NSM Faculty/Staff Newsletter

Student Success & Undergraduate Affairs Update

Celebrating Our Spring 2026 SEP Graduates

The Spring 2026 NSM graduating class, with 909 graduates of which 770 were undergraduates. The Scholar Enrichment Program (SEP) proudly celebrated 39 scholars from the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the Cullen College of Engineering. As leaders within the SEP community, these graduates played an instrumental role in supporting their peers, particularly in challenging gateway courses such as calculus and organic chemistry.

As they embark on their next endeavors, our graduates are pursuing a wide range of paths, including professional and graduate programs, while others are beginning careers in the private sector. We are very proud of their accomplishments and the impact on their peers. We look forward to witnessing the many ways they will continue to excel, lead, and contribute, and welcome them back to UH as accomplished alumni.

Office of First Year Programs Update

Join NSM in welcoming Marli Scott, the new Program Manager for the OFYP. She will work closely with Kayla Molnar and the Student Leadership Team to provide support for NSM first year students.

Recruitment, Transition, Retention

• StrengthsFinder Training - The OFYP Program Director attended StrengthsFinder Champions Training on Monday, May 4, providing opportunity for Champions to voice ideas regarding how to incorporate Strengths into the campus culture.
• Jones Future Academy Recruitment Event was held April 30, in partnership with the Office of Admissions where the OFYP presented information about NSM majors and research.
• Official Coog Day was held on May 2 where four (4) undergraduate students presented posters on their research, student organization provided information on how to get involved and Dr. Ana Medrano, faculty in the Department of Biology & Biochemistry, Dr. Jerry Yang faculty in the Department of Chemistry, and Natalie Sumrow, Executive Director of the NSM Advising Center answered student questions. Watch a video of the event activities.
• An Academic Information Session was held on May 8th, offering an opportunity for prospective students and guests to learn more about the College, academic departments, student resources, signature experiences, and admissions information.
• Commencement - 6 Student Leadership Team (SLT) member assisted with Commencement. 17 SLT members graduated.
• New Student Orientations are being held throughout the summer for students admitted to NSM. These sessions aim to assist students in making connections, discovering NSM resources, and understanding how to be successful during their first year in college. New to this session is the inclusion of Student Organizations who will encourage students to get involved for building a sense of belonging and community.
• First-Year Finale - The OFYP hosted First Year Finale on May 5 to celebrate the accomplishments of first-year and transfer students who demonstrate extraordinary engagement in the College for building community and a sense of belonging. Congratulations to the seventeen (17) students who received the Deans Freshmen Excellence Awards.
• A Sweet Celebration event was held at Shasta’s Cones on May 8th to allow peer mentors and mentees from the OFYP Mentorship Program to connect before summer.
• The Paths application in Get Involved will be used to improve progression tracking for student engagement starting in Fall 2026. This will help the college to understand the level of student engagement, the impact of programming, and to inform future programs/initiatives.
• NSMTalks Events Return - The OFYP, NSM Career Center, and Associate Deans are partnering with the NSM Dean’s Advisor Board to host a career-oriented event series for undergraduate students to explore career opportunities and connect with employers. Planning for this project is underway and is led by DAB member

teachHOUSTON Update

• STEM-Lead monthly Saturday professional development session was held where Master Teacher Fellows presented inquiry lessons they developed for use in the classroom. Lead MTFs also prepared for their presentation at the upcoming CenterPoint Energy New Teacher Academy and Conference.
• teachHOUSTON hosted a Cinco de mayo Taco Tuesday Student Teaching Orientation to prepare 20+ students to complete student teaching in the Fall 2026 semester.
• UTeach Conference Highlights
  • Eleven (11) teachHOUSTON students and six faculty/staff attended the annual UTeach Conference in Austin, Texas May 19–21. Students presented professional development sessions and posters related to research from faculty led research projects and from projects completed in the program’s research methods course.
  • Congratulations to Dr. Manuel who received the UTeach Outstanding Master Teacher Award which recognizes innovation, leadership, and engagement in STEM education. One teachHOUSTON students stated “I truly appreciate all the efforts and time that Dr. Manuel has put into her classroom. I have taken her for two classes already and truly believe that she deserves this award… She is an amazing example of what a great teacher should be.”
  • ITREKS meeting - During the conference, Drs. Paige Evans, Karen Graham, and Karla Garza attended the Improving Teacher Retention and Effectiveness through Knowledge Sharing (iTREKS): Studying STEM Teachers in High Need Schools across a Community of Practice meeting which focused on community building, research instruments and partnerships around the country for the core iTREKS team. The iTREKS grant intends to address the need for recruiting, preparing and retaining highly effective STEM teachers who persist as classroom teachers in high need school districts.
• Celebrating teachHOUSTON Graduates - Twenty-three (23) teachHOUSTON students graduated in Spring 2026. Some graduates will be teaching in the Greater Houston area while one student will be completing a Fullbright English Teaching Assistant Program in Kazakhstan, and another will teach in the Austin, TX area.
• Full STEM Ahead! Camp was held June 8–12 for over 30 seventh to ninth grade students from the greater Houston area. In May, to prepare for the camp, in-service and pre-service teachers participated in professional development to co-develop hands-on, inquiry-based lessons for the campers. During the week, campers visited the Texas Center for Conductivity, the Physics Department Observatory where they were hosted by the Astronomy Society, and Moody Dining Hall. Full STEM Ahead! would like to thank collaborators Dr. Ping Zhong in the Department of Mathematics and Dr. Weihang Zhu in the Department of Engineering Technology for their contributions to making this a successful camp.

