2025 Graduate & Professional School Awards Program

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Graduate and Professional School

2025

GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL

AWARDS CEREMONY THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1-4 P.M. RUDDER THEATRE & EXHIBIT HALL

PROGRAM WELCOME Mark Gleason Master of Ceremonies Dr. Fuhui Tong Associate Provost and Dean Graduate and Professional School

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RECOGNITIONS Graduate Mentoring Academy Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies

AWARDS Bednarz Award Montgomery Award Outstanding Mentoring Award for Graduate and Professional Students Outstanding Mentoring Award for Faculty Distinguished Dissertation Award

GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL RECOGNITIONS Faculty Aspiring Leadership Fellows Employee Milestones Vision, Values and Excellence Staff Award Above and Beyond Student Employee Award

RECEPTION 2

Rudder Exhibit Hall

Graduate Mentoring Academy Fellows Graduate Mentoring Academy (GMA) Fellows are recognized for their commitment to advancing a culture of mentoring by investing over 10 hours of GMA programming. They have engaged in seven evidence-based competencies, including a capstone session reflecting on their mentoring approach.

Renee Abbott Kaluhath Gayan Abeysinghe Alexander Abuabara Adeolu Adekunle Leticia Adu Kristina Agan Puneeth Ganesh Babu Agoram Samiha Ahmed M G Toufik Ahmed Eneye Ajayi Boluwatife Ajayi Oluwaseun Aladeboyeje Heather Albrecht Hussain Alcassab Emmarie Alexander Alison Altman Crysthal Alvarez Gillian Ampah Chinmay Aras Ifeoluwa Babalola Heather Barreda Luciana Barroso Katherine Barrow Robert Beach Samantha Beevers Lina Bernaola Sarah Berny Vaishak Bhat Christy Blanton Tahereh Boroughani Donald Bowen Matthew Boyce Karen Broussard Catherine Byars Gustavo Camargo Silva Kaitlyn Carter Maryn Cavalier Duncan Christensen Sydney Christensen Hannah Coleman

Claudia Collier Porscha Cooks Kenneth Cooper Michelle Costa*** Jane Cotter Jeremiah Cribley Ryan Davis Jason Dean Ruben Delgado Olivia Dingus Sakina Dixon Damion Dixon Sarah Fisher Sarah Fross Mauricia Gallegos Laura Garcia Abantika Ghosh Emmaleigh Grady Noeline Gunasekara Shalin Gund Shelby Gunnells Ryan Hamberg Aainaafaridah Hamdan Ali Hamed Barghi Sarah Hargett Tania Hasan Andrew Hawkins Stephanie Hendricks Aidan Holman Benjamin Horlick Azile Hotz Sam Hotz Emily Howell Teagen Hruska Yu-Chi Huang Sarah Ingram Jenna Johnson Anna Johnson Jeanna Jones Jason Joseph

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Graduate Mentoring Academy Fellows

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Alaya Keane Hassan Khan Jorja Kimball Harrison Koller Vijay Kumar Koyyada Surya Krishnan Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil Sandra LaBonte Jessica Labonte Jeffrey Lacour Amanda Lacy Rebecca Lee Harrison Lee Aisha Lee-Cobbins Juliet Letteney Peizhen Li Yatta Linhares Boakari Linlin Luo Shikhadri Mahanta Jacob Mankenberg Lilly McAlister Alexia Mejia Trevor Melsheimer Sandra Meyer Doris Migliaccio Haitham Mohammed Pedro Monagas-Valentin Leslie Mora Hayden Moran Matthew Moulton Rika Muhl Chihab Nadri Beiyan Nan Lynette O’Neal Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele Johnson Oladele Tabitha Olsen Michael Onyejanochie Rhea Pai Kelly Pantaleon Isabella Patino Tad Peelen Vivian Peralta Santana Suzanne Peterson

