University of Texas- Arlington, Trinity Hall (750 Greek Row, Arlington, TX 76013)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a Carnegie R-1 research institution and a Hispanic-Serving Institution, recognized for its leadership in areas such as health, engineering, urban sustainability, and data-driven discovery. With more than 45,000 students, UTA is one of the largest universities in North Texas and a key contributor to the Dallas–Fort Worth region’s workforce and innovation ecosystem.
The university advances knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, and strong partnerships with industry and the community. It is committed to expanding access to higher education while fostering economic development, technological advancement, and the commercialization of research, benefiting Texas, the nation, and the global community.
TALA thanks The University of Texas at Arlington for graciously hosting this conference!
AGENDA - cohort 8
MONDAY, June 8, 2026
9:00 – 9:05 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Dr. Matt Fuller, Director, Texas Academic Leadership Academy
9:05 – 10:00 a.m.
UTA Welcome and Leadership Story
Dr. Tamara Brown, Provost, University of Texas at Arlington
10:00 – 11:45 a.m.
Career Development Workshop 1
Shawn Hartmann, Academic Search
11:45 – 12:00 p.m.
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
1:00 – 1:15 p.m.
1:15 – 2:30 p.m.
2:30 – 2:45 p.m.
2:45 – 4:00 p.m.
4:00 – 4:10 p.m.
4:10 – 5:00 p.m.
Lunch Set Up
Career Development Workshop 2 (Working Lunch)
Break
Career Development Workshop 3
Shawn Hartmann, Academic Search
Break
Career Development Workshop 4
Shawn Hartmann, Academic Search
Break
Career Development Closing Workshop
Shawn Hartmann, Academic Search
AGENDA - cohort 8
TUESDAY, June 9, 2026
9:00 – 9:15 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Dr. Matt Fuller, Director, Texas Academic Leadership Academy
9:15 – 10:30 a.m.
10:30 – 10:45 a.m.
10:45 – 12:00 p.m.
Session 3- Panel of Exceptional Administrators
Dr. Sampson Gholston, Chair, Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering; Dr. Elizabeth Terese Newman, Dean, College of Liberal Arts; Dr. Kirk A. Foster, MSW, MDiv, Dean and Professor, School of Social Work
Break TALA Case Study
Dr. Matt Fuller, Director, Texas Academic Leadership Academy
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch and Program Graduation
Dr. Matt Fuller, Director, Texas Academic Leadership Academy
AGENDA - cohort 9
THURSDAY, June 11, 2026
9:00 – 9:15 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Dr. Matt Fuller, Director, Texas Academic Leadership Academy
9:15 – 10:15 a.m.
UTA Welcome and Leadership Story
Dr. Tamara Brown, Provost, University of Texas at Arlington
10:15 – 11:30 a.m.
11:30 – 12:00 p.m.
Session 1- Leading with Intention: Your Mentorship and Sponsorship Toolkit
Dr. Minerva Cordero, Former Vice Provost for Faculty Success; Dr. Laura Mydlarz, Associate Dean, College of Science
SHSU Welcome and Leadership Story
Dr. Abbie Strunc, Interim Dean, Sam Houston State University
12:00 – 12:30 p.m.
12:30 – 1:00 p.m.
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
2:00 – 2:15 p.m.
Lunch Set Up
Lunch and Program Overview
Dr. Matt Fuller, Director, Texas Academic Leadership Academy
Session 2- Current Context Around Higher Education Enrollment
Kara Hadley-Shakya, Associate Vice President & Chief Admissions Officer, University of Texas at Arlington
Break
(Continued on next page)
THURSDAY, June 11, 2026
2:15 – 3:15 p.m.
3:15 – 4:30 p.m.
4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Leading Authentically: Building Trust, Influence, and Impact.
Dr. Shanna Banda, Associate Vice Provost of Faculty Success, University of Texas-Arlington
Session 3: Academic Affairs and Student Affairs Partnerships
Dr. Drew Miller, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, University of Texas-Arlington
Final Reflections
Dr. Matt Fuller, Director, Texas Academic Leadership Academy
Dinner and Evening Events on your own
friday, June 12, 2026
9:00 – 9:15 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Dr. Matt Fuller, Director, Texas Academic Leadership Academy
9:15 – 10:15 a.m.
