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Program

Welcome and Introduction 

Beth Maloch 

Senior Associate Dean 

Elizabeth Shatto Massey Endowed Chair in Education 

Dean’s Remarks 

Charles R. Martinez, Jr. 

Dean 

Lee Hage Jamail Regents Chair in Education 

Sid W. Richardson Regents Chair 

Student Speaker 

Emily Mauer 

Ph.D. ’25, Curriculum and Instruction 

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk

Commencement Speaker 

Jen Lee 

B.S. ’18, Sport Management 

4-Time Paralympic Gold Medalist, Team USA Sled Hockey 

Recognition of Undergraduate Degree Candidates 

Richard Hogeda 

Assistant Dean for Student Affairs 

Recognition of Master’s and Doctoral Degree Candidates 

Alexandra Loukas 

Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies 

Teresa Lozano Long Endowed Chair in Kinesiology and Health Education 

Conferring of Degrees 

Dean Charles R. Martinez, Jr. 

Student Speaker

Emily Mauer 

Ph.D. ’25, Curriculum and Instruction
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk 

Emily Mauer is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk and the Department of Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin. During her doctoral studies, she was co-advised in Curriculum and Instruction and Special Education, conducting research, coursework and teaching across both departments. Mauer also completed a master’s degree in Educational Psychology while at UT. 

Prior to earning her Ph.D., Mauer served as a third and fourth grade teacher in Kansas City, where approximately half of her students were children with disabilities. In this role, she received the Horizon Award for Outstanding Educators from the Kansas State Department of Education.  

Mauer’s research focuses on improving literacy outcomes for historically underserved students, including those with reading or writing difficulties and emerging bilingual learners. She served as the project coordinator for the Reading Buddies program, a partnership between The University of Texas at Austin, Vanderbilt University and the YMCAs of Central Texas and Middle Tennessee.   

This study examined the efficacy of a reading program delivered by cross-age upper elementary tutors to younger peers, which has reached over 1,000 children across Texas and Tennessee. She also worked as a research assistant for Texas Education THRIVE, which explores how teacher mentoring influences self-efficacy and retention among early-career teachers across eight Texas school districts.  

She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and master’s degree in literacy education at the University of Kansas. 

Commencement Speaker

JEN LEE 

B.S. ’18, Sport Management
4-Time Paralympic Gold Medalist,
U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team 

U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team goalie, four-time Paralympic gold medalist and Army veteran Jen Lee earned his bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at the age of 28 – an unconventional path for an extraordinary individual.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Lee enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school in 2004. He served as an aircraft mechanic and later as a staff sergeant in Iraq. Five years later, a motorcycle accident resulted in the loss of his left leg.

Following a year of physical therapy and rehabilitation in San Antonio, Lee remained on active duty and was accepted into the prestigious Army World Class Athlete Program, where he trained for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. His grit and determination earned him a spot on Team USA.

In 2015, he shifted his focus from the national team to higher education. He transferred to The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied sport management and sports medicine, graduating in 2018. He has since earned his MBA in marketing and is pursuing certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine to become a personal coach and wellness trainer.

This year, Team USA captured its fourth consecutive gold medal – another milestone in Lee’s remarkable athletic career and a well-earned finale to his competitive journey.

Lee lives in Littleton, Colorado with his wife and daughter.

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE CANDIDATES

B.S. Applied Learning and Development

B.S. Education

B.S. Kinesiology and Health

B.S. Athletic Training

GRADUATE DEGREE CANDIDATES

Master’s

M.A. Curriculum and Instruction

M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction

M.A. STEM Education

M.Ed. Educational Leadership and Policy

M.A. Educational Psychology

M.Ed. Educational Psychology

M.Ed. Health Behavior and Health Education

M.S. Health Behavior and Health Education

M.Ed. Kinesiology

M.S. Kinesiology

M.A. Special Education

Doctoral

Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction

Ph.D. STEM Education

Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy

Ph.D. Educational Leadership and Policy

Ph.D. Educational Psychology

Ph.D. Kinesiology

Ph.D. Health Behavior and Health Education

Ph.D. Special Education