Fellows Directory

Displaying 1 - 25 of 27
Headshot of Angie Beasley.

Angela Beasley

Current Fellow
Computer Science
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College of Natural Sciences

Angie Beasley is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Computer Science department at UT, where she teaches Data Mining. Prior to teaching, Angie worked for 15 years as a software engineer on projects for the US Navy, including submarine sonar systems, periscope systems, unmanned underwater vehicles, radar systems, and radio and satellite communication systems. Angie received her MS in Computer Science with a concentration in Machine Learning from The George Washington University and her BS in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Austin.

 

Photo of Ruth Buskirk

Ruth Buskirk

Alumni
Biology
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College of Natural Sciences

Ruth Buskirk earned her A.B. at Earlham College, M.A. at Harvard University, and Ph.D. at the University of California at Davis. Her research on behavior and physiology includes work of orb-weaving spiders, dragonflies, baboons, and unusual animal behavior before earthquakes. She has taught biology courses at the University of Texas at Austin for over 35 years and currently works in research on student mindset and metacognition, coaching reading of scientific papers and assessing teaching effectiveness. 

person in blue shirt

Tara Craig

Current Fellow
Mathematics
|
College of Natural Sciences
De Lozanne headshot

Arturo De Lozanne

Alumni
Molecular Biosciences
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Active Learning
A headshot of Steve Finkelstein, a white man with a dark brown mustache and beard, in a blue button up dress shirt.

Steven Finkelstein

Current Fellow
Astronomy
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College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Student Success

Steven Finkelstein is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his B.S. degree from the University of Washington in 2003, his PhD in 2008 from Arizona State University, and from there he took a postdoctoral position at Texas A&M University. In 2011 he earned a Hubble Postdoctoral Fellowship which he took to the University of Texas in Austin, where he was hired on as faculty in 2012. His research focuses on the formation and evolution of galaxies in the early universe, and the interplay of these sources with reionization.

Vernita Gordon

Vernita Gordon

Current Fellow
Physics
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Inclusive Teaching and Learning
Skill-Building

I did my undergraduate work at Vanderbilt, with a double major in physics and math, and my Ph.D. work in physics at Harvard. At both institutions, I saw and experienced the positive difference that caring, committed instructors and a nurturing university community can make in students' lives. I have been a faculty member in the Physics department at UT Austin since 2010. I have taught introductory calculus-based mechanics for Physics majors, a Plan II Physics course for liberal arts honors students, and an upper-division course on Biological Physics.

Headshot of Layla Guyot.

Layla Guyot

Current Fellow
Statistics and Data Sciences
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College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Experiential Learning
Undergraduate Research

Layla Guyot is a data scientist, educator, and researcher, who joined UT Austin during Fall 2020. After pursuing mathematics and physics in undergrad, Layla completed a M.S. in Applied Probability and Statistics, just by chance. She gained some experience as a statistician before combining her aspiration to teach and conduct research through her Ph.D. in Mathematics Education at Texas State University. Her research focuses on designing courses and developing curriculum materials to promote authentic practices and ease the transition to the workplace.

Headshot of Cynthia Labrake.

Cynthia LaBrake

Alumni
Molecular Biosciences
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Active Learning
Peer Education

Cynthia LaBrake is a former Chair of the Provost's Teaching Fellows. Cynthia was instrumental in the design and creation of the Provost's Teaching Fellows program, first as a faculty affiliate of the Center for Teaching and Learning, and then as a member of the 2015 cohort of Teaching Fellows. She served as 2017 Chair. Cynthia's current interest is in serving the CNS as the Badging Fellow. In this role, she is leading the college effort to create sustainable structures for the development and awarding of badged micro credentials.

Photo of Calvin Lin

Calvin Lin

Alumni
Computer Science
|
College of Natural Sciences

Calvin Lin is a computer science professor at the University of Texas. He does research in compilers, with a current focus on security and scalable and precise analysis, including pointer analysis. He also has interests in microarchitecture, and he has written a textbook with Larry Snyder called Principles of Parallel Programming. His research also includes increasing programmer productivity by improving system performance, correctness, and ease of programming. He is a member of the UT Academy of Distinguished Teachers and received the UT Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award in 2011.

A headshot of Karen M Landolt, a white woman with dark brown hair and glasses, smiling in a red button up shirt.

Karen M Landolt

Current Fellow
Computer Science
|
College of Natural Sciences
McCombs School of Business
Initiative Focus
Experiential Learning
Peer Education

Karen Landolt is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Business, Government and Society Department and in the Department of Computer Science. She teaches Business Law, Behavioral Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property Law, and Negotiations. Her courses have a service-learning component, allowing students to use real-life problems and tasks to increase cultural awareness, learning, and retention. She previously received a Course-developer Award (2020-2022) from the Provost Experiential-Learning Initiative.

 

Markert headshot

Christina Markert

Alumni
Physics
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Curriculum Redesign
Active Learning
A headshot of Jen Moon, a white woman with dark brown hair, smiling in a black blazer and multicolored shirt.

