Graduate and Professional School Celebrates Excellence and Achievement at 2025 Spring Awards Ceremony

Event Honors dissertation scholars, mentors, student leaders, and professional development achievers

COLLEGE STATION, TX - On Thursday, April 24, 2025, the Texas A&M University Graduate and Professional School hosted its annual Spring Awards Ceremony at Rudder Theatre and Exhibit Hall. The event celebrated outstanding achievements among graduate and professional students, faculty and staff in academics, leadership, mentoring and professional development.

Honorees were recognized across several prestigious categories, including the Distinguished Dissertation Awards, Montgomery Awards, Outstanding Mentoring Awards, and the Bednarz Award. The program also celebrated professional development milestones for students who earned Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies (GRAD Aggies) certificates, Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) teaching and mentoring certifications, and Graduate Mentoring Academy (GMA) training.

“Our spring awards ceremony is a moment to celebrate the heartbeat of our academic community -- our graduate and professional students, faculty mentors and dedicated staff,” said Dr. Fuhui Tong, Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School. “Their scholarship, service and mentorship elevate and enrich our institution.”

Spring 2025 Graduate and Professional School Honorees are, as follows:

 

Distinguished Dissertation Awards

Distinguished Dissertation Awards, sponsored by the Carol J. Cantrell Endowment, the George W. Kunze Endowment and the Mobil Aggies Graduate Endowment, honor current or former students whose dissertations make a significant, impactful contribution to their field of study. Awards are given in four categories: Biological and Life Sciences, Humanities and Fine Arts, Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering, and Social Sciences. Each award comes with a commemorative plaque and a $1,000 prize.

Dr. Jenna Hulke, Biology
Dissertation: The Evolutionary Interplay Between Parasite Mating Systems and Their Complex Life Cycles
Advisor: Dr. Charles Criscione

Dr. Jenna Hulke, earned her Ph.D. in Biology in August 2024 under the mentorship of Dr. Charles Criscione. Her dissertation, “The Evolutionary Interplay Between Parasite Mating Systems and Their Complex Life Cycles,” provides the first empirical test of a longstanding hypothesis in parasitology. Dr. Hulke developed two novel methods to assess inbreeding depression, enhancing our understanding of how inbreeding influences the maintenance of complex life cycles in parasites.​

Dr. Sara Chung, English
Dissertation: Encountering Gothic Humanism in Victorian Novels
Advisor: Dr. Mary Ann O’Farrell

Dr. Sara Chung completed her Ph.D. in English in August 2024 under the guidance of Dr. Mary Ann O’Farrell. Her dissertation, “Encountering Gothic Humanism in Victorian Novels,” critically reexamines canonical Victorian literature to reveal how these texts reflect a partial and Eurocentric conception of humanity. Dr. Chung introduces the concept of Gothic humanism as a framework to disrupt and reimagine traditional notions of what it means to be human.​

Binbin Lin, Geography
Dissertation: Social Sensing for Public Health: A BESH Framework to Understand and Mitigate Inequalities
Advisor: Dr. Lei Zou

Binbin Lin, is a Ph.D. candidate in Geography, expected to graduate in May 2025 under the mentorship of Dr. Lei Zou. Her dissertation, “Social Sensing for Public Health: A BESH Framework to Understand and Mitigate Inequalities,” proposes an innovative interdisciplinary framework—Behavior-Environment-Society-Health (BESH)—for investigating health disparities through social sensing and data science approaches. Her research offers policy-relevant insights for optimizing healthcare resource distribution and designing targeted interventions.​

Dr. Deep Shah, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dissertation: Leveraging Satellite Remote Sensing for Understanding Global Reservoir-Based Droughts
Advisor: Dr. Hulin Gao

Dr. Deep Shah earned his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering in August 2024 under the mentorship of Dr. Hulin Gao. His dissertation, “Leveraging Satellite Remote Sensing for Understanding Global Reservoir-Based Droughts,” addresses the critical need for accessible global water reservoir datasets. Dr. Shah’s work focuses on generating open-access datasets and advancing the understanding of water shortages in reservoirs worldwide, highlighting how climate variability and human activities contribute to reservoir storage droughts.​

Montgomery Awards

The Montgomery Awards recognize graduate and professional students who exemplify academic excellence and community leadership. Recipients are distinguished not only by their scholarly accomplishments, but also by their impactful contributions to student organizations and service initiatives that enhance the graduate and professional student experience at Texas A&M University. Made possible through generous endowments from the Jeff ’41 and Leonora Montgomery family, each award includes a commemorative plaque and a $1,000 honorarium in acknowledgment of the recipient’s leadership and service.

