Faculty Mentors
Faculty Mentors are the heart of scholar research and graduate school activities in
the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. Each year, we work with
individual McNair Scholars to identify faculty that will serve as research and academic
mentor for the duration of the scholars time in the program.
Dr. Kathryn Anderson, PhD
Professor of Psychology
College of Professional Studies
Faculty Profile
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Dr. Anderson's research focuses on personality and situational causes of impulsive and thoughtful aggression and on the development of violent beliefs, as well as violence prevention. She has also published on personality characteristics associated with interpersonal aggression, acculturation effects and how gender interacts with social factors in influencing behavior. She is the Past-President of the Society for the Psychology of Women (Division 35 of the American Psychological Association), which is an intersectional feminist psychology organization. Dr. Anderson has greatly enjoyed working with McNair scholars at OLLU over the past 28 years. |
Melissa Brennan, Ph.D., LPC, CSC
Assistant Professor
Counseling College of Professional Studies
Faculty Profile
Dr. Brennan specializes in school counseling and child and adolescent counseling.
Her research interests include school counselor advocacy for historically marginalized
student populations (emphasis on gender diversity), professional advocacy for the
school counseling profession, development of students' counselor advocacy competencies
in counselor education programs, and best practices in online course development and
instruction. Dr. Brennan's current research considers factors of school counselor
job satisfaction and professional quality of life in relation to school counselor
attrition and retention rates
Rogers Milton Brown II, PhD
Visiting Assistant Professor
Dr. Brown received his B.S. from Texas Lutheran University and his Ph.D. in Developmental Biology in 2020 from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in the laboratory of Dr. Andrew Groves. He joined the laboratory of Dr. Jeffery Boychuk in the department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology to continue training as a postdoctoral research fellow in late 2020 and the SABER•IRACDA Program in 2021. Dr. Brown’s doctoral research was focused on studying the role of the Notch signaling pathway in inner ear development and his post-doctoral research studied the effects of stroke and Alzheimer’s disease on the motor functions of mammals. He is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology in the department of Mathematics & Science at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.
Adam Bynum
Instructor of Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
Vanessa Clark, PhD
Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems and Security
School of Business and Leadership
Faculty Profile
Dr. Clark’s research interests include behavioral research in Computer Information Systems and Security to include online learning, compensatory adaptation, mobile security device policies, and human computer interaction. Much of her research revolves around theories from fields such as psychology and communications and their applications to the field of Information Technology and Cybersecurity. She has published in AIS Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction, International Journal of Distance Education Technologies, Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, AMCIS, among others.
Mary Ruth Fernandez, PhD, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
My passion is for promoting research in the inclusive dimensions of communication sciences and disorders, interprofessional practice, and online education for knowledge and skill-based instruction. My commitment lies in exploring and advocating for genuine clinical practices, promoting clinical research, and demonstrating valued outcomes for consumers. Continuously dedicated to learning, I invest time studying publications and participating in training sessions focused on online teaching and learning. My dedication is a desire to contribute to advancements in clinical practice and research.
Josiah Johnson, PhD
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology
College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Profile
Dr. Josiah Johnson's research focuses on physical activity and sports for people with
disabilities. More specifically, Dr. Johnson examines the relationship between motor
skill competence and physical activity in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
(ASD). He is currently working on a balance bike program to teach kids with ASD and
other intellectual disabilities how to ride bicycles.
Christina C. Long
Lecturer of Social Work
Worden School of Social Service
Valerie Martinez, PhD
Assistant Professor of History
History Program Head
Dr. Valerie A. Martínez specializes in 20th Century Mexican American history, U.S. Military and
Labor History, and Women’s and Gender Studies. Her current National Endowment for
the Humanities-funded project, Embajadoras: Latina Servicewomen and Hemispheric Politics during World War II, reconceptualizes traditional notions of diplomacy and international actors by investigating
how the recruitment and service of Latina women in the Benito Juárez Squadron during
World War II embodied the Pan-American ideal of an imagined hemispheric system of
unity and reciprocity in the Americas. Her transnational research in both Mexico and
the U.S. has been funded by several entities. She is also the co-recipient of an NEH
grant to create an oral history project dedicated to women veterans. Dr. Martínez
is currently an Assistant Professor of History and History Program Head at Our Lady
of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas.