10:15 – 10:30 a.m.
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Session 4- Panel of Exceptional Administrators
Dr. Stephanie Cole, Chair, History and Geography; Dr. Sampson Gholston, Chair, Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering; Dr. Ramgopal Venkataraman, Chair, Department of Accounting
Break
Session 25 How Universities are Structured to Meet their Mission
Dr. Sondra Barringer, Associate Professor of Higher Education Leadership, Southern Methodists University
11:30 – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch, Program Overview, and Closing
Dr. Matt Fuller, Director, Texas Academic Leadership Academy
TALA LEADERSHIP
The Texas Academic Leadership Academy (TALA) is a year-long professional development series coordinated by Sam Houston State University’s College of Education in collaboration with the Texas Council for Chief Academic Officers. TALA was founded by Dr. Stacey Edmonson and Dr. Matthew Fuller.
Leadership and coordination of TALA Events have been developed by:
DR. ABBIE STRUNC
Interim Dean, College of Education
Sam Houston State University
Abbie R. Strunc, Ph.D. serves as Interim Dean of the College of Education at Sam Houston State University, where she provides strategic leadership for the academic, operational, and financial direction of the college. In this role, she advances initiatives focused on enrollment growth, student success, program innovation, and external partnerships while ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and accreditation standards.
Dr. Strunc brings extensive experience in academic administration, including prior roles as Associate Dean for Academic Administration and Enrollment and Chair of the School of Teaching and Learning. Her work has centered on strengthening educator preparation, overseeing enrollment management and curriculum development, and supporting large-scale grant initiatives to enhance program quality and regional impact.
A scholar-practitioner with a background in teacher education and education policy, Dr. Strunc has led multiple federally and foundation-funded projects as principal investigator and co-principal investigator, advancing innovative models to support the teacher workforce. Her career began as a secondary social studies teacher, grounding her leadership in a deep commitment to student-centered, high-quality educational experiences.
TALA LEADERSHIP
DR. MATTHEW FULLER
Professor, Educational Leadership
Sam Houston State University
Director, Center for Assessment, Research, and Educational Safety
Director, Texas Academic Leadership Academy
Dr. Fuller has worked in higher education since the 1990s in a variety of administrative and professorial capacities. His research interests focus on organizational culture and leadership, threat assessment, law, behavioral intervention, and educational safety. Since 2005, he has served as the Principal Investigator of the Survey of Assessment Culture, an international survey of higher education faculty, administrators, and student affairs staff members’ perspectives on cultures of assessment.
As Director of C.A.R.E.S., he leads a team in developing research on educational safety and threat assessment models. Dr. Fuller has also advised policy makers on scholarly works and research, authoring numerous books, monographs, and articles on various topics throughout his career.
NICOLE BOSTON M.A.
Purchasing and Operations Coordinator, College of Education
Sam Houston State University
Nicole has worked for the College of Education since 2017 and has been in her current position for the past three years. In her current position she is responsible for overseeing all purchases for TALA, the College of Education Operations, to include furniture and technology along with serving as the Building Liaison.
She completed her Masters in Higher Education Administration with a certificate in Academic Advising in 2023 at Sam Houston State University and is now working on completing her Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership with a concentration in Academic Support Programs in Fall 2027.
