Department of Educational Leadership and Policy
Victor Sáenz • Associate Dean
Victor Sáenz, associate dean for Student Success, Community Engagement, and Administration, received the 2026 American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) Sylvia Hurtado University Faculty Award. The award, honoring faculty who have demonstrated excellence in both research and teaching, carries the name of a former mentor who profoundly influenced Sáenz’s scholarly career and personal journey.
Rachel White • Associate Professor
Rachel White, founder and principal investigator of The Superintendent Lab, recently presented at the National Conference of Education on the use of innovative superintendent simulations as a learning tool for developing political leadership skills. Her research examines issues of power in education policymaking and implementation, with a particular focus on superintendent labor markets and how district leaders can effectively navigate politically contentious environments.
Armando Lizarraga • Doctoral Student
Armando Lizarraga, a Ph.D. candidate, received the 2026 American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) Doctoral Student Award, which recognizes doctoral students who demonstrate academic accomplishments and leadership at their institutions. His work with Project MALES and Texas Prison Education Initiative has played a pivotal role in his academic and professional trajectory.
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education
Hirofumi Tanaka • Professor
Hirofumi Tanaka, program coordinator for the Exercise Physiology program, was quoted in Flow Space in the article, “What Older Olympians Can Teach Us About Strength, Resilience, and Aging,” where he discussed master athletes and midlife female Olympians. His research explores how aging competitive athletes can serve as models of successful aging. A global health researcher, he has studied unique populations around the world, from long neck Karen women in Thailand to female pearl divers in Japan.
Brian Mills • Associate Professor
Brian Mills, associate professor of kinesiology and health, was recently quoted in Bloomberg on fan sentiment and competitive balance in professional baseball in the article, “The Dodgers Are Annoying, Greedy—And Good for Baseball.” His research focuses on managerial economics in sport, particularly the market power of professional sports leagues through the lenses of industrial organization, labor markets, and public policy and economic development.
Aigerim Alpysbekova • Doctoral Student
Aigerim Alpysbekova, a Ph.D. candidate in Health Behavior and Health Education and a graduate research assistant, received an Outstanding Graduate Research Fellowship. She is a member of UT’s Culture, Family & Health Lab, where she collaborates with interdisciplinary experts on community-driven research initiatives.
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Emma Gargroetzi • Assistant Professor
Emma Gargroetzi, assistant professor of STEM education, received the Early Career Publication Award of the Special Interest Group for Research in Mathematics Education for her article, “Identity, Power, and Dignity: A Positional Analysis of Gisela in Her High School Mathematics Classroom.” Her research focuses on identity, power and educational justice in the mathematical lives of children and youth. Her ongoing work explores the intersection of students’ sociopolitical and mathematical lives of children, with a particular emphasis on identity and learning.
Department of Special Education
Sarah Powell • Professor
Sarah Powell, professor of special education and associate director of the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, recently appeared on the Chalk & Talk podcast to discuss the Science of Math movement and the current math education landscape. Powell’s extensive research and teaching focus on supporting students who experience math differently.
