EDHD Newsletter Preview

4 IMPACTING THE CLASSROOM 9 IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY 16 IMPACTING ONLINE LEARNING
New faculty and staff provide Dr. Debbie Troxclair spends her Online enrollment numbers
leadership and support. summer abroad. continue to increase.

IMPACT MAGAZINE
NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AT LAMAR UNIVERSITY

lamar.edu/education

A Note from the Dean IMPACT Magazine

Greetings to you, our alumni, Committee Members and
friends, students and colleagues! Texas State University System
As you may have noticed,
IMPACT Magazine is now Board of Regents
the official publication of the
college, replacing the Excellence Committee Chair:
Newsletter you may have William Holmes, Ph.D.
received in the past. Over the
past several months, our college (409) 880-8678
has evolved and has undergone Committee Members:
exciting changes in the form of
new faculty, staff, leadership and Minae Bae, Ph.D.
more. As a college, we are making (409) 880-8705
it one of our primary objectives to Bob Nicks, Ed.D.
unify our departments so that we (409) 880-7632
can make the most impact in the Amy Shows, Ph.D.
lives of our students, our campus (409) 880-8665
and our communities. We will do Tilisa Thibodeaux, Ed.D.
this by staying true to who we (409) 880-2315
are as a college and by standing Vanessa Sikes Villate, Ph.D.
firm in our principles that guide (409) 880-8682
us. Much more than just a simple Ken Young, Ph.D.
tagline, we aim to inspire, innovate (409) 880-7376
and impact. To illustrate, learning Texas State University System
and evolving is something we all Board of Regents:
have in common throughout the Brian McCall, Chancellor
various stages of our lives. In the
College of Education and Human Development, our mission is the foundation Plano
of everything we do. Here are some examples of how we continue to inspire, Jamie R. Garza, Chairman
innovate and impact:
San Antonio
* Inspiring students to create positive learning environments for their students: Rossanna Salazar, Vice Chairman
For example, our teacher education program prepares tomorrow’s educators
so that they can lead, teach and inspire students of their own. Austin
Charlie Amato
* Impacting our communities, near and far: Approximately 25% of the school
principals in Texas are Lamar University graduates through our Center for San Antonio
Executive Leadership. Veronica Muzquiz Edwards

* In the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, our dedicated faculty San Antonio
are preparing future leaders in the hospitality, fashion merchandising and David Montagne
family studies industries.
Beaumont
* We are also preparing future leaders in public health through programs Vernon Reaser III
designed for preventive medicine in the Department of Health and Kinesiology.
Bellaire
* As a college, we continue to pioneer the area of online learning as well. Our William F. Scott
innovative programs aim to meet the needs of tomorrow’s learners, and we
have seen a big boost in enrollment over the last several years. We encourage Nederland
you to enroll in one of our great programs when you graduate or to continue Alan L. Tinsley
your education as an innovator in your chosen field.
Madisonville
We have plenty of great things on the horizon and we are looking forward to Donna Williams
sharing all of it with you.
Arlington
Best, Spencer Copeland, Student Regent

Dr. Robert Spina Huntsville

Since 1923

RED BORDERS

CONTENTS

IMPACTING the Classroom 4
7
New faculty and staff within the college 9
add diversity and experience.

IMPACTING the Campus

A $300,000 grant was awarded to the
college for further advances in digital
learning.

IMPACTING the Community

Faculty from the college spend their
summers traveling abroad.

News from the Departments 10

Read on to learn about exciting news

from each of the departments.

IMPACTING Student Lives 20

Read about a student trip to Italy and

about one of our Mirabeau Scholars.

IMPACT Magazine

IMPACT Magazine is the official printed communication medium of the College of Education and Human Development
at Lamar University.

It is published twice a year by the Office of the Dean.
Dean:

Dr. Robert Spina, Ph.D.
Associate Dean:

Dr. William Holmes, Ph.D.
Directors:

Dr. Cynthia Cummings, Director of Online Operations
Dr. Diane Mason, Director of Graduate Studies
Contact Information:
IMPACT Magazine
Office of the Dean
College of Education and Human Development
Lamar University
P.O. Box 10034
Beaumont, Texas 77710
email | [email protected]

4 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

IMPACTING
THE CLASSROOM

The college continues to grow its instructional and support
teams.

The College of Education and Human Development is pleased to announce the addi-
tion of eight new faculty members and nine new staff members for the upcoming ac-
ademic year. Additionally, four existing members of the faculty have been promoted
to new leadership positions within their respective areas. Cynthia Cummings, Ed.D.,
has been named the new director of online operations, and Diane Mason, Ph.D., has
been named the new director of graduate studies and research. Connie Ruiz, Ph.D.,
has been named the new interim department chair for family and consumer sciences
and lastly, Kaye Shelton has been named the new director of doctoral studies.

New faculty will instruct in the departments of Educational Leadership, Family and
Consumer Sciences, Teacher Education and Counseling and Special Populations,
while new staff will support the departments of Health and Kinesiology, Educational
Leadership, Counseling and Special Populations, the Online Education Master’s Pro-
gram and the office of professional services within the college.

The new faculty members will hold positions as clinical instructors, assistant profes-
sors and associate professors, and all have doctorate degrees from respected institu-
tions nationwide, including Iowa State University, Texas A&M University, Lamar Uni-
versity, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Houston, Sam Houston State
University and the University of New Orleans.

New faculty include:

Sidney Brown, Ph.D., Iowa State University
Dr. Brown’s research has focused on the unique dispositions and metacognitions of
Leaders, and their impact, practice and beliefs which determine success of P-12 In-
structional Leader (Principals).  In working with public school educators and leaders ,
Dr. Brown has gained a greater appreciation for the importance of developing/men-
toring a diverse population of candidates who can play a role in social justice for our
schools and communities. Clinical interests include principal & superintendent entry
plans, curriculum & supervision, belief, practices, organizational change and school
law & policy.