Jeffrey Cragin, Chemistry

Jeffrey Cragin is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry, working under the advisement of Dr. Daniel Singleton. His research employs both computational and empirical approaches to investigate the role of solvents in cationic rearrangement mechanisms. Beyond the laboratory, Jeffrey is a dedicated educator whose thoughtful and creative teaching earned him the 2023 Association of Former Students Distinguished Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is an active voice for graduate student advocacy, having served in both the Graduate Student Association of Chemistry and the Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG), where he currently holds the role of Parliamentarian. In recognition of his service, Jeffrey received the 12th Man Outstanding Senator Award in 2024.

Eshani Yeragi, Biology

Eshani Yeragi is a Ph.D. candidate in Biology whose research focuses on the intersection of sleep, aging, and neurogenetics using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. A passionate leader and advocate, Eshani serves as President of Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) and Vice President of University Affairs for the Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG). She also holds leadership roles in the Indian Graduate Student Association and serves on critical university committees, including those governing student rules and academic appeals. Eshani has spearheaded numerous mentorship initiatives, particularly for international students, easing their academic and cultural transitions. Her contributions have been recognized with the Facker Fellowship for mentorship excellence and the Executive Board Member of the Year award from Texas A&M Residence Life, honoring her tenure as President of the Gardens Apartments Community Council. Through her research and service, Eshani exemplifies both scientific rigor and a deep commitment to student support and empowerment.

 

Outstanding Mentoring Awards

The Outstanding Mentoring Awards honor individuals, both faculty and graduate/professional students, who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the personal, academic, and professional development of graduate and professional students. Through their guidance, encouragement, and meaningful support, these mentors embody the highest ideals of the Aggie mentoring tradition. Awards are presented in two categories: faculty and graduate students. Faculty honorees receive a framed certificate and $750, while student recipients are awarded a framed certificate and $500 in recognition of their impactful mentorship.
 

Outstanding Mentoring Award for Faculty

Dr. Casey Papovich, Physics & Astronomy

Dr. Papovich is an astrophysicist and professor of physics and astronomy. His research involves finding and studying the most distant galaxies using NASA’s telescopes, including most recently the James Webb Space Telescope. He has previously received awards for his teaching and research activities. He is a passionate mentor of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers and a strong advocate for science education. He earned his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University, and then held NASA’s Spitzer Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona prior to joining Texas A&M in 2008, where he is the Marsha L. ’69 And Ralph F. Schilling ’68 Chair in Physics & Astronomy.

Dr. X. Ben Wu, Ecology & Conservation Biology

Dr. Wu is a professor of ecology and Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence. He teaches introductory and graduate courses on ecology and landscape analysis. He has served as chair or co-chair for 40 Ph.D. and master’s students and as a committee member for 81 Ph.D. and 44 master’s students. His current research focuses on spatial ecology and pyric herbivory in savannas. His lab also works on programs centered on faculty and teacher development and educational innovations. Dr. Wu has been Associate Dean of Faculties and Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, as well as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
 

Outstanding Mentoring Award for Graduate and Professional Students

Jillian Paige Bennett, Aerospace Engineering

Jillian is a second-year aerospace engineering master’s student. Her research on nonlinear adaptive multiple time scale control is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research. Jillian will continue on to pursue an aerospace engi­neering Ph.D. at Texas A&M, specializing in dynamics and control. She is passionate about mentoring students through her lab and organizations like Sigma Gam­ma Tau and the aerospace honor society, helping women navigate school and life stressors while pursuing aerospace engineering opportunities.

