Promoting Excellence at UTSA: Awards for Outstanding Students, Faculty, and Staff

2025 Promoting Excellence Award Winners

College Excellence Awards
College of Education and Human Development
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. David Masters, Culture, Literacy, and Language
Outstanding Non-Thesis/Capstone Project
Kimberly Cantu-Davis, Educational Psychology
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Aslihan Yilmaz, Bicultural Bilingual Studies
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Marie Kirkpatrick, Educational Psychology
Dr. María G. Leija, Interdisciplinary Learning & Teaching
Outstanding GAR – Master’s
Dr. Hannah MacNaul, Applied Behavior Analysis
Dr. Ian Thacker, Educational Psychology
Outstanding GAR – PhD
Dr. Kathryn Henderson, Bicultural Bilingual Studies
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Nick DeGraw Glavac, Dean's Office
 
Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Tej Pandit, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Outstanding Thesis
Chinedu Patrick Okonkwo, School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Amir Tavana Amlashi, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Guenevere (Qian) Chen, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dr. David Akopian, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Khanh Nguyen, Electrical and Computer Engineering
College for Health, Community and Policy
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Cristina E. Martinéz, Sociology and Demography
Outstanding Non-Thesis/ Capstone Project
Sofia Smeigh, Public Health
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Terue Vela, Psychology
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Emily Perez, Social Work
Outstanding GAR – Master’s
Dr. Janelle Kohler, Psychology
College of Sciences
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Thomas Varner, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Outstanding Thesis
Amber Ng, Biology, Health and the Environment
Outstanding Non-Thesis/Capstone Project
Brandon Lippe, Physics and Astronomy
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Ashley Newton, Chemistry
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. John Quarles, Computer Science
Dr. José Lopez-Ribot, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Marina Gonzalez, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Belinda Tucker, Physics and Astronomy
 
Alvarez College of Business
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Sonam Singh, Marketing
Outstanding Non-Thesis/Capstone Project
Fernando Montes, Management Science & Statistics
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Jin-Hyeong Sim, Management
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Ashwin Malshe, Marketing
Dr. Deepa Chandrasekaran, Marketing
Outstanding GAR – Master's
Dr. Dan Davied, MBA
Outsanding GAR - PhD
Dr. Min Wang, Applied Statistics
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Don Carrington, Faculty Success and Research
College of Liberal and Fine Arts
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Allessandra Villarreal, Anthropology
Outstanding Thesis
D'Ago Morales Ferrari, History
Outstanding Non-Thesis / Capstone Project
Angeles Salinas, Art
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Isaac Grigar, Art
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Sue Hum, English
Dr. Sylvia Fernández Quintanilla, Interdisciplinary School of Engagement/Modern Languages & Literatures and English
Outstanding GAR – Master’s
Dr. Pablo E. Requena, Modern Languages & Literatures
Outstanding GAR – PhD 
Dr. Jamon Havalksz, Anthropology
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Reina Vargas, English
Nicole Poole, History
University College
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Vidya Sharma, Translational Science
Outstanding GAR – Master's
Dr. Michael Newell, Multidisciplinary Studies
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Reyna Tostado
 

2024 Promoting Excellence Award Winners

College Excellence Awards
College of Education and Human Development
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. James R. Spears, Counseling
Outstanding Non-Thesis/Capstone Project
Lauren Gonzales, Applied Behavior Analysis
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Ivan Duarte, Educational Psychology
Outstanding GAR – Master’s
Dr. Hannah MacNaul, Applied Behavior Analysis
Outstanding GAR – PhD
Dr. Vanessa A. Sansone, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Diana Pirhala, COEHD Dean's Office
 
Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Caroline Schilling, Biomedical Engineering
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Sara Ahmed, Electrical and Computer Engineering
College for Health, Community and Policy
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Chelsea Sterne, Psychology
Outstanding Thesis
Carah Porter, Psychology
Outstanding GAR – Master’s
Emily Perez, Social Work
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Jana Schwartz, HCAP Dean's Office
College of Sciences
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Yi Xie, Chemistry
Outstanding Thesis
Felipe   Villanueva, Integrative Biology
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Zhongxiu Yang, Computer Science
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Lindsay MacPherson, Nueroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Dr. Nicolas Large ,  Physics and Astronomy
Outstanding GAR – Master’s
Dr. Valerie Sponsel, Integrative Biology
Outsanding GAR - PhD
Dr. John R. McCarrey, Nueroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Janice Marshall, Nueroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Magda Riveros, College of Sciences
 
