Fellows Directory

Displaying 1 - 5 of 5
A woman with red hair in a loose updo stands smiling in front of a soft-focus background of wildflowers and wheat. She is wearing a short-sleeved, striped knit top and hoop earrings.

Mary Beer

Current Fellow
Social Work
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Steve Hicks School of Social Work

Mary Beer is an LCSW-S and is a clinical associate professor and the Assistant Dean for Practicum Education at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. She has taught Practice and Field, Theories and Methods of Group Intervention, Experiential Leadership, Generalist Social Work Practice, Treatment of Children and Adolescents, and the Advanced Integrative Capstone courses. Mary has integrated compassionate pedagogy, alternative grading, and experiential learning into her courses and these approaches are the focus of her PTF project.

The head and torso of Matt Bowers, a white man with a brown mustache and beard, smiling in a teal button up shirt.

Matt Bowers

Current Fellow
Kinesiology and Health Education
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College of Education
Initiative Focus
Curriculum (Re)design
Interdisciplinary Learning

Dr. Matt Bowers is an Associate Professor of Instruction in Sport Management at the University of Texas at Austin. He studies youth development in and through sports and has published research studies related to the impact of sport participation on creativity and the value of sandlot/unstructured sports for children. His work has been featured in Sports Illustrated, Wired, The Atlantic, and Wall Street Journal, SXSW, and the Aspen Institute’s Sport for All, Play For Life: A Playbook to Get Every Kid in the Game.

Lara Latimer with curly hair wearing a red shirt in front of a grey background

Lara Latimer

Current Fellow
Kinesiology and Health Education
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College of Education

Dr. Lara Latimer is an Associate 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.

A headshot of Tolga Ozyurtcu, a man with a dark brown beard, smiling in a suit and tie.

Tolga Ozyurtcu

Current Fellow
Kinesiology and Health Education
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College of Education
Initiative Focus
Improving Teaching and Learning
Student Wellbeing

Tolga Ozyurtcu is a faculty member in Sport Management and Physical Culture and Sport Studies, in the department of Kinesiology and Health Education. He also serves as the department's Undergraduate Coordinator. He holds a PhD and MSc in Kinesiology from UT Austin and a B.A. in Political Science from Haverford College. Ozyurtcu teaches courses on the business and culture of sports and exercise, including topics such as organizational behavior, history, philosophy, and ethics.

Smiling woman with short natural hair and purple lipstick, wearing polka-dot top and statement earrings, standing outdoors with vibrant orange flowers in the background

Starla Simmons

Current Fellow
Social Work
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Steve Hicks School of Social Work

Starla Simmons, LCSW-S is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Earl Maxwell Scholar Program at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin. She is strongly rooted in racial justice and liberation, with a passion for supporting the vitality, resilience, and collectivism of Black, Indigenous, and communities of color. As Earl Maxwell Program Director, she provides both program oversight and practicum instruction for social work student interns placed in community organizations.