Who We Are

Dr. Stephanie J. Jones

Dr. Stephanie J. Jones serves as the Principal Investigator for the grant. She is also a professor and program coordinator in the  Higher Education program in the College of Education. Dr. Jones received a B.B.A. in Management and Management Information Systems, M.B.A. in General Business, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education from Texas Tech University. She also holds a M.Ed. in Educational Technology from the University of Texas Brownsville. Prior to her faculty role at TTU, she worked in higher education academic administration in the areas of distance learning, dual enrollment, instructional technology, faculty and student support, grant administration, as well as in faculty and department chair roles. Prior to transitioning to the higher education sector, Dr. Jones had a professional career in information technology in software development and project management. Dr. Jones has served in project director and activity director roles for Title V and Title III grants, as well as various THECB grants. 

Dr. Jones' research is focused on access and equity within organizational structures, with specific interest in gender equity. She explores the challenges and barriers that women face in advancing their careers in higher education organizations. Her work has recently evolved to a more focused view of the systemic issues that occur within organizational structures that prevent women, whether students, faculty or staff, from thriving in the working environment. Much of her research is framed around the culture and climate of organizations and how systematically they can be addressed to transform higher education institutions to ones that are equitable. Her current theoretical work is framed by systems theory, organizational learning, and social role theory. Dr. Jones currently serves on the editorial board of the NASPA Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education. She received the President's Excellence in Gender Equity award in 2017.

 

Dr. Kay Tindle

Dr. Kay Tindle is a Co-Principal Investigator on the grant. She also currently serves as the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Development within the Office of Research & Innovation. In this role, she works alongside the Vice President for Research and Innovation to develop and coordinate new strategic initiatives, drawing on the expertise of researchers across campus. She also oversees the Office of Research Development & Communications. Her research focuses on women leaders in higher education, including their leadership self-efficacy, leadership motivations, and leadership development programs.

 

Dr. Kay Millerick

Dr. Kay Millerick is a Co-Principal Investigator on the grant and is also an Assistant Professor in Civil, Environmental & Construction Engineering at Texas Tech University. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2014 and a Bachelor of Science from Florida State University in 2007. She is an experimental environmental microbiologist whose research works at the interface of environmental pollutants, reactive surfaces, and native microbial communities. She mentors a diverse research group at Texas Tech, is actively involved in efforts to improve gender equity in academia and is the proud momma of two. For the TTU ADVANCE-ADAPT grant, she represents the “E” in STEM and the voices of junior faculty campus wide.

 

Dr. Jaclyn Cañas-Carrell

Dr. Jaclyn Cañas-Carrell is a Co-Principal Investigator on the grant and also currently serves as Interim Vice Provost for Curriculum with responsibilities to coordinate curriculum approval and review processes across the university. She joined the Provost's staff after serving as Director of the TTU STEM Center for Outreach, Research, and Education (STEM CORE). She is also a Professor in the Department of Environmental Toxicology. She previously served as the chair of the department's Curriculum Committee from 2012-2014 and as the Graduate Advisor from 2014-2017. 

Dr. Cañas-Carrell has been involved in diversity and inclusion efforts for faculty since 2008 when she co-founded the West Texas Association for Women in Science Chapter at TTU; she served as co-Vice President from 2008-10. She also served as Chair of the President's Gender Equity Council from 2018-2020. She has served as a co-Director of the TTU Women Full Professors Network since 2018. the President's Excellence in Diversity and Equity Award in 2009 and 2013.

Dr. Cañas-Carrell's area of expertise is in nanotoxicology with research critical for assessing environmental risks posed by nanomaterials. She is an internationally recognized scientist with one patent, over 43 peer-reviewed journal articles and 3 book chapters. She has secured over $8.8 million in competitive federal funding as PI or Co-PI since 2008. In addition to her scientific research contributions, she has made significant contributions to training students from minoritized groups in STEM and to ensuring the future of the U.S. STEM workforce. She received the Chancellor's Council Distinguished Research Award in 2013 and a President's Excellence in Research Professorship in 2019.

 

Dr. Ron Hendrick

Dr. Ronald L. Hendrick is a Co-Principal Investigator for the grant and is Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at the university. Prior to coming to Texas Tech, Hendrick served as dean of the Michigan State University College of Agriculture (CANR) and Natural Resources and professor in the Department of Forestry. As dean, Hendrick oversaw all academic, research and outreach efforts of CANR, which includes 12 academic departments and schools, the Institute of Agricultural Technology, MSU AgBioResearch and MSU Extension.

 

Dr. Charlotte Dunham

Dr. Charlotte Chorn Dunham is the internal evaluator for the grant and is professor emeritus. She retired from the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work at Texas Tech University after 30 years on the faculty.  While at Texas Tech,  she served for eight years as Director of Women's and Gender Studies,  a term as chair of the President's Gender Equity Council, and a term as president of the TTU Faculty Senate.  In 2009, She was a Co-PI on the TTU ADVANCE-PAID Grant (2005 to 2009).  Her recent research focuses on older adults in the Cape Area of South Africa including publications on gender and decision-making of older couples, and depression among caregivers for orphaned grandchildren. Her most recent publication is a chapter on Women in the Age of Trump,  in the 3rd Edition of The Effect of Racism on White Americans in the Age of Trump, Palgrave, forthcoming.

 

Acknowledgement 

Dr. Michael Galyean

Dr. Michael Galyean was a founding Co-Principal Investigator for the grant and has been an avid supporter of the grant initiatives. At the time of the grant development and subsequent funding award, Dr. Galyean was the Provost and Sr Vice President of Academic Affairs at the university. He has since transitioned out of this role and is currently a professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The opportunity to obtain the funding of this grant would not have been possible without the support of Dr. Galyean.