Gemini Alexis Creason-Parker, Sociology

A sociology doctoral candidate graduating in May, Gemini researches the intersection of media and crime. Her dissertation analyzes Law & Order: SVU to assess its reliance on rape myths. She won the Graduate Student Paper Award from the Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice and the Graduate Student Poster Award from the Division of Feminist Crimi­nology at the American Society of Criminology. She placed second in the poster competition at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Doctoral Summit. She has mentored 28 undergraduates, ensuring their access to research regardless of discipline or experience. Her mentorship has led many of her students to pursue graduate education.

Trevor Self, Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology

Trevor is a doctoral candidate in biomedical sciences, focusing on ischemic heart disease and discovering new therapeutic targets. Trevor’s participation in the Graduate Mentoring Academy reflects his commitment to academic and personal growth and development, and he applies its values when engaging with his students. Trevor led an undergraduate team in the Aggie Research Program, training them in lab techniques. Their work won awards at two campus symposia, demonstrating his dedication to mentoring the next generation of scientists.
 

Bednarz Award

Named in honor of Dr. Sarah Bednarz, a champion of excellence in teaching and learning, the Bednarz Award celebrates graduate students who demonstrate outstanding achievement in the CIRTL@Texas A&M (Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning) program. This distinction is awarded to individuals whose work in teaching-as-research reflects deep intellectual engagement, innovative pedagogy, and meaningful impact on the academic community. Recipients embody the core values of CIRTL through their scholarly approach to instruction and their commitment to enhancing the quality of higher education.

Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele, Communication & Journalism

Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele is a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Communication and Journalism. Her research examines colonial, racial and gender politics in media production and representation, challenging systems of injustice. She aims to pursue a career in academia focused on research, teaching and public scholarship to drive social change. She has completed the Academy for Future Faculty, Academy for Future Faculty Senior Fellows, Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate Teaching Course, Graduate Leadership Institute, and Teaching as Research (TAR) Fellows. Her TAR project is titled “The Impact of Writing Center Consultations on Students’ Citation Practice.” Faith hopes her scholarship and creative writing will inspire meaningful conversations and foster understanding and compassion.
 

Graduate Mentoring Academy Fellows

Graduate Mentoring Academy (GMA) Fellows are recognized for their commitment to advancing a culture of mentoring by investing over 10 hours of GMA programming. They have engaged in seven evidence-based competencies, including a capstone session reflecting on their mentoring approach.
 