Jen Moon

Alumni
Biology
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Inclusive Teaching and Learning
Skill-Building

Jennifer (Jen) Moon is a Professor of Instruction in the Department of Molecular Biosciences and the Assistant Dean for Non Tenure Track Faculty in the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Indiana University studying regulated gene expression, and completed her postdoctoral work at University of Texas at Austin in 2007. Dr. Moon regularly teaches Advanced Introduction to Genetics, Cell and Developmental Biology Lab, and an undergraduate teaching assistant (UGTA) training course.

A headshot of Alison Norman, a white woman with dark brown hair, smiling in a green cardigan.

Alison Norman

Alumni
Computer Science
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College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Inclusive Teaching and Learning

Dr. Alison N. Norman is an Associate Professor of Instruction and the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education in the Department of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin. She is also a UT Austin Provost's Teaching Fellow, a 2019 Regent's Outstanding Teaching Award recipient, a 2017 President's Associates Teaching Excellence Award recipient, and a 2017 College of Natural Sciences Teaching Excellence Award recipient. Alison works to improve the experience of students in computer science.

A headshot of Kristin Patterson, a white woman with dark brown and blonde hair, smiling in a blazer and orange shirt.

Kristin Patterson

Alumni
Molecular Biosciences
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Curriculum Redesign
Skill-Building

Kristin Patterson is the Fourth-Year Fellow Representative on the 2021 Provost's Teaching Fellows Steering Committee.

Head and torso of Jonathan Perry, a white man with brown hair and a brown goatee, standing on front of a brick wall.

Jonathan Perry

Current Fellow
Physics
|
College of Natural Sciences

Jonathan Perry is a Texas native who, after completing his BA and MS in physics at Baylor University and his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University, has managed to stick around the state. For his doctoral work he found himself with an unexpected passion for teaching and learning in his field, and so he focused on physics education research. He joined the faculty at UT Austin in 2019 as an Assistant Professor of Instruction.

person in blue sweater

Shelly Rodriguez

Current Fellow
UTeach-Natural Sciences
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Mentorship

Shelly Rodriguez is a Professor of Practice and instructor for the UTeach program in The College of Natural Sciences. She also directs UTeach Maker, a micro-credentialing program that helps preservice teachers bring innovative, project-based maker practices into their STEM classrooms. As a PTF, she is passionate about improving the career experiences of professional faculty at UT Austin.

Michael Scott

Alumni
Computer Science
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Student Success

Christopher Shank

Retired
Marine Science
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Skill-Building
Student Success
Headshot of Ruth Shear.

Ruth Shear

Current Fellow
Chemistry
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Skill-Building
Student Success

Ruth Shear is a Professor of Practice in the Chemistry Department, and a Research Educator of the Urban Ecosystems research stream in the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI). After a PhD in Chemical Physics from Griffith University (Australia) and postdoctoral work at Stanford and Cornell, she started as a lecturer at UT Austin in 1996. After running the physical and analytical chemistry teaching labs for 10 years, she helped create FRI in 2006. She has been teaching Research Methods in various forms ever since.

Headshot of Stacy Sparks.

Stacy Sparks

Current Fellow
Chemistry
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Inclusive Teaching and Learning
Student Success

Stacy Sparks is a Professor of Instruction in the Chemistry Department and focuses much of her teaching on General Chemistry courses. She directs the Chemistry Learning Assistant Program, which provides an experiential learning experience for 80 undergraduate students each semester, building their teaching and leadership skills and preparing them to assist general chemistry and organic chemistry students in the classroom.

 

Cathy Stacy

Alumni
Statistics and Data Sciences
|
College of Natural Sciences
Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost
Initiative Focus
Student Success
Photo of Michael Starbird

Michael Starbird

Alumni
Mathematics
|
College of Natural Sciences

Michael Starbird is a University Distinguished Teaching Professor of Mathematics at The University of Texas at Austin. He has been at UT his whole career except for leaves, including to the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. He has received more than fifteen teaching awards including the Mathematical Association of America's 2007 national teaching award, the Minnie Stevens Piper Professor statewide award, the UT Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award, and most of the UT-wide teaching awards.

Lydia Steinman

Retired
Nutritional Sciences
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Skill-Building
Active Learning
image of a white woman with dark brown hair, looking directly at the camera and smiling.

Gwendolyn Stovall

Current Fellow
TIDES
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Mentorship
Skill-Building
Student Success

For the last 10+ years, Gwen Stovall has worked as a biochemist and aptamer researcher in the CNS Freshman Research Initiative, where she leads a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) to identify aptamers, understand the underlying mechanisms and parameters of aptamer selections, and investigate aptamer specificity. As an educator, Gwen is committed to student empowerment and success, and seeks to improve student outcomes by mentoring, teaching, challenging, and engaging students.

Headshot of Ann Thijs.

Ann Thijs

Current Fellow
Biology
|
College of Natural Sciences
Initiative Focus
Skill-Building

Ann Thijs is an interdisciplinary scientist with a passion for undergraduate education. Ann earned a dual undergraduate degree in Biology and Engineering, and a Masters in Environmental Engineering from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in her home country of Belgium. As a postgraduate, she worked in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences on several national and international