Zurishaddai Powell Satvik Praveen Tyler Prochnow Rick Pulos Vigneshwaran Radhakrishnan Tanvir Islam Rajib Carlos Ramirez Tiash Rana Mukherjee Cory Raney Virginia Redwine Johnson Emily Reed Christopher Reighley Sadiq Rijiya Magda Rodriguez Alondra Rojas Araceli Salinas Alexandra Salinas Daniel Schwartz Sahar Shata Sofia Sheikh Liam Sheppard Kirby Sherman Beth Silvy Reetu Singh Priyanka Sira Prakash Dinuki Siriwardana Elizabeth Smith Trenton Smith Anurag Srivastava Debbie Starnes Nicholas Starvaggi Dylan Stewart Robert Strong Tasnim Sultana Alexandra Svetlik Samantha Sweck Azra Tarman Blanche ter Hofstede Devin Teri Jeewasmi Thapa Kentaro Toyonaga Amanda Trimble Benjamin Ukert Mert Kerem Ulku

Graduate Mentoring Academy Fellows Muhammad Usman Mycha Van Allen Zachariah Vice John Vickers Jenna Vito Judy Waight Sabrina Waite Ziyu Wang Warren Waren Jane Welsh Emma Whaley Bethany Whitemeyer Dallas Williams Heather Williams Nathan Williams Brandon Woo Kimberly Wright Jenna Yentes Anna Yeritsyan Ebtihal Youssef Macy Zardeneta Nan Zhang Tianyang Zhou

*** Texas A&M San Antonio

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Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning Certificate Recipients The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) is part of a national network focused on fostering excellence in undergraduate teaching. Programs are offered by the Graduate and Professional School and the Center for Teaching Excellence.

Associate Certificate

Academy for Future Faculty, Academy for Future Faculty Senior Fellows, Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching Course, Graduate Teaching Consultants

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Boluwatife Ajayi Md Mojibur Rahman Redoy Akanda Boshra Khaled Muhmood Akhozheya Fawad Ali Mansour Alnajrani Aya Amer Meredith Anderson Jacob Andros Mayson Astle Rosemary Ayelazuno Adeshina Badejo Tanisha Berrios Jacquie Berry Vaishak Bhat Rose Blanchard Younes Bordbar Christopher Bott Adam Bower Abdullah Braik Erika Bravo Francisca Briandt Camille Carey Braulio Cervantes Paz Chee-Hoon Chang Nilson Chapagain Effrosyni Chatzistogianni Ijeoma Ruth Chukwuemeka* Carli Copell Tara DeAndrea Ruben Delgado Ajithamithra Dharmasiri

Diya Dharmendran Kyla Diaz Christina Dollahon Devon Dollahon Xiangjue Dong Madelyn Dotson Austen Ehrie Sami El Ahmadie Abdullah Elsheikh Samuel Falade Gogoal Falia Vanessa Fernandez-Rodriguez Gislene Ferreira dos Reis Gabriella Figueroa Abraham Flores Lecea Habiba Ghoneim Abantika Ghosh Isabelle Goldstein Manuel Gonzalez Somoza Jasmine Goode Saurabh Gotmare Claire Gregoire Percy Gresham Harini Gunda Ibrahim Gunes Purushottam Gyawali Thomas Hallmark Quan Han Md Ariful Haque Tania Hasan James Hirons

Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning Certificate Recipients Associate Certificate Cont.

Aidan Holman Shakil Hosain Azile Hotz Alexandra Howard Emily Howell Yu-Chi Huang A S M Faridul Islam Tanvir Islam Rajib Hai In Jo Dallin Kenneth Jones Laxmi Prasanna Kandi Anna Estelle Kelley Muhammad Khan Shelby Kilpatrick Heesun Kim Hyunrae Kim Marshall King Kerim Uygur Kizil Kalyan Raj Kota Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil Hannah League Seunghoon Lee Aisha Lee-Cobbins Emma Lewis Jinxu Li Xin Li Ryne Maness Daniel Martinez Stephanie McMahon Rachel McNeal Saylor Mealing Dipesh Bharat Metha Sandra Meyer Jennifer Morgan Basheer Mugdadi Danial Nayeri Rajesh Neupane Caleb Nwaogwugwu* Arafat Rahman Oany Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele

Olivia Ognibene Nataleigh Perez Tahmina Pervin Dinesh Phuyal John Ponis Serinmary Pulikkottil Rejimon Tanvir Islam Rajib Arif Akhter Rangon Edward Rhodes Alondra Rojas Richard Rosas Arantxa Sacristan Ramirez Julia Sainz Abu Shoaib Saleh Benjamin Schulte Lokesh Kumar Sekar Mohammad Zaher Serdar Arash Shahsavari Hyejin Shin Bhuwan Shrestha Dinuki Siriwardana Brandon Strauss Aditya Surve Samia Tasnim Maria Teleki Flavia Termignoni Garcia Mary Thompson Garrett Tresch Idorenyin Udoh Guadalupe Valencia Toxqui Makenzie Van Beber Jacob Vasquez Omar Andres Viera Resto Judy Waight Miriam Watts Gretchen Williams Kimberly Wright Ziyi Wu Chen Xu Gaopeng Xu

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Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning Certificate Recipients Associate Certificate Cont.

Taha Yehia Eshani Yeragi Nan Zhang

Xukai Zhang Yingying Zhao Zhuldyz Zhumashova

Practitioner Certificate Advanced Teaching Practices: Research-Driven Approaches for Higher Education Course, Course Credit Program, Graduate Leadership Institute, Graduate Teaching Consultants, Teaching as Research Fellows Vaishak Bhat Bette Bittner Dawn Burton Ida Carter* Gin Chong* Ruben Delgado Diya Dharmendran Andrew Eberlein Austen Ehrie Jean Ferguson Vanessa Fernandez-Rodriguez Autumn Hagen Laxmi Prasanna Kandi Marshall King Erica Knighton Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil

Emma Lewis Tiffany McLaurin** Dana Mickey Ana Nava Keegan Nichols Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele Irvin Osborne-Lee* Parisa Paymard Kaila Ronayne Richard Rosas Kristi Schonefeld Kelly Shipman Guadalupe Valencia Toxqui Madison Weinrich Paige Williams Krishna Kaushik Yanamundra

Scholar Certificate Teaching as Research Fellows Sara Amani Ahmed Elkady Omniya Mohamed Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele

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* Prairie View A&M University ** Tarleton State University

Karissa Palmer Umer Farooq Gretchen Williams

Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies Certificate Recipients Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies (GRAD Aggies), a joint effort of Texas A&M’s Career Center, Center for Teaching Excellence, Graduate and Professional School, Graduate and Professional Student Government, International Student and Scholar Services, University Health Services, University Libraries and University Writing Center, provides professional development activities, instruction and resources to prepare students for professional success after graduate school.

Foundations Certificate Maryam Abbasi Kamazani Kristina Agan Boluwatife Ajayi Oluwaseun Aladeboyeje Sushma Alaparthi Hussain Alcassab Syeda Fizza Ali Faria Asadi Seyyed Ali Ayati Derrick Ball Sangeeta Balyan Eboni Bango Emily Katherine Barrow Samantha Beevers Carl Benson Gustavo Boquete Abdullah Braik DaJuana Chaney Fontenot Yanbing Chen Pin-Wen Chen Vicki Chu Ashley Coffell Hannah Coleman Erika Coll Aguilar Claudia Collier Kelly Cook Rashmi Dangol Pragati Dhingra Kevin Ding Divya Maria Sacred Lalain Doromal Aquino Pamela Douglas

Joshua Elston Dulce Espinoza Tyler Eutsler Paulina Farias Sofia Feliciano Gabriella Figueroa Nicola Fish Brighton Garrett Justin Garrison Gisel Garza Abantika Ghosh Halle Gold Manuel Gonzalez Somoza Jasmine Goode Emmaleigh Grady Ali Hamed Barghi Quan Han Md Inja Mamun Haque Amy Hays Stephanie Hendricks Karina Hissen Sydney Holland Azile Hotz Emily Howell Heather Jacobs Jenna Johnson Jason Joseph Mrunal Kamble Ibraheem Kanan Swetha Kancharla Manik Karkare Sarbjeet Kaur

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Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies Certificate Recipients Foundations Certificate Cont.