Glen Harrison, Ed.D., Lamar University
Dr. Harrison’s research has focused on the experiences of online doctoral students’
successful completion of their degree program and the relationship that EI played in
their success. Dr. Harrison has always been intrigued (Continued on the next page.)

IMPACT Magazine • Issue 1

lamar.edu/education IMPACT MAGAZINE 5

with human personalities, how individuals are motivated and their interactions with WELCOME NEW STAFF
others.  Being able to understand one’s strengths and weaknesses and those of MEMBERS
others can help bridge huge communication gaps, maximize and engage students’
successful understanding and completion of their coursework and program. His New staff members include:
clinical interests include emotional intelligence, human personalities, self-esteem
and motivation, • Christy Black
• Shayla Fontenot
Thomas Harvey, Ed.D., Texas A&M University, College Station • Sonja Hebert
Dr. Harvey’s background includes practitioner experience as a teacher of music • Dolores Hopkins
at all levels, a fine arts department chair, a campus principal at multiple levels • Mary McFarland
and as a school superintendent in two very different school districts. Having been • Ellen Roork
nominated for principal of the year in Texas and twice nominated as superintendent • Jennifer Rosetta
of the year, Dr. Harvey was inducted into the Lamar University Educator Hall • Kaitlin Taylor
of Fame in 2002. Prior to his current service at Lamar University, he served as • Shelly Traxler
an Assistant Professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant,
Oklahoma and as an adjunct instructor at Lamar University, where he was a field
supervisor for hundreds of interns pursuing certification as a school administrator.
Dr. Harvey’s instructional background includes the development of syllabi and the
facilitation of instruction in the a number of graduate courses, including school
research, supervision of teaching, the principalship, administration of special
programs, school operational management and internships in administration. His
research interests include school governance, principal preparation, instructional
supervision and organizational assessment.

Krystal Hinerman, Ph.D., University of North Texas
Dr. Hinerman’s methodological research focuses on advanced psychometric
investigative techniques such as exploratory structural equation modeling and item
response theory. She is also interested in applying cutting edge methodologies to
educational program evaluation such as multilevel modeling, longitudinal modeling
and various forms of structural equation modeling. Her goal is to help improve the
way we measure constructs, and how we establish program effectiveness. Dr.
Hinerman is also interested in making advanced research techniques accessible to
practitioners and beginning researchers - bringing the best to educational research.
Her research interests include social emotion learning and social climate as related
to K12 and higher education environments. educational picture (i.e. academic
outcomes), as well as social climate, social emotional learning, psychometrics,
advanced modeling and accessible methods.

Cavan Leerkamp, Ed.D., University of Houston

Dr. Leerkamp’s research has mainly focused on how important the educators past

experiences influence their own perceptions and teachings with regard to students’

creativity. His practice is largely influenced by the importance of community, self-

efficacy and agency in education. This begins with teacher education and giving

students-educators the resources and space for dialogue, in order to find their

own way, in creating the community they want within their future classroom. Dr.

Leerkamp’s clinical interests include creativity in the classroom,

community education, self-efficacy, rapport and dialogue.

The official publication of the College of Education and Human Development

6 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

Kimberly McGough, Ph.D., Sam Houston State University
Dr. McGough’s dissertation focused on at-risk students and their perceptions of contributors and
inhibitors of their progress in an alternative school setting. She is also interested in researching at-
risk behaviors in which adolescents participate and how the behaviors impact their post- high school
graduation plans. During her years of counseling experience in the schools working with adolescent
students, she utilized an eclectic model of counseling. Dr. McGough used solution-focused therapy
techniques paired with reality therapy with the underlying foundation of a person-centered theory and
belief system. Her clinical interests include adolescence, families with adolescents, self-efficacy, self-
determination and self-regulation.

Eunjin Kwon, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Kwon attended Kyunghee University in Seoul, South Korea, graduating with a B.S. degree, where
she specialized in Tourism Management. She received her M.S. degree in Hospitality Management
from the University of Houston Conrad Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management; her
thesis research focused on determining factors of Korean War veterans’ intentions to revisit Korea
as a tourism destination. In May, 2016, she completed a Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University
School of Hospitality Management, where she studied Consumer Behavior and Services Marketing
and minored in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management. Dr. Kwon’s research interest areas include
the psychology of managing consumer experience and choice; consumer emotions in the hospitality
industry; and, cultural differences in consumers’ perceptions and choice. Dr. Kwon has co-authored
scholarly articles published in Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes; Cornell Hospitality Quar-
terly; and Journal of Service Theory and Practice.

Brett Welch, Ph.D., University of New Orleans
In Dr. Welch’s 20 years in higher education, he has led the development of Freshman Foundation
Programs for non-traditional learners, parents of first-time freshman, and United States veterans.
Additionally, he has coordinated three NCATE/CAEP accreditation visits, two SACS visits, and the initial
accreditation of a school counseling program through CACREP. Dr. Welch has served as a chair/co-
chair/reviewer for over 100 dissertations. He has published several journal articles, lab manuals and a
book chapter. His research interests include first-year college experience, evaluation of adult learner’s
educational assimilation, online student satisfaction, assessment of dissertation writing process, course
embedded assessment, and technology in the classroom.

