Leadership

TTU-CR Dean

Jeffrey Belnap, Ph.D.
Dean, Texas Tech University-Costa Rica

Email: jeffrey.belnap@ttu.edu

Welcome to Texas Tech-Costa Rica! It's an exciting time to be at Costa Rica's first branch of a U.S.-accredited, research-intensive university. This campus stands out for its STEM and business-related degree programs delivered 100% in English; for its research-active professors; and; for its hands-on learning model. We equip our students with technical knowledge, teambuilding skills, and intellectual agility. These qualities will enable them to become ethical leaders in an increasingly competitive global economy—leaders the world needs.

Department Chairs

Robert Paul Jones, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Chairperson of Hospitality and Retail Management

Email: robert.p.jones@ttu.edu

Robert Paul Jones, Ph.D., Department Chair in the College of Human Sciences, currently serves as president of the American Collegiate Retail Association. He is also a member of the Higher Education Advisory Board of the Category Management Association, Texas Food and Fuel, and other industry groups. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Jones enjoyed a 25-year career as an executive and consultant in retail and hospitality. His research focuses on brands and branding, their influence on consumer behavior, and the shopper experience. Dr. Jones has helped to establish departmental partnerships with firms such as Walmart, Walgreens, and MillerCoors, among others.

 

Deborah Fowler, Ph.D.
Professor and Program Director, Retail Management

Email: deborah.fowler@ttu.edu

Deborah Fowler, Ph.D., is a professor of Retail Management in the College of Human Sciences. Prior to teaching at Tech, Dr. Fowler taught at East Tennessee State University and the University of South Carolina. She works with industry partners to create experiential learning opportunities for her undergraduate and graduate students. Her passion for teaching has won her numerous teaching awards and she has also published a textbook with Ben Goh, Ed. D., Retail Category Management.

 

Rattikorn Hewett, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science

Email: rattikorn.hewett@ttu.edu

Rattikorn Hewett is a professor and the chair of the Department of Computer Science at Texas Tech University (TTU). Prior to coming to Texas Tech in 2004, Dr. Hewett was a faculty member at Washington State University Vancouver and Florida Atlantic University. Since 2012, she has been the department chair. Dr. Hewett has a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Iowa State University, an M.Sc. Eng. from the University of New South Wales, and a Bachelor Honors degree in Pure Mathematics and Statistics from Flinders University, Australia. She was a 2016 ELATE fellow (Executive Leadership in Academic Technology and Engineering) at Drexel University. She also received a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University, an NSF Research Initiation Award, and scholarships from the Australian government. Her applied research into artificial intelligence includes work in cyber security, data science, automated software/system engineering, and intelligent controls & reasoning. She has published more than 100 peer-reviewed technical articles and has served on several journal editorial boards and conference program committees.

 

Bryan A. Norman, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering

Email: bryan.norman@ttu.edu

With a Ph.D. in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan, Bryan A. Norman came to Texas Tech in 2017 after 22 years on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Norman's research focus is in logistics and supply chain; his current emphasis is in the delivery of healthcare. He has presented more than 100 seminars, invited lectures, and conferences addresses, and has published 60+ scholarly articles and book chapters. His funding sources include the U.S National Institutes of Health, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Veteran's Administration, the Gates Foundation, and a range of industry partners.

 

Magda Toda, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Mathematics

Email: magda.toda@ttu.edu

Dr. Toda earned two Ph.D.s in 2000, both in mathematics. One was from the University of Kansas, with a concentration in differential geometry and integrable systems. The other was from University Politehnica Bucarest, where she studied applications of Riemannian geometry to electromagnetic fields. Since 2001, she has been a faculty member in mathematics at Texas Tech University. She is now a full professor and department chair. In addition to authoring scores of refereed publications and eight textbooks, Dr. Toda has supervised doctoral and master's students and given dozens of invited presentations. In recognition of her outstanding performance in the classroom, Dr. Toda has won seven awards, including the prestigious "President's Award for Excellence in Teaching."

Staff

Ellen Rose, Executive Director

Email: ellen.rose@ttu.edu

Alejandro Barquero, Finance Director

Email: alejandro.barquero@ttu.edu

Gabriela Echandi, Student Services Manager

Email: gabriela.echandi-truque@ttu.edu

Laura Barrera, Marketing Manager (on leave)

Email: info.costarica@ttu.edu

Sofía Fuentes, Associate Director for Advising and Logistics

Email: s.fuentes@ttu.edu

Aubrey Madler, Manager, Library and Learning Services

Email: aubrey.madler@ttu.edu