Message From the Dean
We would like to officially welcome the new Interim Dean for the College of Public Service, Dr. Kim-Martin Long. Dr. Martin-Long has extensive experience as an administrator, having served as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education at the University of New Orleans, Dean of the School of Business and Humanities at Delaware Valley University, and Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Shippensburg University as well as the Director of the Core Competencies Initiative with the University of Louisiana System. What a privilege to have Dr. Martin-Long join the College of Public Service team!
New Interim Associate Dean of the College of Public Service
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Diane Miller will be assuming the position of Interim Associate Dean, effective August 1. Dr. Miller, an Associate Professor of Literacy Education at UHD in the Department of Urban Education, previously served as the Assistant Department Chair for Graduate Studies. Dr. Miller's professional background encompasses 19 years of K-12 public education work that centered on secondary English language arts and reading education experiences, ranging from classroom teaching to school- and district-level leadership to district- and regional-level curriculum engagement.
Now in her tenth year at UHD as a fulltime faculty member, Dr. Miller brings her K-12 experience to her current university-level work, as she focuses on balancing a practitioner-based passion and researcher-oriented perspective in her research areas of content-area/disciplinary literacy and mentoring. Dr. Miller has served on multiple department, college, and university committees throughout her tenure at UHD, most recently as a Faculty Senator and as the Chair of the International and Study Abroad Committee.
As an active member of the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts, Dr. Miller has served as the organization’s president and is currently leading the editorial team for English in Texas, the organization’s nationally recognized, peer-reviewed academic journal.
Dr. Miller is contributing her expertise in the role of Interim Associate Dean by taking the lead on curriculum and assessment, strategic planning, facilities management, and other initiatives in the Dean’s Office.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Miller as the new Interim Associate Dean. Also, join us again in thanking Dr. Ashley Blackburn for her service to the college. We wish her all the best as she transitions back into the faculty in Criminal Justice.
Upcoming Workshops
UHD’s Center for Public Service and Community Research will present a two-day participatory workshop featuring UHD police department’s Lieutenant Trinity Delafance. Now, more than ever, we need to be aware of our surroundings and plan what to do should the unthinkable occur. Attend one or both sessions.
DAY ONE
DAY TWO
Upcoming vitalvoices
Social Work Event
El Grito de Dolores
"El Grito de Dolores" is a Spanish phrase that translates to "The Cry of Dolores" or "The Independence Cry." On Monday, September 16th- Mexican Independence Day at 5:15 p.m., meet us on the spiral staircase on the first floor of the Commerce St. Building to reenact El Grito de Dolores to celebrate Mexican Independence Day. Refreshments will be served after the Grito!!
Social Work Network
With an aim of expanding the field practicum options for social work majors, Diane Miller, Interim Associate Dean, and Leslie Sirrianni, Director of Field Education, met with representatives from Family-to-Family Adoptions. The organization’s Executive Director, Mary Scalise, and Board President, Christopher Michael Stribling, visited UHD’s College of Public Service to learn more about our Social Work program and the requirements for hosting practicum students. The group discussed the connections between UHD’s mission and the organization’s core values, and everyone enjoyed envisioning the potential that this new partnership holds for the key stakeholders: UHD students and the families served by Family-to-Family Adoptions. To discover more about how this organization empowers Houston-area families through adoptions and foster care, visit their website:
Summer With the College of Public Service
The FBI and the Summer Course That Could
Special Agent Mr. Theo Williams, FBI, spent time with Summer 2024 students discussing the Color of Law. Mr. Williams brought valuable information to students regarding the what, when, and where of FBI involvement if an alleged crime occurs. The Color of Law was fascinating, highlighting how the FBI only looked at the law when making arrests. Mr. Williams spoke in CJ 4303, Vice, Drugs & The Law, and CJ 4316, Human Trafficking Class, where he used his expertise and knowledge to discuss both areas. Mr. Williams responded to the questions of students interested in the FBI and gave guidelines to those who wish to become agents one day.