“Quote from the dean about the new
faculty and staff will go right here”

IMPACT Magazine • Issue 1

lamar.edu/education IMPACT MAGAZINE 7

The other Visionary Projects
proposals selected for funding
were:

IMPACTING • The Mirabeau B. Lamar
THE CAMPUS Center for the Study of
Southeast Texas and Upper
The College of Education and Human Development was recently awarded Gulf Coast (The Lamar
$300,000 for the new Lamar University Center for Digital Learning. Center). developed by Mary
INFORMATION HERE Scheer, professor and chair
of the Department of History,
In September 2015, Lamar University administrators put to the faculty and together with colleagues
staff a new opportunity to advance the university’s scholarship in both Jim Sanderson, Terri Davis,
teaching and research. After soliciting and reviewing 49 letters of intent, Donna Meeks, Stuart Wright,
the university administration selected five “Visionary Projects” to receive Jim Westgate, Penny Clark,
a total of $1,080,000 in funding over the next three years. Troy Gray and Dennis Kiel.

Leaders sought ideas for advancing the university’s mission across all • Interdisciplinary Freshman
facets of instruction, scholarship and service in ways that advance the
priorities detailed in the recently completed strategic plan. Experience at Lamar
University, developed by
“We received 49 letters of intent 13 of which focused on instruction, 28 Paul Latiolais, director of
addressed research projects and 8 involved possible service initiatives,” the Center for Innovation,
said James Marquart, provost for Lamar University. Each of the proposals Commercialization and
was submitted to review committees for feedback and recommendations. Entrepreneurship and Ben J.
Ultimately, five were selected for funding and are or will soon be underway, Rogers, Director of the Institute
Marquart said. Of the five, one belonged to the College of Education and for Entrepreneurial Studies,
Human Development. with colleague Mahdi Safa.

Due to the success of the college’s online programs, the college will • A Center for Applications
create a new Center for Digital Learning (CDL) that provides necessary of Digital Technologies in
management and administrative skills to implement and maintain an Health and Disability (CADT),
effective digital learning environment. Participants in the CDL will perform developed by Monica Harn,
research studies, write and public research papers, collaborate with StefanAndrei,VinayaMachaiah,
technology companies and provide professional development. Ashley Dockens, Jamie
Azios and Elizabeth Long.
[quote from Dean Spina]
• Cybersecurity, infrastructure
The proposal, developed by Robert Spina, dean of the College of Education and abnormal situation
and Human Development, with colleagues Diane Mason, Kaye Shelton, management for the process
and George Saltsman, will be funded for $300,000. industry, developed by Qiang
Xu, Daniel Chen, Srinivas
Palanki, Thomas Ho, Harley
Myler, Hsing-Wei Chin, Xuejun
Fan, Ruhai Wang, Sujing Wang,
Christopher Martin, Zianchang
Li and Paul Latiolais.

Article originally published by
Brian Sattler on July 8, 2016.

The official publication of the College of Education and Human Development

8 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

IMPACT Magazine • Issue 1

lamar.edu/education IMPACT MAGAZINE 9

IMPACTING ALSO ABROAD THIS
THE COMMUNITY
SUMMER:
Dr. Debbie Troxclair spends her summer abroad, sharing her knowledge and
For the second
Dexperience with other educators across the country and across the globe. year, Rick Carter,
r. Debbie Troxclair, faculty member in the Teacher Education a professor in the
Department, spent the summer months addressing professional department of health
development needs of teachers of the gifted in Amsterdam, El Paso and kinesiology, led
and Boston, and welcomed secondary gifted learners enrolled in the an undergraduate
dual enrollment program at the LU Texas Academy for Leadership study abroad team
in the Humanities in Beaumont. Her travels began in late May, soon after spring to Xalapa, Mexico
commencement was over. Eleonoor Van Gerven, director of Slim Educatief, a private to investigate health
consulting enterprise in Holland, invited Debbie to Amsterdam after hearing her attributes of the
talk on twice exceptional gifted learners at the World Council for Gifted Conference Mexican people and to
in Odense, Denmark in August 2015. interact with students
from the Universidad
In addition to presenting at the Slim Educatief! Conference, Dr. Troxclair was able of Veracruzana, Xalapa,
to observe how master’s degree-level teachers in the Netherlands are trained to Mexico. This study abroad
become teachers of the gifted by observing Van Gerven’s classes. Additionally, she experience was funded by a
observed Patricia Versnel-Blom’s twice exceptional gifted classroom in Almere, the grant to Rick Carter from the
Netherlands. These children were developing executive functioning skills via the 100,000 Strong in the Americas
use of Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Later on in June, Debbie grant program administered
was invited by the administrative team at El Paso ISD to present a two-day staff through the Department of
development session for the district’s general education teachers. (Continued on State. While in Xalapa, the
the next page.) students visited many medical
and community delivery
sites and interacted with the
individuals there. Specifically,
the students focused on obesity
interventions used in Mexico,
reviewed the epidemiology of
the obesity epidemic in Mexico
and especially in Xalapa. As
a result of the past two years
of experiences in Xalapa, a
memorandum of understanding
was negotiated between Lamar
University and The Universidad
of Veracruzana so that an
ongoing collaboration might
be possible. Dr. Jeff Palis was
instrumental in gaining closure
on this important and timely
agreement and for directing
the Study Abroad program at
Lamar University.

The official publication of the College of Education and Human Development

10 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

Depth and complexity icons translated into Dutch used The same depth and complexity icons translated into
in the Netherlands. Spanish used in El Paso, TX.

Later on in June, Debbie was invited by the administrative team at El Paso ISD to present a two-day staff
development session for the district’s general education teachers. She shared information about personality
types of gifted learners, their parents and the teachers, curriculum differentiation for the gifted and teaching
reading to gifted learners on day one. On the second day, the general education teachers learned about
twice exceptional gifted children with ADHD, perfectionism and creativity. Interspersed between Troxclair’s
sessions, the professional development attendees were provided with the opportunity to witness firsthand the
capabilities of gifted children.

