A LIFETIME OF SERVICE

Alumni Spotlight

• Alumni News Roundup

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  Ph.D. Alum Earns Noteworthy Board Certification

  Alum Laura Priorello earned board certification from the American Board of Professional Psychology. Learn more about Priorello’s work and interests in this Q&A.

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  M.Ed. Alum Earns Prestigious Fulbright Grant

  Parker Carwile, who earned a master’s in curriculum and instruction in 2019, will teach English and act as a cultural ambassador in South Korea.

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  EMS Educator Earns Alumni Award

  With over four decades in emergency medical services, George Hatch works to elevate the standard of education for paramedic students.

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  M.Ed. Training Helped Surgical Educator

  Dr. Karen Dickinson teamed up with Clinical Associate Professor Susie Gronseth to publish an article in the Journal of Surgical Education.

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  Empowering Underserved Youths

  Lauren Harris’s dedication to improving lives through collective action has earned her the College’s 2020 Rising Star Award.

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  Distinguished Alumni Award

  Cheryl McCallum’s leadership and creativity have earned her a 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award from the College.

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  Pushing for Educational Equity

  Julie Fernandez has been named dean of the College of Education at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina.

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  Literacy for Life

  As president and CEO of Neuhaus Education Center, Tracy Weeden is working to improve reading skills among children and adults.

Alumni "Star Award" Winners

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  2018 Distinguished Alum: Anette Edens

  Edens is a licensed psychologist in Houston with more than two decades of experience. A specialist in helping families dealing with adolescent substance abuse, she authored "From Monsters to Miracles: Parent-Driven Recovery Tools That Work" and previously founded a sober high school. Edens has three degrees from UH - an M.B.A. (’77), an M.Ed. in counseling psychology (’89) and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology (’94).

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  2018 Distinguished Alum: Rebecca Sanford

  Sanford has more than two decades of experience as a public school educator. She serves as principal of Aldine ISD's Hambrick Middle School and as a member of the UH Charter School board. Sanford has an M.Ed. in educational psychology (’96) and an Ed.D. in educational psychology with a specialization in special education (’00). She was the first-African American woman to graduate from the doctoral program in special education.

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  2018 Distinguished Alum: Scott Van Beck

  Van Beck served as executive director of the nonprofit Houston A+ Challenge for more than a decade, after working for 20-plus years in Houston ISD. He began his career as a middle school teacher, then served as a principal and regional superintendent. As principal of Revere Middle School, he was named Region IV Middle School Principal of the Year. Van Beck has an Ed.D. in administration and supervision ('11) from the College.

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  2017 Rising Star: Emily Voelkel

  Voelkel, who earned a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the College of Education in 2014, works as a staff psychologist in the PTSD Clinic at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston. She also has a faculty appointment as an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine. Voelkel has served as chair of the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students and in that role was a member of the APA Council of Representatives, the association’s governing body.

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  2017 Distinguished Alum: Eloise Blair

  Blair, who earned a bachelor’s in education from UH, has worked in four Texas school districts during her six-decade career. As debate coach at Houston ISD’s Lamar High School, Blair restored the program to national prominence. She won the 2016 Secondary Educator of the Year Award from the Texas Speech Communication Association. She has been inducted into the Hall of Fame for both the National Speech and Debate Association and the Texas Forensic Association.

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  2017 Distinguished Alum: Charles Cook

  Cook, who earned an Ed.D. in higher education administration from UH, has served as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Austin Community College since August 2014. For 15 years prior, he served as vice chancellor for academic affairs for the Houston Community College System and led efforts to more than triple the number of graduates and completers. He previously worked for the Community and Technical Colleges Division of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.