NSM Career Center Updates

Employer Engagement

• The NSMCC’s Director, Ms. Dawnelle Prince, met with Dell Technologies to discuss its university engagement through Dell Scholars and its internship recruitment strategy. The conversation focused on aligning efforts to ensure NSM students receive strong visibility, preparation, and guidance for internship opportunities in hardware and software engineering, client solutions, and infrastructure technologies, including data centers and servers.
• Additional employer outreach for May included discussions with Capco, Engie, Sysco and Yokogawa Corporation of America.

Student Engagement

• The NSM Career Center promoted HackHCC: CodeRunners, Houston Community College’s first MLH-official hackathon. Scheduled for May 2026, the 24-hour event brought together students from across the region to build projects, develop technical skills, and connect with industry professionals. Open to students of all experience levels, the hackathon offered opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and career exploration in technology, including software development and AI-focused projects.
• The NSM Career Center offered a complimentary red graduation cord to graduating students who completed the NSM Graduation Survey. Through multiple cord distribution events and graduation-day outreach, Career Center staff connected with students, shared post-graduation career resources, and encouraged continued engagement as alumni. To date, 716 of 909 graduating NSM students (74%) have completed the survey. Graduating women were also referred to Houston’s Dress for Success program to participate in a free professional suiting event.

Alumni Engagement

• Director Prince met with UH graduate and former NSM Career Center Student Director Ms. Khanh Nguyen, who successfully transitioned from a nine-month internship to a full-time position as a Robotics Platform Software Engineer at Persona AI. Their discussion focused on alumni and student engagement opportunities designed to inspire NSM students to pursue careers in the rapidly growing fields of artificial intelligence and robotics.

  Former NSM Career Center Student Director and alumnus, Mr. Darrell Salako, met with Ms. Prince to share insights on the skills, experiences, and certifications that prepare students for success in the biotechnology industry. Mr. Salako recently advanced from a Research Assistant I role at the University of Texas Medical Branch to a QC Specialist I position with the Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center (CTMC).

  Ms. Nguyen and Mr. Salako exemplify the strong commitment of NSM alumni to give back through their participation in NSM Career Center events and willingness to share industry insights.

Strategic Career Center Development

• Dr. Xianjun Geng, Dean and Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Chair of the C. T. Bauer College of Business, hosted NSM Dean Dr. Gregory Dudley, Associate Dean Dr. Donna Pattison, Director Ms. Prince and members of the NSMCC Executive Team for a tour of the Rockwell Career Center. Discussions focused on the history, growth, and evolution of Bauer’s career services model. The visit highlighted how sustained institutional support and strategic investment can elevate career services, providing a valuable model as the NSMCC continues to build on its solid foundation and expand opportunities and outcomes for students.
• The NSMCC participated in the Plug and Play Sugar Land Spring Expo at the University of Houston’s Sugar Land campus, connecting with students, startups, and industry leaders while highlighting career development opportunities in innovation-driven fields. The event brought together entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate partners to highlight emerging technologies and strengthen collaboration between academia and industry. As NSM continues to expand its presence and academic offerings at the Sugar Land campus, events like this create valuable opportunities to build industry partnerships and support student success in the region’s growing innovation sector.

Summer Planning Retreat

• The NSM Career Center Executive Team and Student Directors held their Summer Planning Retreat at the Welcome Center of the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. The retreat included a review of 2025–2026 programming, planning for the upcoming year, student engagement brainstorming, and team-building activities. The team also met with Ms. Ashley Schwartz, Director of Outreach & Student Pathways, to explore new collaborative initiatives that will further support pre-med students beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year.
• NSM Career Center staff participated in professional development webinars focused on emerging career technologies, including Symplicity’s AI Webinar on AI-assisted résumé review and mock interviewing, and Quinncia’s ATS 2.0 training on strategies to help students optimize résumés for applicant tracking systems (ATS) and improve interview opportunities.
• As recruitment technologies evolve and competition for internships and employment opportunities increases, the NSM Career Center remains committed to leveraging innovative tools and best practices to strengthen student career readiness and success.