Alvarez College of Business
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Pallav Routh, Marketing 
Outstanding Non-Thesis/Capstone Project
Aleck Nash, Information Systems and Cyber Security
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Ericka Zuloaga Cosme, Marketing
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Zhechao (Charles) Liu, Information Systems and Cyber Security
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Jennifer Yin, Accounting
Outstanding GAR – Master's
Dr. Keying Ye, Management Science and Statistics
Outsanding GAR - PhD
Dr. Richard T. Gretz, Marketing
College of Liberal and Fine Arts
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Anna Paula Casselli Pena, Anthropology
Outstanding Thesis
Lauren Nowakowski, Anthropology
Outstanding Non-Thesis / Capstone Project
Petunia Mashke, Art
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Amanda Micek, Anthropology
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Bryan Gervais, Political Science
Outstanding GAR – Master’s
Dr. Bridget Drinka, English
Outstanding GAR – PhD 
Dr. Kenny Walker, English
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Dr. Stephanie Brock Gonzalez, Modern Languages and Literatures
Jenny Stokes , COLFA BSC
 

2023 Promoting Excellence Award Winners

College Excellence Awards
College of Education and Human Development
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Nguyên Đào, BBL
Outstanding Non-Thesis/Capstone Project
Victor "Trey" Ximenex, Applied Behavioral Analysis
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Victor "Trey" Ximenex, Applied Behavioral Analysis
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Mariela Rodriguez, ELPS
Dr. Gilberto Lara, Culture, Literacy and Language
Outstanding GAR – Master’s
Dr. Leslie Neely, Behavior Analysis
Outstanding GAR – PhD
Dr. Barbara Herlihy, Counselor Education and Supervision
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Don Carrington, Dean's Office
 
Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Rui Hu, Electrial Engineering
Outstanding Thesis
Garrett Hall, Electrical Engineering
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Maria Del Mar Prado Gutierrez, Biomedical Engineering
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Teja Guda, Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering
Dr. Ruyan Guo, Electrical Engineering
College for Health, Community and Policy
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Monica Lawson, Psychology
Dr. David Pillow, Psychology
College of Sciences
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Ritaful Islam, Computer Science
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Jishnu Banerjee, Computer Science
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Ravi Sandhu, Computer Science
Outsanding GAR - PhD
Dr. Dakai Zhu, Computer Science
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Susan Allen, Computer Science
 
Alvarez College of Business
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Yi Yin, Marketing 
Outstanding Non-Thesis/Capstone Project
Christian Castellanos, Management Science and Statistics
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Emma Gibbons, Marketing
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Dr. Min Wang, Management Science and Statistics
Outstanding GAR – Ph.D.
Dr. Dina Krasikova, Management
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Tammy McDaniel, Office of Graduate Studies
College of Liberal and Fine Arts
Outstanding PhD Dissertation
Dr. Johnathan Martinez, English
Outstanding Thesis
Ashleigh Ervin, Political Science
Outstanding Non-Thesis / Capstone Project
Emily Myers, Music
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
Xandr Fernandez, Art
Outstanding Graduate Mentor
Christie Blizard, Art
Mark McCoin, Art
Outstanding GAR – Master’s
Catherine Clinton, History
Outstanding GAR – Ph.D. or Terminal Degree
Ovidio Giberga, Master's in Fine Arts
Outstanding Program Coordinator
Reina Vargas, Dean's Office
Annie Herrera , Dean's Office
 
Program Excellence Awards
Outstanding Enrollment Growth in a Master’s Program Winners
Master’s in Business Administration (MBA)
MS in Cybersecurity Science
 
Innovation in Doctoral Program Admissions  Winner
PhD in Information Technology
Honorable Mention
PhD in Biomedical Engineering
Innovation in Master's Program Admissions  Winner
MS in Biomedical Engineering
Honorable Mention
MS in Business
 
 
Graduate Student Professional Development Mini-Grant Program
Applied History: Career Paths for Alternative – Academic Historians
Cristobal Lopez, History
Rebecca Gonzalez, History
Dr. Omar Valerio-Jimenez, History
Combating Contributors to Graduate Student Well-being Problems
Kaytlin West, Psychology
Dr. Michael Baumann, Psychology
 
 

2022 Promoting Excellence Award Winners

Outstanding PhD Dissertation

  • Dr. Rebecca Friedel, Anthropology
  • Dr. Lina Martín Corredor, Culture, Literacy, and Language
  • Dr. Colton Daniels, Applied Demography
  • Dr. Xueling Zhang, Computer Science