Elder Abuse Simulations
On June 13, 2024, six BSW students accompanied Dr. Angela Goins, Assistant Professor of Social Work, to participate in role plays in Elder Abuse Simulations along with UT nursing and UH pharmacology students at the UT Cizik School of Nursing in the Texas Medical Center. This interprofessional event is an incremental part of the Summer 2024 Social Work elective course, SOCW 3303 "Community Navigation with Older Adults." The BSW students did such an amazing job representing their profession in the Texas Medical Center. These simulations are made possible through the South East Texas Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program.
STAR Lab and SWSCAN Donate to Empower CDC
On August 26, 2024, Dr. Angela Goins, Assistant Professor of Social Work and UHD S.T.A.R. Lab Director, delivered several loads of donated toiletries, cleaning items, paper towels, and household items (such as aluminum foil, sanitary wipes, saran wrap,) to former UHD professor, Dr. Nina Barbieri with Empower CDC (Community Development Corporation), an organization which services apartment complexes for older adults and children and families. These items were donated to the S.T.A.R. Lab and SWSCAN (Social Work Student Community Advocacy Network) by BSW students from Dr. Goins' Spring and Summer aging courses (SOCW 3303 and SOCW 3331) and students from SOCW 3313 Case Management. This collaborative effort between UHD and our community partner, Empower CDC, helped older adults in the community who desperately needed these items, especially after Hurricane Beryl.
The Return of Fernando Lanza
We would like to welcome back Fernando Lanza to the College of Public Service as the new Assistant Director of Graduate Studies. Already, he has been busy facilitating the admissions and registrations for the College's four graduate degrees: MAT-A, MAT-C, MEDL, and MSCJ.
Weeks of Welcome at CPS
The College of Public Service hosted a "Connect in Commerce With CPS" during Weeks of Welcome at UHD.
Fall 2024 On-Campus Job Expo
Students had a great opportunity to find on-campus job openings at UHD's On-Campus Job Expo, specifically for student employees. All new and returning students interested in working on campus visited the Expo in large numbers to register for employment.
Commerce Connects & Crimestoppers
Commerce Connects partnered with Crime Stoppers during UHD's Welcome Weeks to create Child Identification Kits. These I.D. Kits, enclosed in a standard #10 letter-sized envelopes, contain step-by-step instructions to complete a child's I.D. card, including sections for capturing fingerprints (via the included inkless solution), recording the child’s physical description and identifying marks, attaching current photographs, recording a doctor’s phone numbers, and providing any known DNA information.
Empowered Youth Movies and Munchies Series
Student Spotlight
For this student spotlight, we would like to recognize Lauren Parker, whose outlook on life is "no matter how bad you think you have it, there is always someone else who has it worse and, if you can do something to make their lives better why not take that opportunity?" This has been something Lauren has kept in mind over the last several years because it is easy to become self-involved with the state of our culture today. So, it is important to remember that there are other things happening in the world, and we need to be mindful that other people are suffering and have needs we can help meet.
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Lauren chose UHD because we have an amazing Criminal Justice program with great faculty and small class sizes. These smaller class sizes give you the ability to work with faculty on individual projects like she completed through the University’s Honors Program. The projects have given her the opportunity to work on research she feels is important and explore topics that have a major impact on our society.
Lauren is honored to have been selected to represent UHD as the 2024-2025 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellow (p. 11). She shared, "It is amazing to have a platform to advocate for justice-involved individuals and the stray animal crisis." The application process was quite lengthy. To have the opportunity to apply, you must be nominated by a faculty or staff member at UHD. The nomination alone is an honor because it means that someone believes in you and your work enough to say that they believe you will represent UHD proudly as a Newman Fellow. She was nominated based on her service to the community and civic engagement. She feels that community service and advocacy for civic change are two of the most important things we can do as change makers. Lauren did not have any goal in mind with all the work that she had done and participated in other than helping meet a need in our community or helping raise awareness of an issue. She never thought that this would earn her a nomination, let alone, lead to her being named the UHD 2024-2025 Newman Civic Fellow.
Lauren is a criminal justice major. She chose criminal justice because she wanted to have the opportunity to help address some of the issues we are currently facing in our system today. Issues impacting those that are justice-involved, such as conditions in correctional facilities, access to education, re-entry support services, public perception of certain criminal offenses, and much more, are all having a current impact on our system. Society tends to cast judgment on and target those individuals who are or have formerly been justice-involved. She wanted to be a part of a community that supports this vulnerable population.
