Faculty & Staff Bios
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Faculty
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Staff
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Student Coordinators
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Julia AgerAgerJuliaShe/Her/Hers/HerselfStudent Coordinator
Major: Exercise & Sports Science, Concentration: Pre-Rehab
What is your favorite thing about the Honors College & why? My favorite thing about the Honors College is the community. My freshman year was filled with isolation and COVID-ness, but coming into such a welcoming space to study, relax, talk, or just get a change of scenery helped me get connected to a great community. I am super thankful to have found what is now like a home to me at the Honors College.
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Jackson BarrBarrJacksonHe/Him/His/HimselfStudent Coordinator
Major: Philosophy
Minor: Honors Studies
What is your favorite thing about the Honors College & why? My favorite thing about the honors college has to be its professors. Getting to know them in the class allows me to benefit from their collected experiences and I have had many interesting conversations on a wide range of topics with them. Dr. Peter Tschirhart and Dr. Louie Valencia have both helped me tremendously in exploring opportunities in the honors college and have offered fantastic classes which both expand my understanding of subjects like aesthetics and history and allowed me to better my writing and discussion skills. -
Auhleadra Carey-JohnsonCarey-JohnsonAuhleadraGraduate Assistant
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Lucciana ChoueiryChoueiryLuccianaShe/Her/Hers/HerselfStudent Coordinator
Major: Journalism
Minor: International Studies
Why did you apply to the Honors College? I joined the Honors College in hopes of finding a community within the community that TXST already is. I grew up my entire life in Beirut, Lebanon so coming to the U.S. was a hard enough transition, but TXST made me feel welcomed and like I had a place here. As a journalism major, my end goal is to report for countries in the Middle East where the problems are not highlighted in the news as they should be, and I applied to the Honors College to have the foundation I need to achieve that goal. I believe that being in the Honors College will provide me with the building blocks I need to work hard and persevere in my chosen field and also as a person in the real world post-college.
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Heather Galloway, Ph.D.Galloway, Ph.D.HeatherShe/Her/Hers/HerselfDeanEmail: galloway@txstate.edu
Dr. Heather Galloway is a professor of Physics and teaches a wide range of classes including: University Seminar, Freshman Physics, Modern Physics, and Building a Greener Future: One Home at a Time. Her research and professional activities focus on science education and her favorite part about being the Honors Dean is reading honors theses and mentoring our incredible students.
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Amy GillisGillisAmyShe/Her/Hers/HerselfSenior Administrative AssistantEmail: amygillis@txstate.edu
Amy Gillis joined the Honors College in August ’21 as the Senior Administrative Assistant after being with the Office of International Affairs for over five years. Amy enjoys traveling, gardening, propagating plant cuttings, mid-century art and design, and her two cats, Moose and Cookie. My favorite part of the Honors College is the fantastic students that I meet and helping to make the Honors College an exceptional place.
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Ron Haas, Ph.D.Haas, Ph.D.RonHe/Him/His/HimselfDirector of Research & WritingEmail: rmh109@txstate.edu
Ron Haas is an intellectual historian of Modern Europe and the United States who received his PhD from Rice University in 2007. His research and teaching interests include the “Global 1960s” and European and American traditions of radical and utopian thought. Ron also has extensive experience teaching expository writing and working with student writers. Since joining Texas State University in Fall 2013, he has taught popular courses such as “The 1960s: A History of Movements and Ideas,” “America vs. the World: The History of a Love-Hate Relationship,” and “Alienation and Authenticity: in Search of the Modern Self.” Ron also enjoys advising seniors as instructor of the thesis course (4390B). His main goals as a liberal arts educator are to welcome students to the “life of the mind” and introduce them to critical perspectives they can use in their own lives.
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Talya HammermanHammermanTalyaThey/Them/Theirs/ThemselvesStudent Coordinator
Major: Theatre
Minor: Philosophy, Writing
What is your favorite thing about the Honors College & why? My favorite thing about the Honors College is the celebration of difference within our community. There are so many people who are part of the Honors College with all different stories, and I love nothing more than to be able to listen and learn from those around me!
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Gwen HengHengGwenProgram CoordinatorEmail: nhj9@txstate.edu
Gwen Heng joined the Honors College as the Program Coordinator in the fall of 2022. Born and raised in Singapore, she moved to San Marcos in the middle of the pandemic to start a new life here with her partner. She graduated from the University of Sydney and was trained as a pediatric speech therapist specializing in feeding, speech-sound and voice disorders. Gwen now combines her experience in communication and writing with her interest in design to create publicity materials for the Honors College.
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Melanie LiddleLiddleMelanieShe/Her/Hers/HerselfHonors AdvisorEmail: mliddle@txstate.edu
Melanie Liddle is the Student Development Specialist II for the Honors College as of spring 2017. She earned her BA with Honors in History at Austin College, which included a thesis, "The Boston Massacre or "Massacre"?: A Study in Patriot Propaganda Debates". She has also completed graduate studies in History and Historical Archaeology at the College of William and Mary. Melanie's focus is supporting and showcasing undergraduate research at Texas State. She is a strong and dedicated presence in the Honors College.