Outstanding Thesis

  • Jordan Arnold, Geology
  • Jaime Gillis, Geology
  • Luis Marín, Bicultural Studies
Outstanding Non-Thesis/Capstone Project
  • Adebayo Dave Ogunlana, Mechanical Engineering
  • Anahita Younesi, Art
 Outstanding Graduate Mentor
  • Dr. Jainwei Niu, Computer Science
  • Dr. Vikram Kapoor, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Management
  • Dr. Yufang Jin, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Dr. Walter Wilson, Political Science
  • Dr. Matthias Hofferberth, Global Affairs
  • Dr. Iliana Alanis, Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning
  • Dr. Curtis Brewer, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
  • Dr. Heidi Rueda, Social Work
Outstanding GAR – Master’s
  • Andrea Aleman MA, Political Science, Global Affairs, and Geography
  • Dr. Felicia Castro-Villarreal, Educational Psychology
  • Dr. Heather Trepal, Counseling
  • Dr. Patricia Jaramillo, Public Administration
 Outstanding GAR – PhD
  • Libby Rowe, Master's in Fine Arts
Outstanding Program Coordinator
  • Janice Marshall, Neurosciene, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  • LiPing Bien, Klesse College of Integrated Design Dean's Office
  • Jo Ann Jones, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
  • Dr. Shelby Scott, Psychology
  

2021 Promoting Excellence Award Winners

Outstanding PhD Dissertation
  • Dr. Lori Barkwill Love, Anthropology
  • Dr. Nancy Castellon, Counseling
  • Dr. Stephanie Hernandez, Applied Demography
  • Dr. Mohsen Jozani, Information Systems and Cyber Security
  • Dr. Ricardo Ramirez, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Dr. C. Vance Thompson, Chemistry
 Outstanding Thesis
  • Diane L. Goettsch-Melendez, Mechanical Engineering
  • Rebecca Nunu, Geology
  • Corby Sidebottom, Health and Kinesiology
  • Ananda Tomas, Political Science
Outstanding Non-Thesis/Capstone Project
  • Tapsya Nayak, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • David Robinson Jr., Urban and Regional Planning
  • SGT. Joseph Samuel, Music
  • Reisa Widjaja, Management Science and Statistics
 Outstanding Graduate Mentor
  • Dr. Nehal I. Abu-Lail, Biomedical Engineering and Computer Engineering
  • Dr. Nazgol Bagheri, Political Science and Geography
  • Dr. Michael Baumann, Psychology
  • Dr. M. Kathryn Brown, Anthropology
  • Dr. Vincent B. Canizaro, Architecture
  • Dr. Raymond Choo, Information Systems and Cyber Security
  • Dr. Mark Giles, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
  • Dr. Claudia Garcia-Louis, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
  • Dr. Chunjiang Qian, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Dr. Johnelle Sparks, Applied Demography
  • Dr. Keying “Key” Ye, Management Science and Statistics
Outstanding GAR – Master’s
  • Dr. Evangeline “Vangie” Aguilera, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
  • Dr. John Alexander, Architecture
  • Dr. Dan Davied, Master’s of Science, Business; Master’s of Business Administration
  • Dr. Jamie McDonald, Communication
  • Dr. Derek Plantenga, Social Work
  • Dr. Jennifer Smith, Environmental Science
 Outstanding GAR – PhD
  • Dr. Jamon Halvaksz, Anthropology
  • Dr. Wei-Ming Lin, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Dr. Corey Sparks, Applied Demography
  • Dr. Ram Tripathi, Applied Statistics
Outstanding Program Coordinator
  • Susan Allen, Computer Science
  • Lisa Ho, Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence
  • Caron Kiley, Office of Graduate Studies and Research
  • Shandra Rinckoard Bigler, Environmental Science and Ecology
  • Janie Marshall, Psychology
  • Khanh Nguyen, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Tara Thompson, History/Academic Advising
  • Mary Tutor, College of Liberal and Fine Arts Dean’s Office
  • Diane Wood May, Architecture
 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant
  • Colton Daniels, Sociology
  • Samantha Galvan, Marketing
  • Emily Myers, Music
  • Shantayan (Kinu) Panda, Applied Statistics
Innovation in PhD/Terminal Degree Program Admissions
  • Winner: Master of Fine Arts – Studio Art
  • Honorable Mention: PhD in Culture, Literacy and Language
Outstanding Growth in a Master’s Program
  • Winner: Master of Arts in Global Affairs
 Innovation in Master’s Degree Program Admissions
  • Winner: Master of Arts in School Psychology
  • Honorable Mention: MS in Business