Simranjit Kaur Deepa Khadka Shovit Khanal Hyunrae Kim Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil Jeffrey Lacour Chungkeun Lee Jinxu Li Jessica Lowe Austin Lynch Nadeesha M. Mahamarakkala Patabendige Shikhadri Mahanta Katelyn Maier Ariana Martinez Kayley McBride Kelly McCafferty Samantha Mcclain Frances Clare McClay Athanasius Mdolo Trevor Melsheimer Doris Migliaccio Trevor Millar Nataly Monroy Garzon Maria P. Montenegro Pratik Nesarkar Taylor Northcut Edwin Ochedikwu Kenneth Oguejiofor Kofi Owusu-Ansah Rhea Pai Kelly Pantaleon Parisa Paymard Serena Porter Chiranjibi Poudyal Satvik Praveen Tanvir Islam Rajib

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Reshma Ramachandran Khushboo Rastogi Christopher Reighley Edward Rhodes Kelli Richard Valeriya Rogovchenko Jose Salazar Cesar Salazar Pereira Alexandra Salinas Nadia Samiya Sierra Sanders Subash Sapkota Harsh Shah Sejal Sanjay Shanbhag Hyejin Shin Wilbens Siguineau Brady Sokora Breann Stavinoha Michael Stott Caden Summers Samantha Sweck Julia Tapilatu Lyndzie Tarango Chelsea Thorn Cassidy Tibbetts Aung Kyaw Tun Mycha Van Allen John Vickers Omar Viera Resto Ashley Voight Sabrina Waite Akeira M. Warner Heather Williams Yuhan Wu Tasya Yusianda Kaili Zhang

Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies Certificate Recipients Explorations Certificate Kristina Agan Syeda Fizza Ali Emily Katherine Barrow Carlos Bermudez Ramirez Gustavo Boquete Nicolette English Cortney Ferguson Gabriella Figueroa Saliha Garcia Abantika Ghosh Shelby Gunnells Ali Hamed Barghi Azile Hotz Emily Howell Jenna Johnson Sarbjeet Kaur Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil Jeffrey Lacour Windy Lowder Shikhadri Mahanta Kelly McCafferty Taylor Northcut Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele

Vivian Peralta Santana Thien Phan Satvik Praveen Ehab Rabah Tanvir Islam Rajib Carlos Ramirez Khushboo Rastogi Christopher Reighley Edward Rhodes Kelli Richard Savannah Sanders Hyo Won Seo Harsh Shah Sejal Sanjay Shanbhag Michael Stott Caden Summers Brooke Torjman Kentaro Toyonaga Mycha Van Allen Jenna Vito Jacqueline White Dallas Williams

Adeolu Adekunle Kristina Agan Crysthal Alvarez Emily Katherine Barrow Sarah Hargett Azile Hotz Emily Howell

Jenna Johnson Shelby Kilpatrick Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil Harsh Shah Mycha Van Allen Ana Velasquez Escobar Jacqueline White

Mastery Certificate

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Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies Certificate Recipients Mastery Certificate in Career Development Individual Development Plan Career Exploration Series Adeolu Adekunle Esther Adeyemi Oluwaseun Aladeboyeje Alexis G. Allen Sergio Arellano Daniela Ayala Seyyed Ali Ayati Sourima Banerjee Eboni Bango Kimberley Barrera Yesica Botero Donald Bowen Catherine Byars Daniel Commey Jason Dean Jacob Degitz Sahithi Duppati Madhusree Gangopadhyay Uyok Hanson Jenna Johnson Elizabeth Joseph-Williams Jonathan Kerman

Surya Krishnan Sanjana Kunkolienkar Huy Lai Hannah League Shikhadri Mahanta Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele Sagar Patel Thien Phan Meredith Prater Tanvir Islam Rajib Khushboo Rastogi Christopher Reighley Mikayla Renwick Jarrod Romine Meshwa Sakaria Maya Sandy Harsh Shah Sejal Sanjay Shanbhag Hannah Smith Kathan Vyas Miriam Watts Laura Zotter

Mastery Certificate in Communication Aggie Voice Blog Ambassadors Program Delaney Couri Gabriella Figueroa Ayushri Jain

Mastery Certificate in Communication English Language Proficiency Practice Group for Instructors

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Adeolu Adekunle Kyangzi Calderon Cerguera Diego Elizalde Segovia Luis Hernandez Gonzalez

Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil Andreas Lemonaris Yeaeun Lim Yuzhe Wang

Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies Certificate Recipients Mastery Certificate in Instruction & Assessment Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning Certificate Programs Boluwatife Ajayi Md Akanda Meredith Anderson Mayson Astle Adeshina Badejo Rose Blanchard Younes Bordbar Adam Bower Abdullah Braik Francisca Briandt Dawn Burton Chee-Hoon Chang Nilson Chapagain Carli Copell Ruben Delgado Diya Dharmendran Christina Dollahon Devon Dollahon Xiangjue Dong Austin Ehrie Umer Farooq Vanessa Fernandez Rodriguez Habiba Ghoneim Jasmine Goode Saurabh Anil Gotmare Purushottam Gyawali Thomas Hallmark Tania Hasan Shakil Hosain Azile Hotz Dallin Jones Laxmi Prasanna Kandi

Anna Kelley Shelby Kilpatrick Hyunrae Kim Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil Hannah League Ryne Maness Rachel McNeal Dipesh Metha Dana Mickey Basheer Mugdadi Rajesh Neupane Keegan Nichols Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele Olivia Ognibene Parisa Paymard Serinmary Pulikkottil Rejimon Tanvir Islam Rajib Edward Rhodes Alondra Rojas Kaila Ronayne Arantxa Sacristan Ramirez Lokesh Sekar Bhuwan Shrestha Aditya Surve Maria Teleki Judy Waight Kimberly Wright Krishna Kaushik Yanamundra Eshani Yeragi Yingying Zhao Zhuldyz Zhumashova

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Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies Certificate Recipients Mastery Certificate in Leadership & Mentoring Graduate Mentoring Academy Facilitator Program Adeolu Adekunle Anum Ahmed Delaney Couri Aminah Crawford Thomas Hallmark

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Tania Hasan Lindsey Loflin Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele Tanvir Islam Rajib Dipankar Sen

Bednarz Award The Bednarz Award, established in 2016, honors the contributions and impact of Dr. Sarah Bednarz to CIRTL by recognizing outstanding students in CIRTL@Texas A&M programs. Awardees exhibit high quality Teaching as Research projects and impactful involvement in CIRTL@Texas A&M.

Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele Doctoral Student Department of Communication & Journalism College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Advisor: Dr. Darrel Wanzer-Serrano Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele is a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Communication and Journalism. Her research examines colonial, racial and gender politics in media production and representation, challenging systems of injustice. She aims to pursue a career in academia focused on research, teaching and public scholarship to drive social change. She has completed the Academy for Future Faculty, Academy for Future Faculty Senior Fellows, Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching Course, Graduate Leadership Institute, and Teaching as Research (TAR) Fellows. Her TAR project is titled “The Impact of Writing Center Consultations on Students’ Citation Practice.” Faith hopes her scholarship and creative writing will inspire meaningful conversations and foster understanding and compassion.

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Montgomery Award Montgomery Awards recognize student leaders who contribute to the academic, professional and overall quality of life for graduate and professional students at Texas A&M. Recipients demonstrate leadership in student groups or service organizations and excel in academics and scholarship.

Jeffrey Cragin Doctoral Candidate Department of Chemistry College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Advisor: Dr. Daniel Singleton Jeffrey is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in chemistry under the advisement of Dr. Daniel Singleton. His research uses computational and empirical tools to study the role of solvents in the mechanism of cationic rearrangements. Jeffrey is an enthusiastic educator, and earned the 2023 Association of Former Students Distinguished Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is the current Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG) Parliamentarian and won the 12th Man Outstanding Senator Award for his service to Texas A&M.

Eshani Yeragi Doctoral Candidate Department of Biology College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Alex Keene A biology doctoral candidate, Eshani researches sleep, aging and neurogenetics using the common fruit fly. She is President of Women in Science and Engineering and GPSG Vice President of University Affairs. Eshani is involved in the Indian Graduate Student Association and contributes to committees on student rules and appeals. Her leadership in developing programming for incoming international students earned her the Facker Fellowship. She was also named Executive Board Member of the Year award by Residence Life for her service as President of the Gardens Apartments Community Council.

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Outstanding Mentoring Award for Graduate and Professional Students Outstanding Mentoring Awards for Graduate & Professional Students seek to honor those who have demonstrated outstanding success in mentoring undergraduate students or peers.