Renee Abbott	Aisha Lee-Cobbins
Kaluhath Gayan Abeysinghe	Juliet Letteney
Alexander Abuabara	Peizhen Li
Adeolu Adekunle	Linlin Luo
Leticia Adu	Shikhadri Mahanta
Kristina Agan	Jacob Mankenberg
Puneeth Ganesh Babu Agoram	Lilly McAlister
Samiha Ahmed	Alexia Mejia
M G Toufik Ahmed	Trevor Melsheimer
Eneye Ajayi	Sandra Meyer
Boluwatife Ajayi	Doris Migliaccio
Oluwaseun Aladeboyeje	Haitham Mohammed
Heather Albrecht	Pedro Monagas-Valentin
Hussain Alcassab	Leslie Mora
Emmarie Alexander	Hayden Moran
Mycha Van Allen	Matthew Moulton
Alison Altman	Rika Muhl
Crysthal Alvarez	Tiash Rana Mukherjee
Gillian Ampah	Chihab Nadri
Chinmay Aras	Beiyan Nan
Ifeoluwa Babalola	Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele
Ali Hamed Barghi	Johnson Oladele
Heather Barreda	Tabitha Olsen
Luciana Barroso	Michael Onyejanochie
Katherine Barrow	Lynette O’Neal
Robert Beach	Rhea Pai
Samantha Beevers	Kelly Pantaleon
Lina  Bernaola	Isabella Patino
Sarah Berny	Tad Peelen
Vaishak Bhat	Suzanne Peterson
Christy Blanton	Zurishaddai Powell
Yatta Linhares Boakari	Priyanka Sira Prakash
Tahereh Boroughani	Satvik Praveen
Donald Bowen	Tyler Prochnow
Matthew Boyce	Rick Pulos
Karen Broussard	Vigneshwaran Radhakrishnan
Catherine Byars	Tanvir Islam Rajib
Kaitlyn Carter	Carlos Ramirez
Maryn Cavalier	Cory Raney
Duncan Christensen	Emily Reed
Sydney Christensen	Christopher Reighley
Hannah Coleman	Sadiq Rijiya
Claudia Collier	Magda Rodriguez
Porscha Cooks	Alondra Rojas
Kenneth Cooper	Araceli Salinas
Michelle Costa***	Alexandra Salinas
Jane Cotter	Vivian Peralta Santana
Jeremiah Cribley	Daniel Schwartz
Ryan Davis	Sahar Shata
Jason Dean	Sofia Sheikh
Ruben Delgado	Liam Sheppard
Olivia Dingus	Kirby Sherman
Sakina Dixon	Gustavo Camargo Silva
Damion Dixon	Beth Silvy
Sarah Fisher	Reetu Singh
Sarah  Fross	Dinuki Siriwardana
Mauricia Gallegos	Elizabeth Smith
Laura Garcia	Trenton Smith
Abantika Ghosh	Anurag Srivastava
Emmaleigh Grady	Debbie Starnes
Noeline Gunasekara	Nicholas Starvaggi
Shalin Gund	Dylan Stewart
Shelby Gunnells	Robert Strong
Ryan Hamberg	Tasnim Sultana
Aainaafaridah Hamdan	Alexandra Svetlik
Sarah Hargett	Samantha Sweck
Tania Hasan	Azra Tarman
Andrew Hawkins	Devin Teri
Stephanie Hendricks	Jeewasmi Thapa
Blanche ter Hofstede	Kentaro Toyonaga
Aidan Holman	Amanda Trimble
Benjamin Horlick	Benjamin Ukert
Azile Hotz	Mert Kerem Ulku
Sam Hotz	Muhammad Usman
Emily Howell	Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil
Teagen Hruska	Zachariah Vice
Yu-Chi Huang	John Vickers
Sarah Ingram	Jenna Vito
Jenna Johnson	Judy Waight
Anna Johnson	Sabrina Waite
Virginia Redwine Johnson	Ziyu Wang
Jeanna Jones	Warren Waren
Jason Joseph	Jane Welsh
Alaya Keane	Emma Whaley
Hassan Khan	Bethany Whitemeyer
Jorja Kimball	Dallas Williams
Harrison Koller	Heather Williams
Vijay Kumar Koyyada	Nathan Williams
Surya Krishnan	Brandon Woo
Sandra LaBonte	Kimberly Wright
Jessica Labonte	Jenna Yentes
Jeffrey Lacour	Anna Yeritsyan
Amanda Lacy	Ebtihal Youssef
Rebecca Lee	Macy Zardeneta
Harrison Lee	Nan Zhang
	Tianyang Zhou

 

Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning Certificate Recipients

The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) is part of a national network focused on fostering excellence in undergraduate teaching. Programs are offered by the Graduate and Professional School and the Center for Teaching Excellence.
 