After Lauren graduates, she plans on pursuing a Master’s and then a Doctorate in Criminal Justice. Lauren would like to pursue academic research and teaching after she completes her education. She feels that research is one of the most important assets we have in the field of criminal justice because it shows us what works and what does not work. It also shows us what we can do to improve our criminal justice system and the lives of those that are impacted by these challenges.
The biggest challenge that Lauren has faced while at UHD is financial obstacles. Like most first-generation students, paying for expenses related to education can be difficult. Lauren worked two jobs, and sometimes that was still not enough. Her parents taught her that it is very important to avoid taking out loans as long as possible because she has further academic goals she would like to pursue. Lauren's pace through college at times has been a little slower than some students. However, this has taught her to keep going no matter how hard things get and how grim the outlook might be. According to Lauren Parker, Newman Civic Fellow, perseverance is one of the greatest skills we can learn in life.
Alumni Spotlight
What has life been like after graduation? Life after graduation has been a mix of challenges and growth. It’s been difficult at times, as I’m navigating this new phase where the path isn’t as clear-cut as it was before. There's a sense of, "What do I do next?" that lingers, pushing me to carefully plan my next moves forward in my career. Despite the uncertainties, it’s been a good experience overall, giving me the opportunity to reflect, set new goals, and continue building toward my future.
What have your pursuits been after attaining your degree? After attaining my degree, I’ve been working two jobs to save up enough money to go to graduate school and pursue a Master’s in Social Work. My goal is to further my education so I can secure a good job in my field and make a meaningful impact in the community.
What would be some words of advice to undergrads that you wish that someone had given to you when you were one? The advice I wish someone had given me as an undergrad is: It will be alright—you’ve got this. The experiences you’re going through now are valuable, and you’ll meet great people along the way who will help connect you to amazing opportunities. Cherish your teachers and classmates; they’ll make the journey worthwhile and help you get through the tough times. And go to every social work event you can.
What great thing has happened to you since graduation (promotions, job prospects, mentorships)? Since graduation, one of the great things that has happened to me is landing a good job, and I’ve even received a promotion there. Although it’s not directly within my career field, I’m confident I’ll get there soon enough. In the meantime, I’ve been focusing on networking and getting my name out there, which has been incredibly valuable for my future goals.
Faculty Spotlight
This edition's Faculty Spotlight is on Dr. Richard Simonds, Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Houston-Downtown. Richard brings a wealth of teaching and social work practice to his classroom and research. A graduate of the University of Miami (OH), the University of Houston's Graduate College of Social Work, and Lamar University, Richard shares his passion for service and working with clients and communities. In addition, Richard is active with many state and national organizations. He is the founder and director of the Financial Coaching and Economic Stability Lab within the College of Public Service.
Richard's research interests include financial capability and asset building within social work education and practice, as well as administrative practice, helping social workers develop into program and community leaders. Richard brings over ten years of financial capability and coaching experience to the classroom, where his lab provides financial coaching training to social work students, and the students complete their internship with a financial capability program. Additionally, Richard is working with UHD to provide all their students opportunities to increase their financial literacy and wellness.
Richard taught as an adjunct professor of Social Work since 2015 at both the bachelor's and master's levels and provided leadership in developing community engagement and financial coaching curriculum for the University. In addition, Richard has worked to enhance several social work classes to continue challenging his students to think and look at situations from multiple perspectives. Richard aims to combine his professional experiences and real-life examples in his coursework to expand the pedagogy and help his students connect their learning to real-world situations and challenges.
In addition to his role at UHD, Richard enjoys spending time with his family and supporting his children's activities. You will often find Richard playing board and card games with his kids and spending time outside.
Did You Know the College of Public Service is on LinkedIN?
Leadership Contact Information
- Dr. Kim Martin-Long, Interim Dean, College of Public Service
- Dr. Diane Miller, Interim Associate Dean, College of Public Service
- Ben Robles, Assistant Dean, College of Public Service
- Anna Esparza, Director, CPS Advising Services
- Dr. Ashwini Tiwari, Interim Dept. Chair, Urban Education
- Dr. Kevin Buckler, Dept. Chair, Criminal Justice & Social Work
- Dr. Dawn McCarty, Director, Social Work Program
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