Jillian Paige Bennett Master’s Student Department of Aerospace Engineering College of Engineering Faculty Advisor: Dr. John Valasek Jillian is a second-year aerospace engineering master’s student. Her research on nonlinear adaptive multiple time scale control is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research. Jillian will continue on to pursue an aerospace engi­neering Ph.D. at Texas A&M, specializing in dynamics and control. She is passionate about mentoring students through her lab and organizations like Sigma Gam­ ma Tau and the aerospace honor society, helping women navigate school and life stressors while pursuing aerospace engineering opportunities.

Gemini Alexis Creason-Parker Doctoral Candidate Department of Sociology College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sarah Gatson A sociology doctoral candidate graduating in May, Gemini researches the intersection of media and crime. Her dissertation analyzes Law & Order: SVU to assess its reliance on rape myths. She won the Graduate Student Paper Award from the Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice and the Graduate Student Poster Award from the Division of Feminist Crimi­nology at the American Society of Criminology. She placed second in the poster competition at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Doctoral Summit. She has mentored 28 undergraduates, ensuring their access to research regardless of discipline or experience. Her mentorship has led many of her students to pursue graduate education.

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Outstanding Mentoring Award for Graduate and Professional Students Cont.

Trevor Self Doctoral Candidate Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Advisor: Dr. Cristine Heaps Trevor is a doctoral candidate in biomedical sciences, focusing on ischemic heart disease and discovering new therapeutic targets. Trevor’s participation in the Graduate Mentoring Academy reflects his commitment to academic and personal growth and development, and he applies its values when engaging with his students. Trevor led an undergraduate team in the Aggie Research Program, training them in lab techniques. Their work won awards at two campus symposia, demonstrating his dedication to mentoring the next generation of scientists.

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Outstanding Mentoring Award for Faculty Outstanding Mentoring Awards for Faculty seek to acknowledge and honor those who have enjoyed outstanding success in mentoring graduate and professional students.

Dr. Casey Papovich Professor Department of Physics & Astronomy College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Papovich is an astrophysicist and professor of physics and astronomy.

His research involves finding and studying the most distant galaxies using NASA’s telescopes, including most recently the James Webb Space Telescope.

He has previously received awards for his teaching and research activities.

He is a passionate mentor of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers and a strong advocate for science education. He earned his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University, and then held NASA’s Spitzer Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona prior to joining Texas A&M in 2008, where he is the Marsha L. ’69 And Ralph F. Schilling ’68 Chair in Physics & Astronomy.

Dr. X. Ben Wu Professor Department of Ecology & Conservation Biology College of Agriculture & Life Sciences Dr. Wu is a professor of ecology and Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence. He teaches introductory and graduate courses on ecology and landscape analysis. He has served as chair or co-chair for 40 Ph.D. and master’s students and as a committee member for 81 Ph.D. and 44 master’s students.

His current research focuses on spatial ecology and pyric herbivory in savannas. His lab also works on programs centered on faculty and teacher development and educational innovations. Dr. Wu has been Associate Dean of Faculties and Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, as well as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

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Distinguished Dissertation Award Distinguished Dissertation Awards honor current or former students whose dissertations make a significant contribution to scholarship in their discipline.

Humanities and Fine Arts Dr. Sara Chung

Department of English College of Arts & Sciences Dissertation: “Encountering Gothic Humanism in Victorian Novels” Dr. Chung graduated in August 2024 with a Ph.D. in English under the mentorship of Dr. Mary Ann O’Farrell. Her dissertation, “Encountering Gothic Humanism in Victorian Novels,” critically reexamines canonical Victorian literature—often seen as emblematic of universal human experience—to reveal how such texts reflect a partial and Eurocentric conception of humanity.

In doing so, Chung proposes the concept of Gothic humanism as a means to both disrupt and reimagine what it means to be human.

Biological and Life Sciences Dr. Jenna Hulke

Department of Biology College of Arts & Sciences Dissertation: “The Evolutionary Interplay Between Parasite Mating Systems and Their Complex Life Cycles” Dr. Hulke earned her Ph.D. in biology from Texas A&M in August 2024, under the mentorship of Dr. Charles Criscione. Her dissertation, “The Evolutionary Interplay between Parasite Mating Systems and Their Complex Life Cycles,” examines the role of inbreeding and inbreeding depression in maintaining the number of hosts a parasite requires to complete their life cycle. Her research provided the first test of a long-standing hypothesis within the field of parasitology devised two novel methods for testing inbreeding depression.