Associate Certificate

Sami El Ahmadie	Hyunrae Kim
Boluwatife Ajayi	Marshall King
Md Mojibur Rahman Redoy Akanda	Kerim Uygur Kizil
Boshra Khaled Muhmood Akhozheya	Kalyan Raj Kota
Fawad Ali	Hannah League
Mansour Alnajrani	Abraham Flores Lecea
Aya Amer	Seunghoon Lee
Meredith Anderson	Aisha Lee-Cobbins
Jacob Andros	Emma Lewis
Mayson Astle	Jinxu Li
Rosemary Ayelazuno	Xin Li
Adeshina Badejo	Ryne Maness
Makenzie Van Beber	Daniel Martinez
Tanisha Berrios	Stephanie McMahon
Jacquie Berry	Rachel McNeal
Vaishak Bhat	Saylor Mealing
Rose Blanchard	Dipesh Bharat Metha
Younes Bordbar	Sandra Meyer
Christopher Bott	Jennifer Morgan
Adam Bower	Basheer Mugdadi
Abdullah Braik	Danial Nayeri
Erika Bravo	Rajesh Neupane
Francisca Briandt	Caleb Nwaogwugwu*
Camille Carey	Arafat Rahman Oany
Chee-Hoon Chang	Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele
Nilson Chapagain	Olivia Ognibene
Effrosyni Chatzistogianni	Braulio Cervantes Paz
Ijeoma Ruth Chukwuemeka*	Nataleigh Perez
Carli Copell	Tahmina Pervin
Tara DeAndrea	Dinesh Phuyal
Ruben Delgado	John Ponis
Ajithamithra Dharmasiri	Tanvir Islam Rajib
Diya Dharmendran	Tanvir Islam Rajib
Kyla Diaz	Arantxa Sacristan Ramirez
Christina Dollahon	Arif Akhter Rangon
Devon Dollahon	Gislene Ferreira dos Reis
Xiangjue Dong	Serinmary Pulikkottil Rejimon
Madelyn Dotson	Omar Andres Viera Resto
Austen Ehrie	Edward Rhodes
Abdullah Elsheikh	Alondra Rojas
Samuel Falade	Richard Rosas
Gogoal Falia	Julia Sainz
Vanessa Fernandez-Rodriguez	Abu Shoaib Saleh
Gabriella Figueroa	Benjamin Schulte
Flavia Termignoni Garcia	Lokesh Kumar Sekar
Habiba Ghoneim	Mohammad Zaher Serdar
Abantika Ghosh	Arash Shahsavari
Isabelle Goldstein	Hyejin Shin
Jasmine Goode	Bhuwan Shrestha
Saurabh Gotmare	Dinuki Siriwardana
Claire Gregoire	Manuel Gonzalez Somoza
Percy Gresham	Brandon Strauss
Harini Gunda	Aditya Surve
Ibrahim Gunes	Samia Tasnim
Purushottam Gyawali	Maria Teleki
Thomas Hallmark	Mary Thompson
Quan Han	Guadalupe Valencia Toxqui
Md Ariful Haque	Garrett Tresch
Tania Hasan	Idorenyin Udoh
James Hirons	Jacob Vasquez
Aidan Holman	Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil
Shakil Hosain	Judy Waight
Azile Hotz	Miriam Watts
Alexandra Howard	Gretchen Williams
Emily Howell	Kimberly Wright
Yu-Chi Huang	Ziyi Wu
A S M Faridul Islam	Chen Xu
Hai In Jo	Gaopeng Xu
Dallin Kenneth Jones	Taha Yehia
Laxmi Prasanna Kandi	Eshani Yeragi
Anna Estelle Kelley	Nan Zhang
Muhammad Khan	Xukai Zhang
Shelby Kilpatrick	Yingying Zhao
Heesun Kim	Zhuldyz Zhumashova

 

Practitioner Certificate

Vaishak Bhat	Tiffany McLaurin**
Bette Bittner	Dana Mickey
Dawn Burton	Ana Nava
Ida Carter*	Keegan Nichols
Gin Chong*	Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele
Ruben Delgado	Irvin Osborne-Lee*
Diya Dharmendran	Parisa Paymard
Andrew Eberlein	Kaila Ronayne
Austen Ehrie	Richard Rosas
Jean Ferguson	Kristi Schonefeld
Vanessa Fernandez-Rodriguez	Kelly Shipman
Autumn Hagen	Guadalupe Valencia Toxqui
Laxmi Prasanna Kandi	Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil
Marshall King	Madison Weinrich
Erica Knighton	Paige Williams
Emma Lewis	Krishna Kaushik Yanamundra

 

Scholar Certificate

Sara Amani	Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele
Ahmed Elkady	Karissa Palmer
Umer Farooq	Gretchen Williams
Omniya Mohamed

 

