Opening Plenary Session

First Annual St. Mary’s Research Week

April 19-23, 2021

Celebrate our events by tagging on social media – #URW2021

https://stmarytx.zoom.us/s/95972713150

“Promoting Experiential Learning and Creative Activities – a Discussion with our Deans”

Dean Winston Erevelles, SET

St. Mary’s University

Winston Erevelles is a Professor of Engineering and Dean of the School of Science, Engineering and Technology at St. Mary’s University. As the chief academic and administrative officer, he is responsible for the School’s academic programs, furthering education innovations, building the school’s national and international reputation, and securing the necessary resources through fundraising initiatives and activities, with more than $11 million raised to date in partnership with faculty and staff across the School.

Monday @ 3:30pm

Interim Dean Leona Pallansch, CAHSS

St. Mary’s University

Leona Pallansch, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Political Science and most recently served as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs before being named Interim Dean. She received her B.A. in Government and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and her M.A. in Government and Foreign Affairs from Georgetown University. After completing a dissertation that explored the relationship between U.S. foreign assistance and alignment behavior of recipient governments, she received her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Her research utilizes quantitative analyses to study political behavior in international contexts. Recent papers include an examination of the impact of social media on the Arab Spring, the use of development assistance as a counterinsurgency strategy, analysis of incentive structures and success of microloans, and longitudinal studies of risk factors associated with problem behaviors in children adopted from the former Soviet Union. She has worked with students on various research projects including an evaluation of the services offered by the Battered Women’s Shelter, an evaluation of San Antonio’s public park system, and a survey analysis of local employers’ perceptions of immigrants.

Monday @ 3:30pm

Dean Patricia Roberts, School of Law

St. Mary’s University

Roberts became the tenth dean of St. Mary’s School of Law on June 1, 2020. A legal educator for two decades, the majority of her career has been spent in clinical teaching, supervising law students in providing assistance to underserved members of the community. She also brings a wealth of administrative experience to the role. Roberts is committed to a collaborative approach in the advancement of faculty teaching, research and scholarship. She is engaged in working with faculty and staff to improve mentoring, bar preparation, career strategy and overall student success. Roberts is eager to partner with alumni in building on St. Mary’s School of Law’s reputation as a premier Texas law school, reaching for unprecedented heights in the coming years.

Monday @ 3:30pm

Interim Dean Stephanie Ward, Greehey School of Business

St. Mary’s University

Stephanie G. Ward, Ph.D., is the interim dean of the Greehey School of Business. She joined St. Mary’s University in 2004 after completing her Ph.D. at the University of Houston and she has never looked back. Being a Rattler is in her blood and she believes it is a privilege to be here. During her time at St. Mary’s, Ward served eight years as the founder and director of the Greehey Scholars Program, and has served as the Chair of the Management and Marketing Department. Her love is being in the classroom with students engaging in thoughtful exploration of what it means to pursue a meaningful business career while challenging students to learn more than they thought they could. Being able to help a student exceed his/her potential is what drives her.

Before coming to St. Mary’s, Ward worked in the banking and insurance industries in the accounting and auditing fields before realizing her passion was education. She has also taught at the University of Houston, Texas Women’s University – Houston Campus, and Alvin Community College Prison Program.

When she isn’t at St. Mary’s Stephanie can be found out and about on her bicycle, working with her San Antonio non-profit chapter of Ride for Reading, hanging at her husband’s brewery, or in Minneapolis listening to their son, Zach, play his guitar.

Monday @ 3:30pm

Putting Pedagogy First in the Digital Humanities: Low-Risk Inroads to Digital-Methods Research through Faculty-Student Partnerships”

Kalani Craig

Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of History

Co-Director, Institute for Digital Arts & Humanities

Affiliated Faculty, Learning Sciences

Affiliated Faculty, Cognitive Science

Department of History

Indiana University Bloomington

Dr. Craig’s research and teaching specialties are at the intersection of digital methodologies and medieval history. She uses digital methods like text mining, spatial history and network analysis to explore conflict in medieval European history, and my history-pedagogy research makes similar use of these approaches. She is also the PI on Net.Create, an NSF-funded exploration of network analysis in history reading comprehension. Together with Michelle Dalmau, Dr. Craig co-directs the Institute for Digital Arts & Humanities, which provides digital-methods and digital-pedagogy consulting and research services to the Indiana University-Bloomington arts & humanities community. Prior to returning to the scholarly world, Dr. Craig spent ten years managing Web sites and the technical and creative people responsible for creating those Web sites.

Monday @ 4:00pm

“From Textbooks to Pay Checks: The Role of Undergraduate Research in your Career Success”

Gina Buffaloe

Research Engineer, Southwest Research Institute

Gina Buffaloe is a Research Engineer at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in the Particle Science and Technology section of the Powertrain Engineering Division.

She focuses on growing her expertise in measurement methods of particles produced by engines and also in the instrumentation used to measure particles. She gets to work on a variety of projects such as research on particle emissions from engines, performing particle measurements for engine certification, calibration of particle instrumentation, and testing face mask efficacy.

She received her MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Davis, and her bachelor’s degree in Physics and Mathematics at St. Mary’s University. While at St. Mary’s, she was fortunate to participate in a variety of research experiences that helped shape her interests and create memorable experiences.

Monday @ 4:30pm

Chris Flores

Senior Data Scientist, USAA Federal Savings Bank

Chris Flores is a Senior Data Scientist at the USAA Federal Savings Bank where he applies his analytical and technology skills to broad set of product and data initiatives. His work covers machine learning, statistical testing, modeling, software development, and advising on data system architectures. Prior to joining USAA he obtained his Ph.D. and MS in Physics at UC Davis while working at national laboratories. He got his start at St. Mary’s University where not only did he find his future wife and degrees in physics and math (2010), but also a lifelong appreciation for the impact the university has on its students and the role it plays in the community. He hopes to continue serving the St. Mary’s family by bringing his knowledge and skills to the SET Advisory Council.

Monday @ 4:30pm