COHORT 8 TALA FELLOWS
First Name
Irfan
Amy
Bart
Flavia
Vipa
Jeff
Yong
Melanie
Rebecca
Shannon
Ari
Ambra
Lisa
Amber
Damon
Cassy
Sally
Rebecca
Lisa
Mohammed
Gabe
Robin
Carie
Min
Karen
Arlett
Amber
Last Name
Ahmed
Austin
Ballard
Belpoliti
Bernhardt
Breeden
Chen
Fields
Finley
Glaser
Gonzales
Green
Haddad
Harris Bozer
Hay
Henderson
Henschel
Hernandez
Hopkins
Hussein
Ignatow
Jackson
Kapellusch
Kim
Kohler
Lomeli
McCord
Institution
Sam Houston State University
University of Texas-Arlington
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
East Texas A&M University
East Texas A&M University
Tarelton State University
Texas Tech University
East Texas A&M University
Sam Houston State University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M International University
University of Texas-Arlington
Texas A&M University
Tarelton State University
Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University
Midwestern State University
University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley
Texas A&M University-Central Texas
Prairie View A&M University
The University of North Texas
Prairie View A&M University
University of Texas-Arlington
Sam Houston State University
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley
Texas Tech University
COHORT 8 TALA FELLOWS
First Name
Alfonso
Jordan
Emmanuel
Debra
Rhonda
Brian
Steven
Sarah
Upal
Mary
Elizabeth
Nathalie
Raymond
Uyen
Daniella
Ruby
Marcus
Antonius
Abolghassem
Misti
Last Name
Mercado
Mitchell
Nzewi
Pena
Rahn
Robinson
Romero
Ross
Roy
Short
Sooby
Sumien
Swisher
Tran-Parsons
Varela
Ynalvez
Ynalvez
Zabihollah
Zablosky
Institution
University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley
University of Houston-Clear Lake
Prairie View A&M University
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
University of North Texas Health Science Center
University of North Texas Health Science Center
University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley
University of Houston-Clear Lake
University of Texas-San Antonio
University of North Texas Health Science Center
University of Texas-San Antonio
University of North Texas
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M International University
Tarelton State University
University of North Texas Health Science Center
COHORT 9 TALA FELLOWS
First Name
Emefa
Karabi
Maria
Joel
Lisa
Raymond
Orion
Stephen
Carla
Mary
Anne
Kimberly
Jason
Kristen
Kimberly
Truman
Nic
Christina
Kristin
Hakduran
Cynthia
Jessica
Scott
Peter
Laine
Last Name
Arnaout
Bezboruah
Botero
Brant
Bunkowski
Choo
Ciftja
Cotten
Crocker
Draper
Egelston
Elliot
Enia
Farris
Fulda
Gamblin
Graves
Gushanas
Herrmann
Koc
Laborde
Leatherwood
Maddux
Magnusson
Markham
Institution
Sam Houston State University
University of Texas-Arlington
Sam Houston State University
Midwestern State University
Texas A&M University- Central Texas
University of Texas-San Antonio
Prairie View A&M University
University of Houston-Clear Lake
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Midwestern State University
Tarelton State University
University of Texas-Tyler
Sam Houston State University
Texas State University San Marcos
University of North Texas Health
Science Center
University of Texas-San Antonio
Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University
Tarelton State University
University of Houston-Clear Lake
University of Texas-Arlington
Tarelton State University
University of North Texas Health Science Center
University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley
University of North Texas Health Science Center
COHORT 9 TALA FELLOWS
First Name
Melissa
Angie
Katie
Sara
Angelica
Leslie
Weston
Nabil
Caroline
Maggie
Humberto
Isla
Jessica
Christine
Barbara
Last Name
Martinez
McInnis
Meersman
Melendez
Michelangeli
Mills
Nowlin
Ouassini
Rickards
Ruelle
Saenz
Schuchs-Carr
Smith
Walther
Zimbalist
Institution
Texas State University San Marcos
University of Texas-Tyler
University of Texas-San Antonio
Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Texas State University San Marcos
Prairie View A&M University
University of North Texas Health
Science Center
University of Texas-Tyler
University of Texas-San Antonio
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
University of Texas-Arlington
University of Houston-Clear Lake
University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley
BOARD OF REGENTS
THE TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
Stephen Lee, Chairman .............................. Bastrop
Dionicio (Don) Flores, Vice Chairman ....... El Paso
Charlie Amato, Regent ........................ San Antonio
Duke Austin, Regent ................................. Houston
Sheila Faske, Regent .................................Rose City
Russell Gordy, Regent................................ Houston
Tom Long, Regent......................................... Dallas
William F. Scott, Regent ......................... Nederland
Alan L. Tinsley, Regent ........................ Madisonville
Donavan Brown, Student Regent ........... San Marcos
