Cheramie Trahan won 2nd place in a graduate poster presentation at the American Society for Microbiology Texas Branch Spring 2012 conference.
FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS • Jonathan Charles Smith, assistant professor of Dance, choreographed an all men’s ballet which was selected for performance at the American College Dance Festival Association regional conference Gala Concert. • Dr. Stanley Kelley was named Associate Editor for the Texas Journal of Natural Resources and the President for Agricultural Consortium of Texas. • Dr. Terri Lesesne was the National Council of Teachers of English winner of the Richard Halle Award for Excellence in Teaching. • Dr. Gene Theodori received the 2011 Excellence in
Research Award from the Southern Rural Sociology Association • Drs. Doug Ulrich and Dwayne Pavelock were awarded a $301,000 grant from the TEA Professional Development in Advanced Animal Science. • Dr. Kevin Clifton, assistant professor of music theory, was elected to the Executive Board of the Texas Society for Music Theory. • Dr. Rich Bruhn was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists.
DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS • Biological Sciences hosts seminar series each semester allowing students the opportunity to meet with researchers from all over the nation. • College of Education has been named by U.S. News and World Report as being in the top 14 Online Education Graduate Programs in the Country. • The College of Education and Office of Graduate Studies co-sponsor an annual Graduate Research Exchange for SHSU graduate students to present their research to the university.
• The Department of Computer Science houses a Digital Forensics Network Security Lab to provide training in data and network security along with cyber security intrusion detection, prevention, and tracing. • The Department of History has the 14th largest Master of Arts program, one spot behind Yale. • The Department of Mathematics and Statistics currently houses American Mathematical Monthly, one of the oldest and most prominent journals still published by the Mathematical Association of America.
Office of Graduate Studies SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY
Bobby K. Marks Administration Bldg, Suite 203 1806 Avenue J Huntsville, Texas 77341-2478 Phone: 936.294.1971 Phone: 936.294.2356 Fax: 936.294.1271
shsu.edu/graduate
Office of Graduate Studies A department of the Division of Academic Affairs Dana L. Gibson President Jaimie Hebert Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Richard Eglsaer Associate Provost
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Over 70 graduate programs: • master’s degrees • doctoral degrees • certificate and certification programs Thesis and non-thesis programs available. Flexible course scheduling: • online • evening • weekend • traditional daytime Convenient locations: • SHSU Main Campus • SHSU Online • The Woodlands Center • University Park–Northwest Houston Campus A Member of The Texas State University System © 2012 Sam Houston State University