Running concurrently with this staff development session was the summer program for students enrolled in
the Connecting Worlds/Mundes Unides Program in El Paso ISD at Mesita Elementary School. This program is
a dual (tri) language program, and the children are taught in Mandarin, Spanish, and English. The theme for
this summer’s program was technology and digital communication. These elementary-school-aged children
were learning how to code, tweet and create multimedia projects with their GT teachers. Watching six and
seven-year-olds program robots to successfully maneuver through obstacle courses and 5-year-old children
learn how to “tweet” was astonishing.

“It was very rewarding to watch the general education
teachers marvel at what these children are capable of
and as they watched the children, they were able to make
meaningful connections with the content they were acquiring
in the sessions.” - Dr. Debbie Troxclair

In late June, Dr. Troxclair was one of several presenters at an institute at the International Literacy Association
for the Gifted and Creative Special Interest Group in Boston, MA. She shared information with the attendees
about twice-exceptional gifted children and the Response to Intervention framework from a recent publication,
Accelerating and Extending Literacy for Diverse Learners edited by Dr. Dorothy Sisk of Lamar University.
In late July, Dr. Troxclair then traveled to Athens, Georgia where she attended the Torrance Center Summer
Institute. At this event, Debbie attended training on scoring the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking in order to
learn more about this assessment instrument for a future research study dealing with creativity of children
identified as having learning disabilities.
To wrap up the summer months, Debbie was invited by Dr. Ted Stubblefield to speak at the Lamar University
Texas Academy for Leadership in the Humanities 2016 convocation. She addressed new and returning
secondary gifted students about the “Big Fish Little Pond Effect (BFLPE).” Dr. Troxclair invited the TALH
students to participate in a research project with her during the 2016-2017 academic year. The topic of the
descriptive research study will be the over-nurturance of gifted learners. Several students have responded
with interest in this research project.

IMPACT Magazine • Issue 1

lamar.edu/education IMPACT MAGAZINE 11 News from Teacher Education

Dr. Mamta Singh Awarded the 2016 Presidential Faculty Fellowship in Support of Undergraduate Research/
Creative Activity

The purpose of the award is to “encourage faculty-led collaboration with Lamar University undergraduates in
scholarly activities.” As a PI of the project, Dr. Singh, of the department of teacher education, will hold the title

and prestige of presidential faculty fellow and received $15,000 in total support
of a collaborative scholarly project.

Dr. Vanessa Villate Awarded the 2016 Regional Chapter Counselor Award for
the West Region

Also from the department of teacher education and counselor of the Lamar
University Sigma Beta chapter of Kappa Delta Pi (International Honor Society
in Education), Dr. Villate was awarded the 2016 Regional Chapter Counselor
Award for the West region, which comprises over 100 chapters. Dr. Villate was
nominated by chapter officers and the regional chapter coordinator. “In order to
win this award, a counselor must score higher than peers in the areas of modeling
leadership, motivating and communicating with chapter members, impacting the careers of chapter officers and
members, involvement in chapter programs and activities and exemplifying the mission and ideals of the Society,”
wrote the KDP Director of Chapter Services, Laura Perkins. Dr. Villate has been counselor of the Sigma Beta
chapter for 8 years and is committed to engaging chapter members in professional development and community
service activities.

Dr. Freddie Titus was an invited guest to the Summit on Stimulating Research and Innovation for Preservice
Education of STEM Teachers in High-Need Schools, supported through the NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship
Program in Washington, D.C. because of his interest in and contributions to STEM education research. For
Titus, it was a great opportunity to share, learn and exchange ideas about the National Science Foundation,

Noyce projects’ ongoing efforts to change science and
mathematics teacher education programs, practices,
and strategies for attracting, preparing and supporting
science and mathematics teachers and retaining them
in the teaching workforce in high-need schools.

Dr. Freddie Titus and Dr. Stacey Bumstead presented to
the Lamar State College Faculty at their annual Faculty
Development Day on August 17, 2016. Their presentation
was titled, Kaboom! Using Course Objectives to Create
Valid Tests.

Dr. Katherine Sprott, Assistant Professor in Teacher
Education, was invited to collaborate with Dr. Ingrid
Gogolin, Professor, Dr. Sarah McMonagle, Assistant
Professor, both from the University of Hamburg in Germany, and Dr. Stephen Roesselte of University of
Northwestern Switzerland, to present at the annual American Education Research Association/World Education
Research Association conference in Washington D.C. during the spring. The title of the referred presentation was
“The Delphi Method in Education Research: A Tool for Public Scholarship in Diverse Democracies.” This symposium
represented a combined North American and European effort to demonstrate and discuss the use of the Delphi
method in education research.

The official publication of the College of Education and Human Development

12 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

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education.lamar.edu/online

IMPACT Magazine • Issue 1

lamar.edu/education IMPACT MAGAZINE 13 News from Family and Consumer Sciences

Dr. Janice Kimmons Awarded Tenure and Promotion
Congratulations to Dr. Janice Kimmons, who recently was
awarded tenure and promotion to the rank of associate
professor. Kimmons, director of the fashion retailing and
merchandising program at LU, joined the Department of
Family and Consumer Sciences in August, 2010.
In addition to publishing and being honored for creative
scholarship design for excellence in fiber arts, Kimmons
teaches a wide range of courses related to fashion
merchandising, textiles and apparel in general. According
to Kimmons, the effort made by students to learn is what
inspires her to continually work toward improving the
classroom experience. Under the instruction of Kimmons,
students learn not only the business aspects of the industry,
but the more creative and technical features as well, such as
how to evaluate the quality of products they will be selling
as retailers.
Kimmons is an advocate of study abroad and provides this
opportunity for her students. “I am very enthusiastic about
taking students abroad,” said Kimmons. “To see them grow
as global citizens after experiencing other and unfamiliar
cultures is truly gratifying. I think I have the best job in the
world!”

