UH-Clear Lake welcomes new faculty

Seventeen new faculty members joined the University of Houston-Clear Lake’s this fall, bringing with them a diverse background of vast experiences in a variety of fields.

The new School of Education faculty members include: Brenda Weiser, associate professor of science education; Debora Ortloff, assistant professor of educational foundations and multicultural education; Michelle Peters, assistant professor of educational foundations; and Joy Bechtold, instructor in early childhood education.

Now full time in the School of Education, Weiser previously served as the director of environmental education in the Environmental Institute of Houston at UH-Clear Lake and taught as a clinical associate professor in the School of Education. Weiser has directed educational programs for various environmental organizations, using her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in wildlife science from Texas A&M University. She is a member of multiple professional societies for environmental educators and received an award from the Texas Association for Environmental Educators in 2008 for outstanding achievement. Weiser holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis on science education, from the University of Houston.

Ortloff previously served as the associate director for research in the Center for Urban and Multicultural Education at Indiana University-Indianapolis, where she supervised research and developed grant-funded projects. Ortloff holds a doctorate in education policy studies from Indiana University Bloomington. She also holds two master’s degrees, one in educational psychology and the other in international education, both from Indiana University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in international studies from Ithaca College in New York and taught for four years in Germany. At UH-Clear Lake, she will be teaching qualitative research methods, educational foundations and multicultural studies.

Peters comes to UH-Clear Lake from The George Washington University, where she served as the research lab coordinator and an adjunct faculty member. There she provided statistical support for various research projects, grants and doctoral dissertations. In addition to her research experience, Peters has taught mathematics and physics to secondary and college students, drawing from her master’s degree from the University of Missouri in nuclear engineering. She holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. At UH-Clear Lake, she will be teaching educational research and statistics.

With more than 30 years of experience in early childhood education, Bechtold comes to UH-Clear Lake with a background that includes teaching kindergarten, first grade and Head Start programs. She will complete her doctorate in curriculum and instruction in early childhood development from Pennsylvania State University this fall. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from South-Eastern College in Florida and her master’s degree in elementary education from Millersville University in Pennsylvania. At UH-Clear Lake, she will be teaching in the early childhood education program and also in the recently-approved Bachelor of Applied Science program in early childhood education. 

“The School of Education is very fortunate to have four such outstanding new colleagues who will bring added strength to our educator preparation programs,” said Dennis Spuck, UH-Clear Lake’s School of Education dean.  

Thirteen other faculty also joined UH-Clear Lake beginning in September 2009. In the School of Business, Assistant Professor of Economics Stephen Cotton joined UH-Clear Lake after having served as a Graduate Teaching Associate at University of Tennessee. Kathleen Garland moved from adjunct in environmental management at UH-Clear Lake to lecturer. Finally, Visiting Assistant Professor in Management Information Systems Douglas Steel changed titles after having served as lecturer in the School of Business.

Assistant Professor of Sociology Stephen Cherry joined the university’s School of Human Sciences and Humanities after serving as an assistant professor at University of Southern Mississippi. Joining UH-Clear Lake after serving as visiting assistant professor at D’Youville College in Buffalo, N.Y. is Assistant Professor of Literature Michael Clody. Jane Davidson came to UH-Clear Lake as assistant professor of art history and humanities from California State University in Fullerton, Ca. where she served as lecturer in the Department of Art.

Also joining the School of Human Sciences and Humanities is Assistant Professor of Political Science William Hoston who came from Wichita State University. Assistant Professor of Digital Media Studies and Communication SangYeob Lee comes to UH-Clear Lake from Michigan State University. Finally, Deanna Schmidt was added to the faculty roster as assistant professor of geography after having served as lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The School of Science and Computer Engineering added four new professors including Assistant Professor of Computer Science Linda Morales, who came from University of Texas Arlington. Visiting Lecturer of Biotechnology Seung-Beom “Dennis” Hong came to UH-Clear Lake from San Jacinto College. New Assistant Professor of Biotechnology Brian Stephens joins the university from Baylor College of Medicine. Finally, Zibgniew Czajkiewicz will serve as Dean of the School of Science and Computer Engineering after having served as professor of engineering and head of the Center for Applied Research in engineering and science at Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania.

For more information about UH-Clear Lake and its faculty, visit http://www.uhcl.edu.