2007 Multicultural Teaching Scholars
William (Billy) Hull
- Texas Tech University
- Sponsoring Program: Information Science and Learning Technologies
William (Billy) Hull is a doctoral candidate in the Curriculum and Instruction department at Texas Tech University. He is also a Helen Devitt Jones Fellow, which affords him the opportunity to meet distinguished faculty from other universities as guest lecturers. William also currently teaches adolescent development in the teacher preparation program at Texas Tech University. He has a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of California at Berkeley and a master of education degree in technology in education from Harvard University.
William’s research interests focus on adolescents’ self-efficacy in math and science and how this affects their selection of college major(s) and career choices in general. His dissertation will use the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS) to examine how students’ self-efficacy is tied to their decision of major and what other factors influence these choices.
He also works as the editorial assistant for the Texas Tech scholarly journal, The Journal of Thought. William has also done work on neo-millennial students and technology that will appear in an upcoming issue of Teacher’s College Record.
Heather Hunter
- University of Kansas
- Sponsoring Program: Psychological Sciences
Heather Hunter is a doctoral student at the University of Kansas, where she is pursuing a degree in clinical child psychology with concentrations in pediatric psychology and diversity issues. Originally from Rhode Island, Heather received her bachelor of arts degree from Colby College in Waterville, Maine.
Heather has assisted with graduate and undergraduate courses including Child Psychology, Developmental Psychopathology, Behavioral and Personality Assessment of Children, and Cognitive Development. Her research interests are specific to the influence of family and multicultural factors on children’s risk for, management of and coping with chronic illness. She has more than 10 years of experience working with at-risk children and adolescents in a variety of settings and has been actively publishing research findings via conference presentations and journal articles throughout this time.
Clinically, Heather has worked extensively in Kansas City area hospitals and with children living on the Prairie Band Potawatomi and Kickapoo Nation reservations in northeastern Kansas.
Armando Xavier Mejia
- University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Sponsoring Program: Sociology
Armando Xavier Mejia is a doctoral student in the Political Science department (with a minor in sociology) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Originally from Los Angeles, he earned his bachelor of arts degree in political science and master of city planning from the University of California-Berkeley and received a master's degree in political science also from the UW-Madison.
As a graduate student in political science and sociology, he has specialized in the study of comparative racial inequality, urban and ethnic politics and sociology, transnational migration and development, social movements, environmental justice and public policy. He also has well-developed interests in the sociology and politics of urbanization and economic development in Latin America as well as the impacts of globalization on urban policy and planning. Armando has presented his research on these topics at a variety of conferences and public lectures throughout the United States and also in Great Britain and has worked extensively with minority students in a mentoring and advising capacity. Moreover, Armando has extensive teaching experience in sociology, political science, environmental studies and Latino Studies at various universities in Wisconsin and California.
Among Armando’s academic accomplishments are his edited book, Latino/a Americans and Political Participation: A Reference Handbook, published in 2004 by ABC-CLIO Press, which won the 2005 Choice Book Award. Currently, he is working on his dissertation on the politics of urban environmental justice, which examines the organizational strategies of immigrants and ethnic minorities in their struggle for environmental quality, justice and sustainable community development in Southern California. Upon completion of his doctorate, Armando hopes to teach and conduct research on environmental and urban political issues as well as mentor students who want to pursue public service and academic careers.
Alejandro Morales
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- Sponsoring Program: Educational, School and Counseling Psychology
Alejandro Morales is a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His research interests are in the areas of language brokering in Latino families, qualitative and mixed methods research, and Latina/o ethnic/racial identity. After receiving his doctorate, he plans to pursue an academic position where he can continue working on research and teach courses like Multicultural Counseling, Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research and supervise and train other students.
In his spare time, he likes to go out with friends to the movie theater, try cuisines from different parts of the world and read books that have non-psychology content. He loves listening to Spanish rock.
Past Multicultural Teaching Scholars
- 2006: Dannielle Joy Davis, Polly Gipson, Tiffany Sanders, Keecha Harris, Naima Keith
- 2005: Germine “Gigi” Awad, Nyasha Grayman, Fernando Ortiz, Laurie Samuel
- 2004: LaKeasha Garner, Felecia Nave and Joshua Singh
- 2003: Irene Lopez, Jawad Qureshi and Bruce Williams
- 2002: Muninder K. Ahuluwalia, Lesley Feracho, Tiyi Morris, Boris Ricks and Tiffany Sanders
- 2001: Frieda Fowler, Anita Saunders and Clifford Weston