Dr. Janice Kimmons

Dr. Kimberly Wallet Honored with the Golden Apple Award

In July, 2016, Dr. Kimberly Wallet, Associate Professor of
Family Studies, was honored with the Golden Apple Award
which is presented monthly by KFDM Television and MCT
Credit Union. The award features an educator who has “gone
above and beyond” in the classroom. This award is typically
given to a public school teacher; it is exceptional that the
award was presented to a university professor in Southeast
Texas.

Deanna Campbell was majoring in Family Studies when she
nominated Wallet for the award. Campbell, now a graduate
student, credits Wallet with equipping her the knowledge,
skills and confidence to not only graduate with a B.S. degree
in Family Studies, but to pursue a graduate degree as well.
Wallet has been described by her students as an inspiring
teacher who works with students to meet their needs and
develop their skills as she prepares them for the “real world”.
Recipients of the award receive a $500 check from MCT
Credit Union as a way to honor teaching excellence.

Dr. Kimberly Wallet Wallet, who was was humbled and honored by the award,
stated, “It’s important and rewarding to me to know that I
have made a positive impact on the lives of Lamar University
students.” She has been with Lamar’s Family and Consumer
Sciences Department since 1994.

The official publication of the College of Education and Human Development

14 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

Dr. Rebecca Weinbaum named Interim Department Chair
Dr. Rebecca Weinbaum, Associate Professor, has recently moved
into the role of Interim Department Chair in the Department of
Counseling and Special Populations. A former music educator
at the K-12 level and former Elementary School Counselor, her
work as a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor led her
into the field of Counselor Education where she found her home
at Lamar University. Her research and scholarly writing is in
the areas of mentoring, research methodology, and counselor
supervision, as well as play therapy and creative arts. She has
authored more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and four book
chapters/book and has presented on the international, national,
and local levels in all of her research areas. Dr. Weinbaum often
refers to her work with the Organization for Social Science
Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA) in Kenya,
Tanzania and Uganda as transforming summer experiences for
influencing her work as a researcher and educator.
Rebecca Weinbaum is one of four faculty members at the
university level honored with the 2016 University Merit Award
in recognition of outstanding performance in the classroom.
Other honors and awards include membership in Phi Beta Delta
International Honor Society Beta Xi Chapter, two Distinguished
Paper Awards in 2013 presented at the American Educational Research Association, Most Read Article in
2014 from Routledge Taylor & Francis Group’s journal Mentoring & Tutoring, and Outstanding Paper Award
at the 2011 Southern Educational Research Association. In addition, she is a recipient of the Texas Counseling
Association Distinguished Service Award, to be presented at the 2016 Texas Counseling Association Annual
Professional Growth Conference.
As part of her vision serving the department as Interim Chair, Dr. Weinbaum is committed to bringing her
mixed-methods researcher lens to the ongoing work of accreditation and continual program improvement.
This work supports the recent success of the Clinical Mental Health Program for accreditation from the Council
for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and the School Counseling
Program and Special Education Program accreditations from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
In November, Dr. Weinbaum was the invited guest speaker for Cardinal Conversations, a special series created
and hosted by the First Lady of Lamar University, Nancy Evans. Dr. Weinbaum will be speaking on the unique
topic of cross-cultural mentoring in the college setting, presenting alongside colleague and co-researcher

Monica Bellon-Harn, Department Chair and Diane H. Shaver
Professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences. The Cardinal
Conversation took place November 8 at the home of President
and First Lady Kenneth and Nancy Evans and was also televised
on LUTV, the official channel of LU accessed through Time
Warner Digital Cable Channel 7.

Dr. Kim McGough Presents Weekly Parent Workshops
A new assistant professor in the School Counseling Program, Dr.
McGough presents weekly parent workshops in her community
on Raising Entitlement Free Children and Teenagers. She has
been planning her research concentrating on phenomena
pertaining to adolescence including: risk- taking behaviors,
motivation, and entitlement.

IMPACT Magazine • Issue 1

lamar.edu/education IMPACT MAGAZINE 15 News from Counseling and Special Populations

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Receives CACREP Accreditation
The Department of Counseling and Special Populations of Lamar University is pleased to
announce that the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
(CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling
(M.Ed. degree) on-campus and on-line programs for the period of two years through
October 31, 2018. Congratulations to all who have dedicated themselves in time, energy, and
commitment throughout the accreditation process. The School Counseling Program and the
Special Education Program, alongside other Educator Preparation Programs in the college,
are likewise dedicated to continued accreditation with Council for the Accreditation of
Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
The work of all programs in the Department of Counseling and Special Populations reflect the
commitment in the department, college, and university for serving our students, stakeholders,

and community with the highest standards for continual improvement.
What is residency?
Counseling and Special Populations department hosts up to four residencies
every year. These residencies are skill-building programs tailored for online
and face-to-face counseling students. Students spend a week in Beaumont
meeting their online professors and colleagues. The week focuses on
hands-on counseling training in many important areas that are impacting
the profession today, such as multicultural and diversity concerns, legislative
trends, group counseling, diagnosing and treatment planning, record keeping,
client confidentiality and PK-12 School climates and trends. Students travel