GRAD Aggies Certificates

Texas A&M's GRAD Aggies initiative supports graduate and professional student development through a range of workshops, resources, and experiential learning. Certificates were awarded in the following categories:

Foundations Certificate

Kristina Agan	Hyunrae Kim
Erika Coll Aguilar	Jeffrey Lacour
Boluwatife Ajayi	Chungkeun Lee
Oluwaseun Aladeboyeje	Jinxu Li
Sushma Alaparthi	Jessica Lowe
Hussain Alcassab	Austin Lynch
Syeda Fizza Ali	Shikhadri Mahanta
Mycha Van Allen	Katelyn Maier
Maria Sacred Lalain Doromal Aquino	Ariana Martinez
Faria Asadi	Kayley McBride
Seyyed Ali Ayati	Kelly McCafferty
Derrick Ball	Samantha Mcclain
Sangeeta Balyan	Frances Clare McClay
Eboni Bango	Athanasius Mdolo
Ali Hamed Barghi	Trevor Melsheimer
Emily Katherine Barrow	Doris Migliaccio
Samantha Beevers	Trevor Millar
Carl Benson	Maria P. Montenegro
Gustavo Boquete	Pratik Nesarkar
Abdullah Braik	Taylor Northcut
Yanbing Chen	Edwin Ochedikwu
Pin-Wen Chen	Kenneth Oguejiofor
Vicki Chu	Kofi Owusu-Ansah
Ashley Coffell	Rhea Pai
Hannah Coleman	Kelly Pantaleon
Claudia Collier	Nadeesha M. Mahamarakkala Patabendige
Kelly Cook	Parisa Paymard
Rashmi Dangol	Cesar Salazar Pereira
Pragati Dhingra	Serena Porter
Kevin Ding	Chiranjibi Poudyal
Divya	Satvik Praveen
Pamela Douglas	Tanvir Islam Rajib
Joshua Elston	Reshma Ramachandran
Dulce Espinoza	Khushboo Rastogi
Tyler Eutsler	Christopher Reighley
Paulina Farias	Omar Viera Resto
Sofia Feliciano	Edward Rhodes
Gabriella Figueroa	Kelli Richard
Nicola Fish	Valeriya Rogovchenko
DaJuana Chaney Fontenot	Jose Salazar
Brighton Garrett	Alexandra Salinas
Justin Garrison	Nadia Samiya
Gisel Garza	Sierra Sanders
Nataly Monroy Garzon	Subash Sapkota
Abantika Ghosh	Harsh Shah
Halle Gold	Sejal Sanjay Shanbhag
Jasmine Goode	Hyejin Shin
Emmaleigh Grady	Wilbens Siguineau
Quan Han	Brady Sokora
Md Inja Mamun Haque	Manuel Gonzalez Somoza
Amy Hays	Breann Stavinoha
Stephanie Hendricks	Michael Stott
Karina Hissen	Caden Summers
Sydney Holland	Samantha Sweck
Azile Hotz	Julia Tapilatu
Emily Howell	Lyndzie Tarango
Heather Jacobs	Chelsea Thorn
Jenna Johnson	Cassidy Tibbetts
Jason Joseph	Aung Kyaw Tun
Maryam Abbasi Kamazani	Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil
Mrunal Kamble	John Vickers
Ibraheem Kanan	Ashley Voight
Swetha Kancharla	Sabrina Waite
Manik Karkare	Akeira M. Warner
Sarbjeet Kaur	Heather Williams
Simranjit Kaur	Yuhan Wu
Deepa Khadka	Tasya Yusianda
Shovit Khanal	Kaili Zhang

 

