TAMIU Welcomes 37 New Faculty Members

Keeping pace with dynamic enrollment growth this Fall semester at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), 37 new faculty members have taken their place in TAMIU classrooms.

TAMIU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Claudia E. San Miguel, said the additions to the University’s faculty are the result of national and international searches focused on teaching and research excellence.  The new faculty join a full-time faculty that numbers over 250.

“Our search committees spent an incredible amount of time and energy in working to recruit and secure these 37 new members of our gifted faculty.  We are thrilled to have them join our growing campus and community at large.  We are eager to share in their contributions to TAMIU’s accessible, affordable and exceptional education,” Dr. San Miguel said.

TAMIU Colleges or Schools, the new faculty, their teaching areas, and their highest degree earned are as follows: 

A.R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business

Jacqueline Benavidez, ABD, Visiting Lecturer, Business Administration, University of South Florida and Luis Perez-Batres, Ph.D., Dean and Professor, Strategic Management and International Business, Texas A&M University.

College of Arts and Sciences

Habib M. Ammari, Ph.D., Endowed Professor of Computer Engineering, University of Texas-Arlington; Mahanthesh  Basavarajappa, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor, Mathematics, Kuvempu University; Shivish Bhandari, ABD, Visiting Lecturer, Biology, Morgan State University; Kyle Breen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Sociology, Louisiana State University; Vanessa R. Cera,  Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Psychology, University of Texas-San Antonio; Jung-Mi Choi, M.S., Visiting Lecturer, Biology, Texas A&M International University; Ahed Mohammed Nagib Elmekawy, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor, Systems Engineering, Old Dominion University; Gerardo Flores, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Systems Engineering, Heudiasyc Laboratory Sorbonne Universités – Université de Technologie de Compiègne;  Ariana Cecilia García, M.S., Visiting Lecturer, Psychology, Texas A&M International University, and Jillian A. García, M.A., Visiting Lecturer, English, Texas A&M International University.

Also, Eileen Huey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice, Texas A&M University; Nida Jamshed, ABD, Visiting Assistant Professor, Social Psychology, Clark University; Narim Lee, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice, University of Central Florida; Nina Legg, M.A., Instructional Assistant Professor, Digital and Strategic Communication, Texas A&M University; Di Mu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Communication, Washington State University; Kazeem Oladejo, ABD, Visiting Lecturer, Computer Engineering, Sarajevo School of Science and Technology; Basit Opeyemi Ollayanju, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor, Chemistry, Florida International University; Keaton Powers, M.A., Visiting Lecturer, English, Texas A&M International University; Clair Salli, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Saxophone, Texas Tech University; Hussein Sharadga, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Systems Engineering, Texas A&M University; Andrew Simmons, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor, English, University of Georgia; Pandora White, Ph.D., Instructional Assistant Professor, Chemistry, University of Alabama, and Jessica E. Ziegefuss, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Art History, University of California. 

College of Education

Jannelly Garza, Ed.D., Visiting Instructional Assistant Professor, Education, Northcentral University and Liliana Portilla, Ed.D., Visiting Instructional Assistant Professor, Educational Administration, Texas A&M University. 

College of Nursing and Health Sciences 

Clarissa García, M.S., Clinical Assistant Professor, Nursing, Texas A&M International University; Javier García, M.S., Clinical Assistant Professor, Nursing, Texas A&M International University; José R. Lara, M.S., Clinical Assistant Professor, Nursing; Duke University; José M. Seiba Morris, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, Baylor University, and San Juanita Vela, M.S., Clinical Assistant Professor, Nursing, Texas A&M International University.

Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library

Colleen Harris, Ph.D, Ph.D., Dean, University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee; William Crowell, MLIS, Assistant Librarian, Instruction and Online Learning Librarian, University of South Florida, and Joan Murumba, Ph.D., Assistant Librarian and Information Literacy Librarian, Kisii University.

University College

Jacqueline E. Martínez, MA, Lecturer, Texas A&M International University and Daniela Rodríguez, MA, Lecturer, Texas A&M International University. 

University news and information can also be found online at tamiu.edu and on TAMIU’s social channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.