from all over the country, and in the last year we have had several international students. For a glimpse into the
Residency experience, see our YouTube video at https://youtu.be/PwsPkAIFGpw
Brande Flamez Named President of the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC)
a division of ACA.
She was also appointed as the co-chair of Ethics/Bylaws for the Association of Humanistic Counseling and serves
as an Emerging Leader Mentor. She recently finished a book this month that will be published by ACA in 2017,
entitled The Counselor’s Guide to the Dissertation Process: Where to Start and How to Finish.
Dr. Robert Carlisle Named CACREP Approved Site Visitor
Dr. Carlisle was invited to join the editorial boards of a regional and national journal in the field of counseling and
recently became a CACREP approved site visitor. He collaborated with faculty and students from two universities
to publish an article that examined internet addiction as a process addition in The Journal of Mental Health
Counseling. He also has an article on distance supervision and educational technology in-press with the flagship
journal for counselor education, Counselor Education and Supervision. Robert collaborated with students and
faculty from two universities on a manuscript that is currently under review for the journal of Professional School
Counseling that explored school counselors’ use of social stories. Manuscripts in-progress include a study on
the examination of supervisory working alliance and supervision delivery methods as well as study on faculty
presence in online asynchronous courses.
Dr. Robika Mylroie Continues Research on Childhood Obesity and is Named the ACC Emerging Leader for 2016
Dr. Mylroie and Dr. Rachael Whitaker presented their work at the Association of Assessment and Research in
Counseling at the conference in September. Dr. Mylroie also presented with Elizabeth Marston from Turning Point
Behavioral Health at the Association for Creativity in Counseling conference in September. They presented on using
yoga, meditation and mindfulness with substance abuse patients who experienced trauma. She also presented
with Dr. Ruth Moore on creative activities to use when counseling families. At the conference, Dr. Mylroie was
named the ACC Emerging Leader for 2016-2017.

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16 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

Department Faculty Present at the
National Social Science Association in
Las Vegas
The Department of Health and
Kinesiology faculty members, Dr. Mihae
Bae and Dr. Praphul Joshi, presented at
the National Social Science Association
this spring in Las Vegas, NV

The professional presentations
included the following:
Bae, M., & Joshi, P. (2016, March).
Changing cultural and social norms:
Are college students happy about their
body image? The paper presented
at the National Technology and Social
Science Conference, Las Vegas,
Nevada.
Bae, M., & Bai, S. (2016, March). How
to sustain quality volunteers? A study of
determining factors on the durability of volunteer activity. The paper presented at the National Social Science
Association, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Joshi. P., &, Killough. J. Disparities in behaviors related to diabetes self-management (DSM) in Texas.
National Technology and Social Science Conference. Las Vegas, NV, March 20 -22, 2016.
Killough. J., & Joshi. P. Utilizing a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Approach to Implement
Diabetes Self - Management Interventions in Underserved Communities. National Technology and Social
Science Conference. Las Vegas, NV, March 20 22, 2016.
Health and Kinesiology Students Participate in Downtown Beaumont’s Color Rush 5k to Bring Awareness
to the Importance of Exercise
On Oct 1, undergraduate students enrolled in KINT 3342 cardiopulmonary physiology staffed a tent in the
health & wellness village at the 5k Color Run in downtown Beaumont. The students designed a flyer to explain
how exercise can help reduce the risk for several disease states, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
Students also estimated participants’ body mass index and percent body fat and explained how the scores
could contribute to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Four Undergraduate Students Place in the Top 20 Percent at the Annual Challenge Bowl
Shannon Jordan, Alan Moore and Rick Carter sponsored and accompanied four of the Exercise Science
Undergraduate majors (Hannah Boyett, now a physical therapy doctoral student at TWU-Houston, Baily
Perryman, Brion Britwell and Drew Anderson) to the Texas American College of Sports Medicine annual
meeting in March where the students competed in the Annual Challenge Bowl. These students finished in the
top 20 percent of the schools competing, which included most of the universities in Texas.
Faculty Present at the American Thoracic Society Meeting in San Francisco
Brian Tiep, M. Barnett, Rick Carter and R. Murray presented “Long-Term Management of COPD via a Clinical
Guidance System: 14 Years of a Continuous Improvement Model” abstract 7681, and published in the proceedings.

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lamar.edu/education IMPACT MAGAZINE 17

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Published in Up-to-Date News from Health and Kinesiology

Rick Carter and Brian Tiep completed a revision of their work entitled “Long-Term supplemental oxygen therapy”,
published in Up-to-Date by Wolters Kluwer. Up-to-Date is an electronic medical and scientific collection in all
areas of medicine and is designed to supply clinicians and scholars with the most timely and scientifically sound
clinical guidance possible. With more than 10 thousand usage entries per week, Up-to-Date has become a key
source for clinical guidance and medical science.

Study Abroad Collaborates with Health and Kinesiology to Host Dr. Jose Enrique Diaz Camacho on Campus

Jeff Palis, Director of Study Abroad at Lamar University, and Rick Carter collaborated to attract Dr. Jose Enrique
Diaz Camacho from the Universidad de Veracruzana, Institute of Psychological Research to come to Lamar
University and present a short symposium on “Food Culture, Lifestyle and Obesity: A perspective from Mexico”
to students and faculty at LU. A portion of his visit was covered through a grant from the 100,000 Strong in the

Americas grant. Dr. Diaz Camacho also shared his interests,
educational and scientific, with many individuals both on
and off campus during his four day stay in Beaumont.

Dr. Julio Morales presenting in Barbados. Julio Morales Conducts Specialized Seminar In Barbados
The seminar, designed for volleyball coaches and teachers
was sponsored by the International Volleyball Federation
and the Barbados Volleyball Association as part of a series
of workshops, courses and seminars that the international
federation organizes to further develop the sport. The
seminar was held in the Barbados Olympic Association
facilities in Georgetown, Barbados. The course was attended
by 22 coaches and teachers invited by the Volleyball
Association and included lectures, as well as practical
sessions centered on the offensive aspects of the sport.

