Meet Your Representatives
MEET YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
2021-2022
Katlyn Casagrande
College of Applied Arts, Criminal Justice, PhD
Hobbies: My hobbies include reading, training and playing with dogs, and spending time with friends and family.
#1 Tip for surviving grad school: Get to know your classmates, especially those from years above you.
Pheni Chuma
College of Education
Awards/Honors: Dean's List
Hobbies:
#1 Tip for Surviving Graduate School:
Sunshine Torres
College of Health Professions, Public Health Education and Promotion
Awards & Honors:
Research Interests:
Hobbies:
#1 Tip for Surviving Graduate School:
Email Sunshine
Morgan Cessac
Graduate House Representative for the Council on Inclusive Excellence
College of Fine Arts and Communication, Communication Studies
Graduate Instructional Assistant
Research Interests:
Other Organizations:
Hobbies:
#1 Tip for Surviving Graduate School:
Katharine Heinemann
College of Health Professions, Healthcare Administration
Awards: Ruth B. Welborn Health Professions Leadership Scholarship 1st Place Graduate Student Research, CHP Research Forum 1st Place Faculty/Student Research, CHP Research Forum Finalist at Ohio State University Health Administration Case Competition
Hobbies: Hiking, cooking, gardening, and reading
Other Organizations: Healthcare Leadership Coalition, Chi Omega Fraternity Alumni, Hays County Food Bank, and Student Health Advisory Committee
#1 Tip for Surviving Graduate School: Never be afraid to ask questions!
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Sally Wiethoff
College of Health Professions, Health Information Management
Research Interests:
Other Organizations:
Hobbies:
#1 Tip for Surviving Grad School:
Email Sally
Ethan Van Gorkom
College of Liberal Arts, Political Science
Awards & Honors: Dean's List, Eagle Scout
Other Organizations: Pi Sigma Alpha - Political Science Honor Society Graduate Assistant for the Department of Political Science
Hobbies: I spend a fair bit of time around school, between working for the department as an IA and my graduate studies. But when I'm not reading for class or helping out around the department I'll usually be spending my free time with friends in Austin, doing volunteer work around the city, and when time allows, playing video games and D&D
#1 Tip for Surviving Grad School: Budget your time. There's a lot of work in grad school, for me it comes in the form of reading. If you don't budget your time for reading those books, you'll never catch up and it will be obvious if you didn't read the material. However, audiobooks and other reading aids can be very helpful, especially if you find yourself driving a lot. Just make sure you spend your time wisely when it comes to studying and you'll be sure to ace your classes!
Email Ethan
Natasha Beck-King
College of Liberal Arts, History
Graduate Instructional Assistant
Research Interests: American Women's and Queer History in the mid to late 20th Century
Other Organizations: Phi Alpha Theta
Hobbies: Hanging out with my wife and kids
#1 Tip for Surviving Graduate School: Get your sleep and your caffeine
Delaney Morton
McCoy College of Business, Human Resource Management
Awards and Honors: Bill Hogue Memorial Endowed Scholarship -McCoy College Graduate Fellowship of Excellence -Gary V. Woods Scholarship -H.C. Vivian Memorial Scholarship -The Texas State Graduate College Scholarship (Business)
Hobbies: Hiking, Kayaking, Camping, Backpacking, Two-Stepping, Traveling, Reading
Other Organizations: Society for Human Resource Management
#1 Tip for Surviving Graduate School: Read and reflect. Entering class prepared each day removes a lot of stress and makes it easier for you to enjoy the experience of learning.
Email Delaney
Jeremy David
House Leader
Co-Chair Budget + Finance Committee
McCoy College of Business, MBA
Research Interests:
Hobbies:
#1 Tip for Surviving Graduate School:
Email Jeremey
Gentry Atkinson
College of Science and Engineering, Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization
Awards: My most cherished honors are my publications in a handful of conferences. Before joining grad school, I was honorably discharged from the US Army with the rank of sergeant. That came with some awards, but none that are interesting now. Also, my mom said I was the handsomest once.
Other Organizations: I'm am a member of two professional organizations: the AFCEA and the Association for Computing Machinery.
Hobbies: My first passion is gardening and I try to spend at least a few minutes every day with my plants. I mostly grow food-bearing plants, but I have a few flowers around too for vanity's sake. Before Covid19, I participated in a local combat robotics league. We fought 3-pound and smaller, remote-controlled robots in an enclosed space. My combatant, Doozer, wasn't exactly the fiercest in the bunch but it was always a great weekend when I got to participate in a tournament
#1 Tip for Surviving Graduate School: Come into it knowing what area of your field interests you. Undergraduate degrees can be very broad, but graduate work (especially on a thesis track) needs to be tightly focused. You don't need to know exactly what your research will be when you start, but know what branch of your field is the most interesting. Also, learn to be comfortable sharing you writing with others. Showing non-academic work like stories or sports articles to friends can help get over the fear of exposing your words to the world.
Email Gentry
Chandan Howlader
College of Science and Engineering, Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization
Research Interests: Laser, Photovoltaic, Printed Electronics and Fabrication technology
Hobbies: Gardening, fishing, badminton, cricket, biking, travelling, hiking
#1 Tip for Surviving Graduate School: Know the expectations of your supervisor and discuss all your concerns with them.
Email Chandan