Marlo Mitchell-Gonzalez, MA, LSSP
School Psychology Instructor
College of Professional Studies
Faculty Profile
As a school psychologist in public education for the last twenty years, I have been privileged to witness first-hand the crucial role that schools play in the lives of students. I have also seen the various challenges, including inequalities in education. I am passionate about empowering families and communities as well as promoting non-discriminatory practices as a school psychologist. My research interests include Promoting Social Justice and Advocacy in School Psychology through Graduate Preparation, Self-Regulation and Reading Fluency of Students in Special Education, Effective Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered System of Supports prior to referral, recruitment and retention of LSSPs in Texas, ELL (Spanish) Students and Special Education Evaluations, Anxiety and Counseling in Schools, and Parent Training and Collaboration.
Teresita Munguia, PhD
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs
Faculty Profile
Dr. Teresita Munguia is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and the Associate Vice
President for Academic Affairs at Our Lady of the Lake University. She earned a Ph.D.
in Materials Science and Engineering, with a focus on organometallic synthesis—particularly
group 14—from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a B.S. in chemistry and biology
from Our Lady of the Lake University. She finds great joy in mentoring undergraduate
researchers and has mentored thirty undergraduate research projects while at Our Lady
of the Lake. Her current research interests center on developing a natural products
library from aquatic and terrestrial microorganisms and plants found in Lake Elmendorf,
OLLU’s natural laboratory, including the isolation and characterization of secondary
metabolites utilizing chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques.
Kristen O'Donnell
Associate Professor of Psychology
School Psychology MS Program Director
Faculty Profile
Dr. Kristen O’Donnell currently serves as Assistant Professor in Psychology. She is
a member of both the Texas Association of School Psychologist and the National Association
of School Psychologist.
Emily Sauers, PhD
Assistant Professor
Kinesiology
College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Profile
Dr. Sauers research interests involve eating behaviors and appetite following exercise.
Her research in the past has focused on steady state compared to high intensity interval
aerobic exercise. Through her research, she has questioned the role of the menstrual
cycle in eating responses and appetite to exercise. Thus far, her research projects
have focused on acute (single bout) exercise, but she would like to expand to exercise
training, including resistance (strength) training, and populations beyond a healthy,
college-aged individual.
Dr. Manpreet K. Semwal (she/her)
Assistant Professor of Biology
Dept of Math & Science
Faculty Profile
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With a background in immunology and previous research on diabetes and obesity in aging, I aim to expand my work by studying the effects of natural compounds on cellular senescence. Senescence, a state in which cells lose their ability to divide and function properly, increases with age and plays a crucial role in aging and age-related diseases. Many regional foods and traditional dietary practices are believed to help slow down senescence. One of my research objectives is to explore and understand whether natural compounds and some specific food/food groups can influence the cellular and immunological senescence markers. |
Melissa Shiplett-Jupe, Ph.D., LPC, NCC,
PMH-C
Program Leadership, Assistant Professor of Counseling
College of Professional Studies
Faculty Profile
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Dr. Shiplett-Jupe has a deep passion for clinical mental health. From clinical practice to education of counselors-in-training, Dr. SJ focuses on decolonizing mental health, creating space for clients as experts of their lived experiences, and providing safety through learning and exploring. These foundations are also evident in her research interests and practices. She seeks to expand current understandings and knowledge of the intersection of reproductive health and sexual wellness on mental health, overall LGBTQ+ mental health, family forming, and perinatal through postpartum mental health of all birthing people. Additionally, Dr. SJ is invested in researching ethical clinical training practices focusing on theories of learning, creativity in curriculum, and ethical incorporation of new technologies. |
Samantha Galvan, PhD
Assistant Professor of Marketing/Business Analytics
Department of Business
Faculty Profile
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Dr. Galvan's research focuses on public policy and marketing with a particular emphasis on social matters and public health questions. Within these domains, she leverages an applied empirical approach to address research questions and provide practical and actionable insights for managers and policymakers. Overall, Dr. Galvan is motivated to investigate issues that have large real-world implications with immediate applicability. Her research is approachable and timely to both scholars and practitioners alike. Dr. Galvan's key project looks at the simultaneous impact of Uber on sales of alcohol and instances of drunk driving. The project is currently being reviewed at the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. |