Morales also recently published the article: Pre-Service
Physical Education Teachers’ Content Knowledge of
Physical Activity and Health Related Fitness in the Journal
of the International Council for Health, Physical Education,
Sport and Dance 44, (1):82-96. This article was written in
conjunction with Drs. Jose Santiago from Sam Houston
State University, James Disch from Rice University and
James Morrow from the University of North Texas. The
article examines the knowledge level of the pre-service
teachers regarding the important concepts of Physical
Activity and Health Related Fitness which are fundamental
for practitioners in the fields. This article relates to previous
work on the same area by Morales and Santiago.

Coaches and teachers practice volleyball inside the
Barbados Olympic Association facilities.

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18 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

IMPACT Magazine • Issue 1

lamar.edu/education IMPACT MAGAZINE 19 News from Educational Leadership

Faculty Attend and Present at The Action Research Network
of the Americas 2016 Conference
Held in Knoxville, Tennessee in June, The Action Research
Network of the Americas (ARNA) brings together people of
the Americas and beyond who engage in and support action
research. The College of Education and Human Development
was an Institutional Sponsor for the 2016 conference.
LU faculty members from the department of educational
leadership, including Donna Azodi, Daryl Ann Borel and Gary
Martin, presented their research study, Candidate Perceptions
of a Collaborative Framework Scaffold for Action Research
Development, at the conference. The purpose of the study was
to examine 433 online Masters of Education Administration
and Education Technology Leadership students’ perceptions
regarding the usefulness of collaborative framework structures
implemented during a one-year timeframe to scaffold
development of an action research project and interim action
research report.
Donna Azodi served as a 2016 Conference Committee
member and also participates as a member of the Knowledge
Mobilization Committee. Daryl Ann Borel participates as a
member of the Web and Technology Committee.

Faculty Awarded a Grant to Present Research at the
AAEEBL Conference in Boston
Cindy Cummings, Dwayne Harapnuik and Tilisa
Thibodeaux were awarded a grant to present their
research at the AAEEBL (Association of Authentic,
Experiential, and Evidence-Based Learning)
Conference. AAEEBL is the only well-known and
established ePortfolio organization in North America,
tied with the Association of American Colleges &
Universities. The research conducted by Cummings,
Harapnuik, and Thibodeaux unveiled a fresh
perspective to the learning process, the COVA learning
approach, where students incorporate elements of
Choice, Ownership, Voice and Authentic learning to
their work. Through the use of authentic assessment
in all digital learning and leading courses, course work
is designed so that it will have a direct impact in the
student’s own learning environment. Cummings, Harapnuik and Thibodeaux have submitted another grant to
present their continued research on student perceptions of the impact of the COVA learning approach at the
next AAEEBL/AAC&U conference. They will submit their research to the International Journal of ePortfolios for
publication.

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20 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

IMPACTING
DIGITAL LEARNING

BestColleges.com recently awarded honors to the College of Education and Human Development’s
online graduate programs in counseling and educational administration.

The College of Education and Human
Development has received national

accolades for the quality of its online
programs for three consecutive years.

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lamar.edu/education IMPACT MAGAZINE 21

BestColleges.com ers are partnering with online
is a research- programs to better prepare a
focused resource readied workforce. The website
found online that recently released its 2016 online

is designed to help program rankings, and two pro-

potential students rank specific grams from within the College of

colleges, universities, programs Education and Human Develop-

and certificates so that they can ment have received accolades on

make an informed decision as a national level. The College of

to the best educational options Education and Human Develop-

available. The website tracks the ment is comprised of five depart-

innovations and issues that are ments: Counseling and Special

changing higher education and Populations, Educational Lead-

its online learning landscape. ership, Health and Kinesiology,

Recent data indicates that a typi- Family and Consumer Sciences

cal online student expects flex- and Teacher Education. Of the

ibility, affordability and a high- five, two departments, both of

quality education. While Lamar which exclusively offer gradu-

University, in general, is noted as ate-level programs, have been

one of the most diverse cam- featured as having at least one

puses in the country, it is also program that was recognized as

regularly praised for its afford- a top master’s degree available
Rthat is offered 100% online.
ability, and was recently named anked within the
one of the best universities in the top 20 online
country for the least amount of counseling pro-
student debt upon graduation. grams nationwide,
BestColleges.com also found
that technology is continuing to

change the way we think about Lamar University’s

higher education and the overall M.Ed in clinical mental health

college experience, as employ- counseling prepares students

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22 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

with the knowledge residency and a two- face. In 2015, more Another
and training neces- part internship along than 400 students program
sary to effectively with their regular were enrolled in the that received
counsel individu- core courses. Lamar clinical mental health similar
als dealing with a University also offers counseling program recognition
number of different a master’s degree in online. and was ranked as one
issues. This program school counseling of the top 15 online
can be completed in online and face to educational administration
as little as three years programs in the country
and students may More information about online programs was LU’s M.Ed in
also be eligible for a can be found at lamar.edu/education Educational Administration.
$10,000 grant from In 2015, more than 1,900
the U.S. Substance students were enrolled in
Abuse and Mental the program and accounted
Health Services Ad- for more than 28% of the
ministration (SAM- Educational Leadership
HSA). The program is department within the
administered through college. The program is
the Blackboard learn- designed to sharpen and
ing management focus in on specific skills
system, or LUCon- needed for careers in
nect, as students call educational administration.
it here on campus. Students are taught how
In addition, students to design curriculum,
complete a practi- create and maintain parent
cum, a two-part relationships and how to

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lamar.edu/education IMPACT MAGAZINE 23

make better decisions as LU. Other online programs are
leaders within the education offered within the college as
system. In addition to well. In fact, Lamar University’s
core courses, students College of Education and
get to participate in an Human Development offers a
internship, where they learn masters degree of education
by integrating theoretical in 10 different program areas
and practical concepts with additional focused
in effective educational concentrations Programs
administration skills. The average 36 credit hours in length
M.Ed. in Educational with supervised internships
Administration was the first throughout the course of study.
and still is the largest fully
online graduate program at

MPR.EOdG, DRAigMitaSl PLOeaTrLnIiGngHT&: Leading

LU’s innovative online program focuses on technology and training.

