Fellows Directory

Steven Finkelstein

Steven Finkelstein is a 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.

Erica "EG" Gionfriddo

Erica Gionfriddo is a dance artist, educator and somatic researcher who believes in the intelligent body each of us occupies. They are co-founder of ARCOS Dance (arcosdance.com), whose ongoing inquiry probes the intersection of technology and humanity through rigorous interdisciplinary experimentation. ARCOS’ recent work has focused on “hacking” consumer technologies, or repurposing them outside of their intended uses, into performance and developing an embodied cyborgian movement language.

Vernita Gordon

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.

Sam Gosling

Layla Guyot

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.

Michelle Habeck

Thushani Herath

Thushani Herath is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Department of Chemistry. Since joining UT in 2016, she has designed and taught multiple Analytical Chemistry laboratory courses. Her teaching emphasizes real-world applications, fostering meaningful connections between hands-on experiences and student understanding.

Martha Hilley

Martha Hilley is a PTF Emeritus Fellow after 36 years on the faculty of The University of Texas Butler School of Music! During that time, she has served as Professor of Group Piano and Pedagogy, head of the keyboard division, Associate Director of BSOM and Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Lars Hinrichs

Madeleine Holland

Dr. Madeleine Holland is an associate professor of instruction in the Department of Communication Studies, as well as the Moody College’s program manager for interdisciplinary education initiatives. She coordinates partnerships among departments within the College and also with other academic units on campus, at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

Lori Holleran Steiker

Lori Holleran Steiker, PhD, is the Steve Hicks Professor of Addiction, Recovery and Substance Use Services at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, a University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and the Director of Instruction, Engagement and Wellness at the School of Undergraduate Studies.

Laura I Gonzalez

BS Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (1988)

PhD University of New Mexico (1998)

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Santa Barbara (1999-2000)

Kristie J Loescher

Dr. Loescher is a Professor of Instruction in the Management Department of the McCombs School of Business. Her professional and education background includes recognition as a Senior Certified Professional in human resources, as well as a Doctorate in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. Prior to her career in academia, she earned a Masters of Public Health from the University of Michigan and worked in the healthcare industry for 15 years in the areas of quality assurance, utilization management, and clinical research.

Joel Johnson

Joel Johnson is a Second-Year Teaching Fellow and served as the First Year Representative on the PTF Steering Committee in 2019.

Peniel Joseph

Peniel Joseph is the First-Year Representative on the 2020 PTF Steering Committee.

Lee Ann Kahlor

Krishna Kumar

Krishna Kumar is an Assistant Professor in the Civil, Architecture, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Krishna’s work involves developing exascale micro and macro-scale numerical methods for modeling natural hazards. Krishna also develops Scientific Machine Learning algorithms: Graph Network Simulators and Differentiable programming to accelerate numerical methods and solve optimization, design, and inverse problems.

Cynthia LaBrake

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.

Carlos Landaverde Alvarado

Carlos Landaverde-Alvarado is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.

Elon Lang

Elon Lang is an Associate Professor of Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches a variety of undergraduate literature survey courses on ethical topics, medieval and early modern studies, dramatic literature, and Experiential Learning courses based in archival research. One example was his 2020-2021 courses called Archival Advocacy in which students learned how to bring archival techniques to bear on a real-world social justice issue facing the East Austin, Texas, community: the closing of one of Austin's historically Hispanic elementary schools.

Lara Latimer

Dr. Lara Latimer is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in Health Behavior and Health Education at UT. She teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate classes, including Child & Adolescent Health, Theories of Substance Use & Abuse, Theories of Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences, and Foundations of Epidemiology. Lara hopes to learn more about and make an impact on classroom safety practices through her PTF initiative.

Sanford Leeds

Project Title: The McCombs Business Journal was an effort to give students an opportunity to read and write about research.  

Fernanda Leite

Fernanda Leite is a Professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds the John A. Focht Centennial Teaching Fellowship in Civil Engineering. She is the past Chair of a University-wide Bridging Barriers research initiative called Planet Texas 2050. Her built environment research program sits at the interface of engineering and computing. She teaches courses on Building Information Modeling, Project Management and Economics, Construction Safety, and Sustainable Systems Engineering.

Calvin Lin

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.

Brad Love

Brad Love is the PTF Ambassador to the Academy of Distinguished Teachers, and was the 2018 Chair of the Provost's Teaching Fellows.