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Ana MonterrubioMonterrubioAnaShe/Her/Hers/HerselfStudent Coordinator
Major: Musical Theatre
Minor: Business Administration
What is your favorite thing about the Honors College & why? My favorite thing about the Honors College is that all of the classes are relevant to the world we are living in today. I haven't taken any core credits outside of the Honors College, and I do not regret it! The classes are more intimate and have enabled me to develop deeper relationships with my peers and professors. Additionally, the projects and discussions I have participated in have challenged my perspectives and changed them for the better. For instance, because of classes I have taken in the Honors College, I have become more conscious about saving energy in my apartment and I have deleted my social media apps in favor of recognizing my intrinsic value as a human.
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Jordan Morille, MFAMorille, MFAJordanHe/Him/His/HimselfDirector of Creative ArtsEmail: jm1952@txstate.edu
Pronouns: he/him
Jordan Morille is a lecturer, award-winning playwright, novelist, script doctor, and content creator. He earned his MFA in Dramatic Writing from Texas State University in 2015. His first novel, The Blacktop Lagoon, released in 2022, and his podcast - GMWKS - is available on all platforms. He is the Region 6 chair of the National Playwriting Program for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, and currently teaches courses in Playwriting, Screenwriting, Dramatic Adaptation, Southern Gothic Storytelling, and Creative Arts.
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Kyrsten PerezPerezKyrstenShe/Her/Hers/HerselfStudent Coordinator
Major: Healthcare Administration
Minor: Health Communication
Why did you apply to the Honors College? I applied to the honors college because I loved that I was going to be given the opportunity to take courses in a smaller class setting. Growing up in a small town, my learning environment was never the largest, so I believed that setting would help me thrive as a new incoming college student just starting out in a University.
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Elisabeth RoachRoachElisabethShe/Her/Hers/HerselfStudent Coordinator
Major: Accounting
What is your favorite thing about the Honors College & why? My favorite part of the Honors College is the community it has. Everyone is so welcoming and supportive. I am never afraid to ask for help and feel a real sense of belonging.
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Kate SeonSeonKateShe/Her/Hers/HerselfStudent Coordinator
Major: Health Sciences
Why did you apply to the Honors College? I applied to Honors College to challenge myself and to further expand my knowledge and experiences as an undergraduate student. By working alongside many supportive students and faculty members with shared visions and goals, I look forward to exploring my passions through unique honor courses as well as gaining new opportunities to grow academically and personally.
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Michelle Sotolongo, MASotolongo, MAMichelleShe/Her/Hers/HerselfHonors AdvisorEmail: ms84@txstate.edu
Michelle was born in Mexico City and raised in Houston, TX. She is a proud first-generation college graduate of Texas State University, with a BFA in Studio Art-Metals/Jewelry, and Fashion Merchandising minor. Additionally, she completed an undergraduate Honors thesis, What Would Jesus Wear?: the Fashioning of the Cross. Michelle earned a Master of Arts degree in International Studies, exploring US immigration, the culmination of which is her thesis, titled In Limbo: Bringing Stability to Undocumented Students Enrolled at Institutions of Higher Education in Central Texas. Her primary role as an academic advisor is to guide undergraduate Honors students on their unique educational journeys. Michelle also serves as the Coordinator for the TXST Monarch Center for Immigrant Students, continuing a decade of work researching and training other higher education professionals on how to support undocu/DACAmented students. Michelle enjoys cats, delicious food, immigrant rights, travel, and letting her mind get lost in new designs or research topics.
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Peter Tschirhart, Ph.D.Tschirhart, Ph.D.PeterHe/Him/His/HimselfAssociate DeanEmail: petert@txstate.edu
Peter Tschirhart received his Ph.D. in the Critical & Comparative Studies of Music from the University of Virginia and his B.M. from Rice University. His research, which lies at the intersection of music and architecture, explores the emergence of the sound map: graphical schemes and musical notation that make affordances for the spatial—not just sonic—aspects of musical composition and performance. Outside of work, Dr. Tschirhart is a recreational runner and biker who may often be seen puttering around campus on his beloved Brompton. He is also an avid travel and coffee geek who is deeply (some might say suspiciously) dedicated to the mission and aesthetics of “third-wave” coffees.
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Louie Dean Valencia, Ph.D.Valencia, Ph.D.Louie DeanHe/Him/His/HimselfAssociate Professor of Digital History & Faculty-In-Residence for Laurel Honors HouseEmail: lvalencia@txstate.edu
Dr. Louie Dean Valencia earned a Ph.D. in Early and Late Modern European History from Fordham University in New York City, has taught at Harvard University, and has directed the Aspects of Leadership Summer Institute at Princeton University. Louie’s research focuses on youth culture, digital history, urban studies, popular culture, and countercultures, and their books include Antiauthoritarian Youth Culture in Francoist Spain: Clashing with Fascism and Far-Right Revisionism and the End of History: Alt/Histories. Louie mentors first-year Honors students in Laurel Hall, and enjoys talking to students about their classes, internship and research strategies, scholarship opportunities such as the Fulbright, preparations for graduate school, and everything from superhero television series to contemporary social issues. Louie’s Honors courses include Harry Styles and the Cult of Celebrity, The Myths of Western Civilization, and the Spanish Civil War. He loves concerts, drawing, reading, traveling, visiting quirky coffee shops, and is a rare book and comic collector.