Department of Educational Administration & Human Resource Development

Today, we are celebrating two graduates of our Higher Education program. Dr. Rafael Almanzar has accepted a new role as the inaugural Assistant Vice President for Student Success at Duquesne University in Pennsylvania. Dr. Symone McCollum has accepted a new role as Assistant Director for the Center for Student Advocacy and Community Engagement at the University of Houston. She is also this year’s recipient of the Mayor of Houston’s Volunteer Appreciation Award.

Their journeys remind us of the lasting impact of mentorship, scholarship, service, and community. Congratulations, Dr. Almanzar and Dr. McCollum. We are proud to celebrate you!

Congratulations to Dr. Lisa Brown on receiving a certificate for early career participation in the Service, Teaching, and Research Mentoring Program. This accomplishment reflects her commitment to growth, learning, and continued excellence as an emerging scholar. We are proud to celebrate this milestone and the mentorship that helps shape the next generation of academic leaders.

What an amazing accomplishment! Dr. Liliana Bravo has completed the 2025–2026 Hispanic Serving Research Universities Postdoctoral Fellowship and recently presented her research at the HSRU Summer Summit at San Diego State University. Her work, “Latinas in STEMM: Building Community and Belonging as Systemic Levers for Change at an HSI-R1,” highlights the power of connection and belonging in supporting student success.

Congratulations, Dr. Bravo, on this outstanding milestone!

What a wonderful reflection of the reach and legacy of our Higher Education program. Two of our graduates at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi have been promoted: Dr. Rosie Banda to full professor, and Dr. Kevin Bazner to associate professor with tenure. These achievements speak to their scholarship, leadership, and continued impact in higher education. They also remind us of the powerful community behind every academic journey: the teachers, advisors, mentors, collaborators, and dissertation committee members who helped shape and support their path.

Congratulations, Dr. Banda and Dr. Bazner. Your EAHR community is proud to celebrate this moment with you!

What does it take to turn a research idea into a long-term scholarly path?

Dr. Elsa Gonzalez recently visited Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to lead a faculty workshop, “Building research trajectories: NSF career and beyond lessons.” The session offered faculty a space to think deeply about research direction, funding strategy, and the kind of scholarly work that grows over time.

Thank you, Dr. Gonzalez, for sharing your experience and helping expand conversations around research, purpose, and impact.

Color, creativity, and community came together once again through our Paint withOUT a Twist session. Hosted by the EAHR Department, this professional development experience offered College of Education staff a meaningful opportunity to pause, reconnect, and engage in reflection through art. More than a painting session, it became a space for renewal, conversation, and shared creativity.

A special thank you to Ryan Cano for leading the painting experience and guiding participants through the session with creativity and care. We also appreciate Dr. Jackie Turner, Marie Shelfer, and Melissa Kuhlmann for their support in making this meaningful gathering possible.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. Moments like these remind us that professional growth can also be joyful, creative, and deeply human.