People Profiles
You are the Brand
Long after graduation, it’s not the papers written or the finals taken that our alumni call to mind but rather the people that shaped them as they took this next step into their career. Our university’s identity is defined by its faculty, staff, students and alumni. Individually, we achieve great successes. Together, we transform lives
The faculty, staff, students and alumni at A&M-Commerce make up our institution’s identity–both inside and out of the classroom. We want to highlight just a few of the exceptional people here. Below you will find completed profiles that highlight their academic achievements and career success. You’ll discover their selected publications, current research and awards, and even a little about how they like to spend their time.
Faculty
Yvonne Villanueva-Russell, Ph.D.
Much like a student, I have taken advantage of opportunities to develop my fullest potential: building relationships, learning new skills, and growing personally and professionally.
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Elizabeth Wachira, Ph.D.
I get to teach and talk about public health every day. Whether talking to teenagers about mental health, helping my students plan out a campus health activity or sharing lessons learned with fellow practitioners, it is all making a difference.
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Betty A. Block, Ed.D.
I am intrigued by the interconnected nature of humans – the mind, body, and spirit embodied in the world of other embodied souls.
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LaVelle Hendricks, Ed.D.
Counseling is a profession that allows individuals to experience change based on their stage of readiness. A tremendous amount of joy is exhibited when individuals reach their goals and achieve a sense of wholeness.
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Andrew Baker, Ph.D.
Everything has a backstory. Nothing is unprecedented. Digging into the past is one of the best ways to understand the present.
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Kent Montgomery, Ph.D.
Having a room like the planetarium to teach in creates a wonderful learning environment. The students come in excited and ready to learn. The room helps to foster that.
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Raymond Green, Ph.D.
The world will never stop giving you things to learn. All you have to do is be willing to listen and open to change.
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Brent Donham, Ed.D.
What brings me the most joy and pride is seeing and hearing about the successes of our students. Whether it is starting their own businesses, being successful in graduate school, or receiving an industry award, their success always reminds me of the reason I was called to this profession.
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Staff
Carlos Ruiz, M.S.
I am currently working with the Dallas County Promise Scholarship to help students with tuition assistance, success coaching and advising. We help the promise students in earning their credentials in the form of a career certification, associate or bachelor's degree.
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Travis A. Ball
Procurement is my passion and I believe I am in the right career for my skillsets and personality.
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Amanda Grant
We take the guesswork out of navigating higher education by assigning dedicated specialists who are part of a student's overall success team. By providing expert guidance along the way, we give students the opportunity to focus on their education instead of working through obstacles on their own.
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Peggy Borchardt
The best and the finest can be brought out in a person at A&M-Commerce. We educate. You discover and achieve. For 10 years, I've witnessed this in Commerce, Texas.
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Hannah Stotts
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Heather Rodriguez
I came back to the department to discover what else I could do with a degree in history and learned that we offer a certificate in Public History. My career goals are now focused on finding a job within Public History like working in a museum.
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Candace Linn
A&M-Commerce has prepared me for nursing in more ways than one. The nursing building is equipped with simulations and real-life scenarios that allow for practice and perfection of skills.
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Chase Miller
Meeting with professors that genuinely care for your success is one reason I chose A&M-Commerce. The atmosphere of authentic investment in my studies is what keeps me here.
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Rebekah Grey
I’m an aspiring filmmaker, a job which requires a lot of various skills. The English program taught me how to build stories and communicate ideas well, two things that are crucial in my career.
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Samantha Cox
I believe my proudest accomplishment at Texas A&M University-Commerce was directing Eleemosynary by Lee Blessing as a part of the University Playhouse season. I was able to tell a story that reflected the complexity of human relationships while applying my research.
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Alumni
Divya Solomon
Getting to see young minds thrive in STEM education gives me the joy of giving back to the community. #JobSatisfaction
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Allison Faber
A history degree can be used broadly; the skills developed through the undergraduate and graduate programs are valuable both within and outside the classroom. Think broadly about how to use your degree.
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Viktoria Tabeleva-Leal
Getting a degree from a university in the United States was my dream. I had the odds stacked against me, but I never stopped dreaming and working hard to accomplish that goal.
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Manueal "Manny" Grajales, Ph.D.
The faculty took the time to mentor a non-traditional, first-generation, Latino student with no direction. They provided me the tools to excel as an aspiring historian, explore my research interests and find my intellectual voice.
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Madelyn Phillips
While at Commerce I realized a love for physics that I had never known before. The tight-knit community at Commerce gave me the support I needed to pursue a new dream and helped me decide the next steps to take in my academic career.
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Paul Bryan
The MFA program taught me how to take complex ideas and explore them through visual metaphor. Professors work with you to refine your ideas and take your art to the next level technically and conceptually.
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Nick Sprenger
Because of departmental support, I had chances to teach, conduct international research and engage in professional service. But it was the faculty who, through countless hours spent mentoring and professionalizing me, furthered my growth as a historian.
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