About University of Houston

Dr. Bernard R. Robin serves as Associate Professor of Learning, Design and Technology at the University of Houston, where he has revolutionized the integration of technology in education through digital storytelling. His expertise spans traditional and online courses focusing on curriculum technology integration, educational multimedia, and community-based website development. His innovative teaching methods and significant contributions to educational technology earned him the University of Houston Teaching Excellence Award for Innovation in Instructional Technology in 2010. As an internationally recognized leader in educational digital storytelling, he has spent more than a decade conducting workshops, writing articles, and supervising graduate student research in this field. His creation of The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling website, which received the 2009 MERLOT Faculty Development Award for Exemplary Online Materials, serves as a comprehensive resource for educators worldwide, featuring digital stories across various subjects and providing detailed information about creation tools and techniques. His work has significantly influenced how educators integrate digital storytelling into their teaching practices, making him a pivotal figure in advancing educational technology and multimedia learning methods.

Dr. Sara G. McNeil serves as an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of the Learning, Design and Technology graduate program at the University of Houston, where she has established herself as a leading expert in instructional design and educational technology. Her excellence in teaching has been recognized through multiple awards, including three University of Houston distinctions for Distinguished Leadership in Teaching, Distance Education Teaching, and Teaching Excellence, as well as a national teaching award from the University Continuing Education Association. As Managing Editor of the Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning Journal, she has significantly influenced the field of educational technology. Her most notable achievement includes the development of Digital History, a comprehensive educational resource featuring over 5,000 primary sources that has been recognized as one of the Top 5 resources in U.S. history and selected for the National Endowment for the Humanities EdSITEment list. She has also created innovative resources for K-16 teachers on Web 2.0 tool selection and implementation. Her research focuses on emerging technologies in educational environments, and she regularly consults with schools on 21st-century learning and technology integration. Through her teaching of graduate courses in instructional design, multimedia development, and visual information representation, she continues to shape the future of educational technology

Dr. Arturo E. Hernandez serves as Professor of Psychology and Director of the Laboratory for the Neural Bases of Bilingualism at the University of Houston, where he has been a faculty member since 2003. His distinguished career began with a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science and Psychology from UC San Diego in 1996, followed by post-doctoral work with Marta Kutas in neuroimaging methods. His research focuses on the neural underpinnings of bilingual language processing and second language acquisition, combining behavioral and neuroimaging techniques to understand how the brain processes multiple languages. His work has garnered significant attention with over 660 citations for his groundbreaking studies on language switching in Spanish-English bilinguals. His personal experience with multilingualism, including simultaneous acquisition of Spanish and English as a child, later mastery of Portuguese in Brazil, and German studies in adulthood, enriches his research perspective. His contributions have been recognized through prestigious awards from the National Science Foundation and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, enabling research visits to leading institutions in Germany. As Director of the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience graduate program, he continues to advance our understanding of bilingual brain function while mentoring the next generation of researchers

Dr. Bulent Dogan serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Houston's Department of Curriculum & Instruction, where he has earned recognition for his innovative work in educational technology, including the prestigious UH Teaching Excellence Award for Innovation in Instructional Technology in 2023-24. His research focuses on digital storytelling in education, STEM education, and the integration of technology in K-12 classrooms. He co-teaches the widely successful Coursera course "Powerful Tools for Teaching and Learning: Web 2.0 Tools," which has attracted over 36,930 enrollments and maintains a strong 4.3/5 rating from learners. His scholarly work has made significant impacts in educational technology, with his research on digital storytelling implementation being cited over 300 times. His expertise spans various areas including educational uses of digital storytelling, iPad integration in higher education, and STEM education, particularly through the STEM SOS model. Through his teaching and research, Dr. Dogan continues to shape how educators integrate technology into their teaching practices, focusing on practical applications of Web 2.0 tools, collaboration platforms, and creative technologies in educational settings.

Dr. Paige K. Evans serves as a Clinical Professor and Co-Director of the teachHOUSTON program in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Houston, where she has made significant contributions to STEM education since 2008. Her impressive academic background includes a B.S. in Secondary Education from Pennsylvania State University, an M.A. in Physics Education from the University of Texas at Austin, and an Ed.D. in Professional Leadership from the University of Houston. Her expertise spans STEM teacher preparation, physics education, and culturally responsive pedagogy, earning her multiple prestigious recognitions including the UH Teaching Excellence Award, the Group Teaching Excellence Award, and the American Educational Research Association Narrative Inquiry Outstanding Publication Award. As Principal Investigator on several federal grants totaling over $5.5 million, she leads initiatives to broaden STEM participation and improve STEM literacy. Her extensive experience includes 18 years as a math/science educator before joining UH, where she now oversees coursework in preservice STEM teacher education, teaches physics inquiry courses, and prepares future secondary STEM teachers for Texas Teacher Certification. As an American Physical Society Physics Teacher Education Coalition Fellow and former president of the UTeach STEM Educators Association, she continues to shape the future of STEM education through research, teaching, and leadership.

