Engaged Learning and Community Involvement – Speaker Bios

Toya CONSTON
Dr. Toya Conston is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Human Development and Family Studies Program (HDFS) in the College of Education at the University of Houston. Dr. Conston’s research interests include analyzing factors that lead to persistence and graduation of underrepresented students from four-year institutions.  Her work also extends into the Third Ward Community where she serves on the Board of Directors of the William A. Lawson Institute for Peace and Prosperity (WALIPP).  Dr. Conston also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Texas Southern University in their Department of Educational Administration and Foundations.

Candace Lee EGAN
Professor Egan oversees the Multimedia Option in the Department of Media, Communications and Journalism at California State University Fresno (Fresno State). She teaches courses in multimedia and video production and manages the student staffed MCJ Multimedia Production Service. She began teaching in 2002 and has been involved in service learning since 2006. She also is the first chair of the Broadcast Education Association’s new Service Learning and Community Engagement Interest Division. She has over 35 years experience in video production, including television news, instructional and promotional video, and has been the recipient of over 40 national awards for her work. Candace will discuss recruiting and working with community partners and managing and integrating service learning activities into major courses.

Jerrod HENDERSON
Dr. Jerrod A. Henderson is an Instructional Assistant Professor in the in the Cullen College of Engineering and director of the Program for Mastery in Engineering Studies in the Cullen College of Engineering at the University of Houston. Dr. Henderson’s research interests are in engineering identity formation and persistence among underrepresented students, especially African American males. To pursue these interests he is a part of two NSF funded projects, ITEST (PI) and S-STEM (Co-PI) which incorporate undergraduate students in service learning.

Adam KUBAN
Dr. Adam J. Kuban is an associate professor in the Department of Journalism and a faculty fellow in the Honors College at Ball State University. Adam has taught for 14 years as the solo instructor of record for a wide array of media-oriented courses such as News Reporting, Writing, & Editing; Multimedia Storytelling; Mass Communication Theory; Diversity & Media; and Leadership & Media. To date, he has led nine community-engaged, project-based teams of students, which have included diverse partnerships such as the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team, the Water Institute of the Gulf, and The Facing Project.

Cristian MOROSAN
Cristian Morosan is an associate professor in the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. His research interests include biometric systems, technology adoption, and innovation. Cristian teaches courses in information technology, innovation, marketing, and research methods. Cristian has received a Teaching Excellence Award for Innovation in Instructional Technology for designing an active learning based on tablet technology. Cristian has designed innovative courses in partnership with organizations such as USA Today and Hilton Hotels Worldwide.

Jonathan SCHWARTZ
Dr. Jonathan Schwartz is the associate dean for graduate studies at the University of Houston College of Education. He previously worked at New Mexico State University as associate dean of research at the College of Education and as chair of the Counseling and Educational Psychology Department. He is the past president of Division 51, Psychology of Men and Masculinity, of the American Psychological Association; past chair of the Division 17 Prevention Section; and executive board member of the Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs. He is the recent recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the APA Prevention Section for his work in prevention.