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Distinguished Dissertation Award Cont.

Social Sciences

Binbin Lin

Department of Geography College of Arts & Sciences Dissertation: “Social Sensing for Public Health: A BESH Framework to Understand and Mitigate Inequalities” Binbin Lin will graduate in May 2025 with a Ph.D. in geography under the mentorship of Dr. Lei Zou. Her dissertation, “Social Sensing for Public Health: A BESH Framework to Understand and Mitigate Inequalities,” investigates health disparities through social sensing and data science approaches across three interrelated dimensions: exposure, access and outcome. Systematically examining the behavioral, societal and environmental determinants underpinning these disparities, her findings yield policy-relevant insights for optimizing healthcare resource distribution and designing targeted interventions.

Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering Dr. Deep Shah

Department of Civil Engineering College of Engineering Dissertation: “Leveraging Satellite Remote Sensing for Understanding Global Reservoir-Based Droughts” Dr. Shah earned his Ph.D. in civil engineering in August 2024 under the mentorship of Dr. Hulin Gao. His dissertation, “Leveraging Satellite Remote Sensing for Understanding Global Reservoir-Based Droughts,” highlights the critical need for global water reservoir datasets that are often not shared or accessible. His work focuses on generating open-access datasets and advancing the understanding of water shortages in reservoirs worldwide. Dr. Shah’s research sheds light on how both climate variability and human activities drive reservoir storage droughts and identifies reservoirs at a higher risk.

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Faculty Aspiring Leadership Fellows Coordinated by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, the Faculty Aspiring Leadership Program helps faculty across campus develop the leadership skills that enable transformative change.

Dr. Kevin Curley Jr. Instructional Associate Professor Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Dr. Curley works with CIRTL to develop programming in graduate education and postdoctoral training to establish a national faculty focused on effective, evidence-based teaching practices for diverse student populations.

Dr. Hector Rivera Associate Professor Department of Educational Psychology College of Education & Human Development Dr. Rivera works with the Graduate & Professional School’s Student Development and Success team working to develop, execute and assess a multi-session leadership training program for graduate and professional students as a part of the GRAD Aggies professional development program.

Tim Weaver Instructional Associate Professor Art & Design College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts Tim Weaver supports the My Grad Journey system, which helps graduate and professional students document their goals and activities, allows faculty advisors to provide feedback, and enables departments to gather data for reports.

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Employee Milestones The Graduate and Professional School acknowledges employees for their significant service milestones. We appreciate their commitment to our graduate community and their contributions to advancing graduate education.

DR. ROB DIXON Director of Marketing & Communications Graduate and Professional School 5 Years of Service

JACQUELINE PEREZ Director of Business Services Graduate and Professional School 5 Years of Service

KAREN SEAGO Graduate Records Specialist for Records Processing Graduate and Professional School 10 Years of Service

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Vision, Values and Excellence Staff Award The Vision, Values and Excellence Award recognizes excellence in leadership, communication, collaboration, and commitment to student-centered values.

Recipients positively impact the Graduate and Professional School and the wider community.

Raiden Sawyer

Graduate Student Specialist lll for Records Processing Graduate and Professional School Supervisor: Trenton Smith Raiden works as a Graduate Student Specialist III for Records Processing, where he supports graduate student success in degree milestone completion and clearance for graduation. He also assists with the Academic Requirements Completion System (ARCS) and commencement programming.

Above and Beyond Student Employee Award The Above and Beyond Student Employee Award honors a student employee who excels in communication, collaboration, innovative thinking, global awareness, and professional impact within the Graduate and Professional School and the community.

Emerson Strauch Graduate Assistant for Business Services Graduate and Professional School Supervisor: Danielle Pacheco Emerson assists with internal budget reconciliation, updating and verifying student financial information, and generating compliance reports. He also works to develop new solutions for processing and reporting data.

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Special Thanks Rudder Theatre Complex Graze and Gala Century Oaks Catering Post Oak Florist Copy Corner Printing DJ Franco Photo Booth Richard Badillo Photography

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TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Graduate and Professional School