Explorations Certificate

Kristina Agan	Satvik Praveen
Syeda Fizza Ali	Ehab Rabah
Mycha Van Allen	Tanvir Islam Rajib
Ali Hamed Barghi	Carlos Bermudez Ramirez
Emily Katherine Barrow	Carlos Ramirez
Gustavo Boquete	Khushboo Rastogi
Nicolette English	Christopher Reighley
Cortney Ferguson	Edward Rhodes
Gabriella Figueroa	Kelli Richard
Saliha Garcia	Savannah Sanders
Abantika Ghosh	Vivian Peralta Santana
Shelby Gunnells	Hyo Won Seo
Azile Hotz	Harsh Shah
Emily Howell	Sejal Sanjay Shanbhag
Jenna Johnson	Michael Stott
Sarbjeet Kaur	Caden Summers
Jeffrey Lacour	Brooke Torjman
Windy Lowder	Kentaro Toyonaga
Shikhadri Mahanta	Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil
Kelly McCafferty	Jenna Vito
Taylor Northcut	Jacqueline White
Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele	Dallas Williams
Thien Phan

 

Mastery Certificate

Adeolu Adekunle	Azile Hotz
Kristina Agan	Emily Howell
Mycha Van Allen	Jenna Johnson
Crysthal Alvarez	Shelby Kilpatrick
Emily Katherine Barrow	Harsh Shah
Ana Velasquez Escobar	Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil
Sarah Hargett	Jacqueline White

 

Mastery Certificate in Career Development

Individual Development Plan Career Exploration Series
 

Adeolu Adekunle	Surya Krishnan
Esther Adeyemi	Sanjana Kunkolienkar
Oluwaseun Aladeboyeje	Huy Lai
Alexis G. Allen	Hannah League
Sergio Arellano	Shikhadri Mahanta
Daniela Ayala	Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele
Seyyed Ali Ayati	Sagar Patel
Sourima Banerjee	Thien Phan
Eboni Bango	Meredith Prater
Kimberley Barrera	Tanvir Islam Rajib
Yesica Botero	Khushboo Rastogi
Donald Bowen	Christopher Reighley
Catherine Byars	Mikayla Renwick
Daniel Commey	Jarrod Romine
Jason Dean	Meshwa Sakaria
Jacob Degitz	Maya Sandy
Sahithi Duppati	Harsh Shah
Madhusree Gangopadhyay	Sejal Sanjay Shanbhag
Uyok Hanson	Hannah Smith
Jenna Johnson	Kathan Vyas
Elizabeth Joseph-Williams	Miriam Watts
Jonathan Kerman	Laura Zotter

 

Mastery Certificate in Communication

Aggie Voice Blog Ambassadors Program

Delaney Couri

Gabriella Figueroa

Ayushri Jain

 

Mastery Certificate in Communication

English Language Proficiency Practice Group for Instructors

Adeolu Adekunle	Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil
Kyangzi Calderon Cerguera	Andreas Lemonaris
Diego Elizalde Segovia Joseph-Williams	Yeaeun Lim
Luis Hernandez Gonzalez	Yuzhe Wang

 

Mastery Certificate in Instruction & Assessment

Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning Certificate Programs

Boluwatife Ajayi	Shelby Kilpatrick
Md Akanda	Hyunrae Kim
Meredith Anderson	Hannah League
Mayson Astle	Ryne Maness
Adeshina Badejo	Rachel McNeal
Rose Blanchard	Dipesh Metha
Younes Bordbar	Dana Mickey
Adam Bower	Basheer Mugdadi
Abdullah Braik	Rajesh Neupane
Francisca Briandt	Keegan Nichols
Dawn Burton	Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele
Chee-Hoon Chang	Olivia Ognibene
Nilson Chapagain	Parisa Paymard
Carli Copell	Tanvir Islam Rajib
Ruben Delgado	Arantxa Sacristan Ramirez
Diya Dharmendran	Serinmary Pulikkottil Rejimon
Christina Dollahon	Edward Rhodes
Devon Dollahon	Vanessa Fernandez Rodriguez
Xiangjue Dong	Alondra Rojas
Austin Ehrie	Kaila Ronayne
Umer Farooq	Lokesh Sekar
Habiba Ghoneim	Bhuwan Shrestha
Jasmine Goode	Aditya Surve
Saurabh Anil Gotmare	Maria Teleki
Purushottam Gyawali	Vishnudas Kulangara Veettil
Thomas Hallmark	Judy Waight
Tania Hasan	Kimberly Wright
Shakil Hosain	Krishna Kaushik Yanamundra
Azile Hotz	Eshani Yeragi
Dallin Jones	Yingying Zhao
Laxmi Prasanna Kandi	Zhuldyz Zhumashova
Anna Kelley