Dr. Chuck (Charles) Layne serves as Professor and Department Chair at the University of Houston's Department of Health and Human Performance, where he specializes in human coordination development from a neuromuscular perspective. His research focuses on investigating locomotion and posture processes, with particular emphasis on characterizing gait and upper limb movements in individuals with genetic mutation developmental disorders. His recent work includes groundbreaking studies on conditions such as NGLY1 deficiency, Rett Syndrome, Syngap1 deficiency, Phelen-McDermid deficiency, Rett Duplication Syndrome, and CDKL5 deficiency

Dr. LeChauncy Woodard serves as Clinical Professor and Founding Director of the Humana Integrated Health Systems Sciences Institute at the University of Houston College of Medicine, where she has earned prestigious recognition including Mastership in the American College of Physicians (awarded to only 1-2% of 161,000 members) and the 2020 Laureate Award from the Texas Chapter of ACP. Her extensive career combines clinical expertise as a general internist with groundbreaking research in healthcare quality improvement, particularly focusing on serving ethnically diverse patients and understanding socioeconomic factors affecting health outcomes. After earning her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and completing her internal medicine residency at Baylor College of Medicine, she has led numerous initiatives including the Houston VA Center of Excellence in Primary Care Education and served as Associate Director of the VA Quality Scholars Coordinating Center. Her research portfolio includes principal investigator roles on several federally funded grants, with over 40 publications in medical journals, while her educational impact extends through her leadership of interprofessional training programs and the development of contact tracing courses that have reached over 20,000 learners during the COVID-19 pandemic. As director of the Humana Institute, she continues to advance healthcare innovation through research, education, and community engagement, particularly focusing on improving care for chronically ill, multimorbid adults through team-based behavioral health interventions

Dr. Mariam Manuel serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Master Teacher for teachHOUSTON at the University of Houston, where she has established herself as a leading figure in STEM education. Her academic journey includes graduating from the University of Houston's teachHOUSTON program, completing the UTeach Engineering STEM Master's program at UT Austin, and earning her Ph.D. in STEM Education from Texas Tech University. Her extensive experience spans teaching Physics for Middle School Teachers in the College of Education, authoring graduate-level coursework in Engineering Design Education, and co-developing the Preparing for AP Physics I MOOC that has reached over 5,000 students across 110 countries. Her professional background includes serving as the Instructional Specialist for the Robert Shaw Center for STEAM in Katy ISD, where she implemented K-12 STEAM curriculum and programs, and working as a Science Instructional Coach supporting 60 teachers in secondary science instruction. Her research focuses on STEM teacher education for diverse learners and culturally responsive instruction in STEM, earning her the Best Paper and Best DEI Paper at the 2022 ASEE conference. As an active member of the UTeach STEM Educators Association Executive Board and recipient of multiple NSF grants, including the STEM RISE program and the Racial Equity in STEM Education project, she continues to shape the future of STEM education through research, teaching, and mentorship.

Dr. Wayne Leslie Winston is a distinguished academic and analytics expert who served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Houston's Bauer College of Business and Professor Emeritus at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. With a BS in Mathematics from MIT and a PhD in Operations Research from Yale, he has established himself as a leading authority in business analytics and decision sciences. His remarkable career spans over four decades of teaching excellence, earning more than 40 teaching awards including six Top MBA Teaching Awards at Indiana University. He has authored over a dozen influential books including "Marketing Analytics," "Operations Research," and "Microsoft Excel Data Analysis and Business Modeling," along with 25 research articles. His expertise has been sought by major corporations including Microsoft, Cisco, Eli Lilly, and professional sports teams like the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks. As founder of Excel With Wayne, he has created over 600 instructional videos based on his 40 years of teaching experience and 15 years of writing Excel textbooks for Microsoft. A two-time Jeopardy! Champion, his diverse accomplishments include consulting for government organizations such as the US Navy and Army, and creating the computer game "Hoops" with Jeff Sagarin

Dr. Susie Gronseth serves as a Clinical Professor and Program Coordinator for the Learning, Design, and Technology Master's program at the University of Houston's College of Education. Her expertise focuses on inclusive instructional design, universal design for learning (UDL), and technology integration in education. She has earned significant recognition for her work, including the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Online Learning Network Award and the University of Houston College of Education Teaching Excellence Award. Her research has produced over 100 scholarly publications, with particular emphasis on flexible learning environments, accessibility in online education, and universal design principles. She co-authored the influential book "Universal Access Through Inclusive Instructional Design: International Perspectives on UDL" and serves as co-chair of the Universal Design for Learning Special Interest Group of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education. As Principal Investigator on NSF-funded projects, she has contributed to advancing student mentorship in biometrics and developing innovative teaching methodologies. Her leadership extends to serving as Chair of the Community and Government Relations Committee of the University of Houston Faculty Senate and previously as president of the Inclusive Learning Network for the International Society for Technology in Education

Terrell E. Brittain serves as an Instructional Assistant Professor in Communication Sciences at the University of Houston, where he specializes in American Sign Language and Deaf Culture education. With a Master's degree in Deaf Studies & Deaf Education from Lamar University, he has taught over 3,600 students throughout his career at both secondary and higher education levels. His expertise includes developing advanced ASL courses and enhancing the skills of ASL Interpreting majors. He teaches a comprehensive range of courses including Elementary and Intermediate American Sign Language, and History and Culture of American Deaf Community. His popular course "American Deaf Culture" provides a six-week historical overview of the American Deaf community and its evolving culture, exploring theoretical frameworks and presenting deafness as a culture rather than a disability. Known for incorporating humor while maintaining high academic standards, he helps students master the complexities of visual communication. His service activities include organizing workshops like "The NFL ASL Fan" and leading Summer Institute Statewide programs, while maintaining active membership in professional organizations including the ASL Honor Society.