Presidential Award Winners 2017

Professor/Associate Professor

Audrey McKinney
Department of Philosophy

Audrey McKinney is an associate professor of philosophy who earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. She teaches courses in logic, environmental ethics, and the philosophy of sex and love. Dr. McKinney also contributes to the graduate programs in aquatic resources, sustainability studies, and women’s studies, and is a member of the Multicultural and Gender Studies advisory group. She played a central role in the development of the master’s program in applied philosophy and ethics, now the largest philosophy master’s program in Texas, and has served as the program’s graduate advisor since its inception. She has mentored students who have gone on to careers in the arts, education, law, philosophy, social services, and wildlife conservation.

Assistant Professor

Jennifer Buschhorn
School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Jennifer Buschhorn is an assistant professor of practice. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in advertising from the University of Texas at Austin and came to Texas State following more than 20 years working for several of the country’s largest advertising agencies. Ms. Buschhorn uses these contacts to connect students with advertising professionals. Her students have worked on projects for companies as diverse as Hewlett-Packard, Wells Fargo, Popeyes, and Marshalls, Inc. Additionally, she is co-advisor for Texas State’s award-winning National Student Advertising Competition team, and many of her former students work in multi-national advertising agencies.

Senior Lecturer/Lecturer

Dale Blasingame
School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Dale Blasingame is a senior lecturer in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s digital media innovation (DMI) major who earned his master’s degree at Texas State focusing on new media studies. Prior to Texas State, he was a television news producer and the winner of two Lone Star Emmy awards. In addition to helping develop the DMI curriculum, Mr. Blasingame created the Advanced Social Media and Analytics course. He also teaches Web Design and Publishing, and has developed his interest in hiking and traveling to state and national parks into a Mobile Storytelling in the Park course in which he takes students to state parks to create social video content for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Mr. Blasingame has received a grant to support turning the course into a Study in America offering.

Professor/Associate Professor

Todd Hudnall
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Todd Hudnall is an associate professor in chemistry and biochemistry who earned a Ph.D. in synthetic main group chemistry from Texas A&M University. After a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin working on electrophilic carbenes, he came to Texas State in 2010. Dr. Hudnall has published nearly 50 peer-reviewed publications, one invited book chapter, and has had three manuscripts recognized by cover artwork in prominent international journals. In addition to training many students in research, his own research has been recognized with two concurrent National Science Foundation awards (including a CAREER award), and a Chemical Communications Emerging Investigator Award. Dr. Hudnall is Texas State’s first faculty member to receive the prestigious Cottrell Scholar designation from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement.

Assistant Professor/Senior Lecturer/Lecturer

Paige Haber-Curran
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology

Paige Haber-Curran is an assistant professor in the student affairs in higher education program. She earned a Ph.D. in leadership studies from the University of San Diego and conducts research focused on college student leadership development, gender in college, and student learning. Dr. Haber-Curran has published 18 refereed journal articles and 15 book chapters, for over half of which she is the first or sole author. She is co-author of the three-book Emotionally Intelligent Leadership series and is co-editor of two books on gender and leadership. In addition, Dr. Haber-Curran has presented 36 sessions at professional conferences, eight webinars, and over 40 invited talks, workshops, and consultancies. In 2012, she received the Dr. Susan R. Komives Research Award from NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, and in 2013, she was selected as an ACPA-College Student Educators International Emerging Scholar. Dr. Haber-Curran has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in Austria for spring 2018.

Professor/Associate Professor

Maria Czyzewska
Department of Psychology

Maria Czyzewska, a professor of psychology, earned a Ph.D. from the University of Warsaw. She has served on over 50 committees including chairmanship of multiple faculty search committees and undergraduate and graduate curriculum committees. She is noted for her work on the Faculty Senate, the Mental Health Advisory Council, and the search committees for assistant vice president of student affairs and director of the counseling center. Dr. Czyzewska has also developed a new study-abroad program in Greece. In her community, she has collaborated with the Travis County Probate Court in organizing the student Court Visitor program and worked as a consultant or board member for several nonprofit organizations targeting health needs of low-income Latino communities.

Assistant Professor/Senior Lecturer/Lecturer

Joanna Ellis
Program in Clinical Laboratory Science

Joanna Ellis, clinical assistant professor and clinical coordinator for the program in Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS), is an alumna of Texas State who earned a master’s degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. She has promoted the clinical laboratory science profession in a variety of positions including president-elect, president, and past-president of the Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science (TACLS). Her service as chair of the TACLS 2013 annual meeting and continued dedication to licensure efforts led to her Presidential Commendation Award in 2013 and being named as TACLS Member of the Year in 2015. She is the first Service-Learning Fellow in the program in CLS and was instrumental in creating the first College of Health Professions inter-professional education event and strategic plan. Her institutional service also led to the first inter-professional study-abroad service-learning program that includes CLS students.

Paige Haber-Curran
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology

Paige Haber-Curran is an assistant professor in the student affairs in higher education program. She earned a Ph.D. in leadership studies from the University of San Diego and conducts research focused on college student leadership development, gender in college, and student learning. Dr. Haber-Curran has published 18 refereed journal articles and 15 book chapters, for over half of which she is the first or sole author. She is co-author of the three-book Emotionally Intelligent Leadership series and is co-editor of two books on gender and leadership. In addition, Dr. Haber-Curran has presented 36 sessions at professional conferences, eight webinars, and over 40 invited talks, workshops, and consultancies. In 2012, she received the Dr. Susan R. Komives Research Award from NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, and in 2013, she was selected as an ACPA-College Student Educators International Emerging Scholar. Dr. Haber-Curran has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in Austria for spring 2018.