 

Mastery Certificate in Leadership & Mentoring

Graduate Mentoring Academy Facilitator Program 

Adeolu Adekunle	Tania Hasan
Anum Ahmed	Lindsey Loflin
Delaney Couri	Faith Ebiere Eguolo Odele
Aminah Crawford	Tanvir Islam Rajib
Thomas Hallmark	Dipankar Sen

 

Faculty Aspiring Leadership Fellows

The Faculty Aspiring Leadership Fellows initiative recognizes faculty members selected to participate in a university-wide program, coordinated by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, designed to cultivate emerging academic leaders. Through targeted training and strategic mentorship, the program equips participants with the leadership competencies necessary to drive institutional innovation and foster transformative change across the university landscape.

Dr. Kevin Curley Jr., Veterinary Integrative Biosciences

Dr. Curley works with CIRTL to develop programming in graduate education and postdoctoral training to establish a national faculty focused on effective, evidence-based teaching practices for diverse student populations.

Dr. Hector Rivera, Educational Psychology

Dr. Rivera works with the Graduate & Professional School’s Student Development and Success team working to develop, execute and assess a multi-session leadership training program for graduate and professional students as a part of the GRAD Aggies professional development program.

Tim Weaver, Art & Design

Tim Weaver supports the My Grad Journey system, which helps graduate and professional students document their goals and activities, allows faculty advisors to provide feedback, and enables departments to gather data for reports.

 

Employee Milestones

The Graduate and Professional School proudly recognizes staff members who have reached significant service milestones. These honorees exemplify steadfast dedication to graduate education and contribute meaningfully to the university’s mission through their professionalism, institutional knowledge, and enduring commitment to supporting the success of graduate and professional students.

Dr. Rob Dixon, Director of Marketing & Communications

With five years of dedicated service to the Graduate and Professional School, Dr. Rob Dixon leads strategic communication efforts that highlight the achievements of Texas A&M’s graduate students, programs, and initiatives. 

Jacqueline Perez, Director of Business Services

Jacqueline Perez brings five years of excellence in financial stewardship and operational leadership to the Graduate and Professional School. As Director of Business Services, she oversees budgetary planning, procurement, and resource management with precision and integrity, ensuring that the school’s mission is supported through sound fiscal practices.

Karen Seago, Graduate Records Specialist for Records Processing

Celebrating ten years of service, Karen Seago plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity and efficiency of graduate records processing. Her deep knowledge of academic policies and unwavering attention to detail make her an essential resource for students, faculty, and staff navigating degree milestones and academic requirements.

 

Vision, Values and Excellence Staff Award

The Vision, Values and Excellence Award honors a staff member whose work exemplifies outstanding leadership, collaborative spirit, effective communication, and a deep commitment to student-centered values. This award recognizes individuals who consistently go above and beyond in advancing the mission of the Graduate and Professional School while making a meaningful and lasting impact on the broader university community.

Raiden Sawyer, Graduate Student Specialist III

Raiden works as a Graduate Student Specialist III for Records Processing, where he supports graduate student success in degree milestone completion and clearance for graduation. He also assists with the Academic Requirements Completion System (ARCS) and commencement programming.

 

Above and Beyond Student Employee Award

The Above and Beyond Student Employee Award recognizes an exceptional student employee who demonstrates excellence in communication, collaboration, and innovative problem-solving. Recipients of this award exhibit a strong sense of global awareness and professionalism, contributing meaningfully to the mission of the Graduate and Professional School and leaving a positive imprint on the university and its surrounding community.

Emerson Strauch, Graduate Assistant for Business Services

Emerson assists with internal budget reconciliation, updating and verifying student financial information, and generating compliance reports. He also works to develop new solutions for processing and reporting data.
 

Congratulations to all our 2025 awardees and certificate recipients!