2024-2025 Faculty and Staff Achievements at 顶级国产视频
From accomplishing milestone recognition on campus to educating the hearts and minds of students abroad, discover how our exceptional faculty and staff at St. Edward's are engaging in innovative endeavors.
A Staff That Succeeds
Roy Johnson, University Arborist, Corrina Acevedo, Director of Facilities, Ricardo Vargas, Custodial Manager and Vincent Branch, Grounds Lead
Johnson, Acevedo, Vargas and Branch helped St. Edward鈥檚 to become the first university in Texas to earn Green Grounds recognition for campus-wide sustainability efforts in Spring 2025. , an environmental nonprofit, honored the institution with Gold Level Certification for its commitment to reducing the use of harmful chemicals on over 90 percent of campus grounds and fostering biodiversity.
Paul Vickery, Environmental Education Coordinator for the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
Vickery was recently appointed to the in Spring 2025, where he will help to provide guidance on to the Bee Cave City Council.
Travis Williams, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian for the Munday Library
Williams was awarded this year鈥檚 Outreach Award from for his creation of the website and accompanying event Hillhops: A Celebration of Texas Beer History. Williams formally accepted the award at the annual Texas Conference on Digital Libraries in Austin, Texas in May 2025.
Rocio Zuniga, International Student Experience Coordinator
Zuniga presented for the first time at the in San Diego, California May 2025. The topics of her two posters are a reflection of her commitment to improving the experiences for international students at 顶级国产视频; Enhancing First-Year Seminars' Impact for F-1 Student Transition Success; and The 3 Ps of Supporting International Students' Transition and Adjustment.
A Faculty That Flourishes
Sasha West, Associate Professor of Creative Writing
West was named a . This recognition honors her poetry works and multiple publications; (2024); and (2013), which won the National Poetry Series and the Texas Institute of Letters Bob Bush Award.
Adam McCormick, Professor of Social Work
McCormick received the at 顶级国产视频 for his contributions toward the social work community and transformative education he provides to his students.
Laurie Heffron, Associate Professor of Social Work
Heffron was recognized as the 2025 Social Worker of the Year by the , honoring her unwavering commitment to her students and advocacy for immigrant rights. Heffron is now a finalist for a state-level award by NASW, which will be announced in Fall 2025. Additionally, Heffron and her co-authors were were recognized with a Textbook Excellence Award by the Textbook and Academic Authors Association for Human Trafficking: Applying Research, Theory, and Case Studies for Social Workers and the Helping Professions (Second Edition).
Jena Heath, Professor of Journalism and Digital Media and Associate Dean in the School of Arts and Humanities
Heath was named Managing Editor of in Fall 2024.
Tom Sechrest, Professor of Human Development and Leadership
Sechrest has been selected to present at the in Prague, Czechia in October 2025. Sechrest will accompany Doctorate of Education (EdD) in Leadership and Higher Education graduate Elissa Jo Roberts 鈥23 as they present their session 鈥淐onnecting Leaders Through Mindful Storytelling鈥 at the conference, where 1,500 leaders, scholars, educators and development professionals from around the world will be in attendance.
Katherine Trevino, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Trevino was chosen to attend the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions 10th annual early-career faculty training program, (Enriching Learning, Enhancing Visibility and Training Educators), this summer. Trevino was one of 15 educators nationwide selected to participate in the three-day fellowship program in Princeton, New Jersey in June 2025.
Debra Zahay-Blatz, Professor of Marketing
Zahay-Blatz spent two weeks (late May to early June 2025) teaching at the in Romania as part of her Fulbright specialist appointment. During her first week, she presented research on topics such as branding on social media and creating digital advertisements; her second week involved reviewing students鈥 business ideas and how they incorporated digital marketing into the plan.
Pioneering Publications
Adesegun Oyedele, Associate Professor of Marketing
Oyedele鈥檚 article 鈥鈥 was published in in Spring 2025. His article examines how authenticity influences purchase decisions for cultural craft products resold outside their countries of origin.
Chen Xu, Assistant Professor of Economics
Three of Xu鈥檚 peer-reviewed articles were published in multiple journals in Spring 2025; "" in ; "" in ; and "" in .
Teri Lynn Varner, Professor of Communication
Varner, along with her co-editors and contributors, published the second edition of by Kendall Hunt Publishing in Fall 2024. The new edition explores the vital role of listening skills in successful careers and relationships across diverse contexts.
Angela Ju, Assistant Professor of Global Studies and Political Science
Ju鈥檚 new book was published by Oxford University Press in Spring 2025.
Warren Andresen, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Andresen鈥檚 article 鈥鈥 was published in in Summer 2024. Andresen's research focuses on the homicides of gay and transgender people.
Yongshin Park, Associate Professor of Operations Management
Park and his co-authors published their article "" in in Summer 2024.
Carlos Castaneda, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Castaneda and his research partners published their article "" in in Spring 2025.
Sarah Agarwal, Assistant Professor of Counseling
Agarwal and her research partners published their article "" in the in Spring 2025.
Yu Zhong, Assistant Professor of Nursing
Zhong鈥檚 article "" was published in the in Fall 2024. Additionally, Zhong was awarded the 2024-2025 Texas Organization of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Education Excellence in Research Grant.
Discover More Achievements on the Hilltop
The 2024-2025 school year was filled with even more accomplishments from our faculty, staff and students! Relive the noteworthy highlights from another momentous year of success at St. Edward's University.