The Master of Education in Digital Learning and learning styles. The program aims to keep educa-
Leading is an innovative online program new tors at the forefront of today’s evolving digital
to the college. This program combines technol- learning landscape and how they can leverage
ogy training with advanced leadership skills to the Information Age to their advantage so that
prepare students to transform different educa- they are leaders in their chosen fields.
tional environments through advanced teaching
principles and educational change management.
Students will utilize different methods and tech-
nologies, and will learn how they support various

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24 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

IMPACTING
STUDENTS’ LIVES

It’s a wonderful thing to witness whenever those who are studying to impact the
lives of others are actually impacted themselves.

In 2014, 2015, and 2016, a total of ten opportunity to spend about a week each summer
with our students, the students from Salisbury
undergraduate teacher education students University, and Dr. Dean and her colleagues from

have had the opportunity to study in Bologna, the University
of Bologna. In
Italy, through addition to all of
the wonderful
a program places we were
able to visit, it
sponsored was astounding
to see our
by Salisbury Lamar students
blossom from
University under this experience.
All grew
the direction of personally and
professionally
Dr. Patty Dean, and made new
friends for life.
an associate
Our students have made an excellent impression
professor at for the past three years. Dr. Dean hopes that
more of our students will accompany her on the
Salisbury, and 2017 trip.
Pictured students (L to R): Timberlyn Cook,
a professional Kiersten Lamb, Kaitlyn Ezell, Sarah Henderson,
Teressa Marble (2015 trip)
colleague and

friend of mine.

Our students have

been fortunate

enough to spend

three weeks at

the end of May and the beginning of June with

students from Salisbury studying Creative Arts in

the Elementary School. In addition to spending

time at the University of Bologna and local public

schools, our students traveled to Florence,

Venice, Rome, Ravenna, and other places of

interest. This past summer and last, I had the

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lamar.edu/education IMPACT MAGAZINE 25

This Mirabeau Scholar Thrives as a Dietetics Major

EMMALEE CALVERT

Dietetics major facets of dietetics, at this point in her academic career
she aspires to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Emmalee and possibly work in the area of sports nutrition.

Calvert, from Calvert, the oldest of five siblings and the first to
attend college, credits her homeschooling experience
Dripping as providing her with the abilities needed to be
successful as a university student. The less structured
Springs, Texas environment of homeschooling required her to sharpen
time management skills and also taught her the value of
(located near accountability. Calvert enjoys the LU community and the
Austin), is size of the university. She states, “There are lots of good
enjoying her groups and lots of good people on the Lamar campus.
freshman year The Honor’s College is great!” In addition to being a
as a Mirabeau member of the Honor’s Student Association, Calvert has
Scholar at Lamar attended meetings of the Lamar University Nutrition
University. and Dietetics Association. In her spare time, she enjoys
Calvert’s running and playing the piano.
fascination
with the study
of nutrition
and dietetics
was initially
sparked by a
love of science,
particularly
biology. During
her high school
years, while
studying anatomy and physiology, she became especially
interested in the human body and how it handles food.
Coupled with a mother interested in teaching healthy
eating as a way of life, pursing an academic career in
dietetics became a natural choice for Calvert who also
enjoys the food-exercise relationship.

While Calvert appreciates the introductory nutrition
course she is currently taking, she looks forward to
advanced courses that will provide a “hands-on”
approach to learning including the food science course
where consumer acceptance of modified recipes is
examined. She is also excited about the community
nutrition course where she will have the opportunity
to be mentored as she develops nutrition education
materials and then teaches consumers about healthy
lifestyle choices. While Calvert holds an interest in many

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26 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

A graduate student participates in two Georgia presentations

SAVANNAH BURKE

On September 23rd, Savannah Burke, a graduate student in the department of counseling
and special populations, participated in two presentations at the annual Association for
Creativity in Counseling conference in Savannah, Georgia. The first presentation, a roundtable
discussion focused on The Art of Communication, was with faculty mentor, Dr. Ann Ordway.
The second presentation, an education session entitled The Ethical Creative Counselor, was with Dr. Ordway
and Dr. Ruth Moore. Ms. Burke, who resides in Houston with her husband and daughter, is among the first of
Lamar University students in the counseling and special populations department to present with faculty at
a national conference and she certainly represented LU well. Ms. Burke plans to pursue a career in marriage
and family counseling after completing her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lamar University
and achieving her LPC.

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lamar.edu/education IMPACT MAGAZINE 27

INSPIRE.
INNOVATE.
IMPACT.

Much more than just a simple tagline, the
above words are firmly rooted in our mission
to inspire our students, innovate our teaching
practices and professions, and to impact the
lives of those we come into contact with every
day.

The tag line was created to provide more of an identity for
the College of Education and Human Development and to
unify our diverse departments.

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28 The College of Education and Human Development at Lamar University

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IMPACT Magazine • Issue 1