Presidential Award Winners 2019
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Teaching
Professor/Associate Professor
Celeste Domsch
Department of Communication Disorders
Celeste Domsch, associate professor in the Department of Communication Disorders, earned a doctorate degree in hearing and speech sciences from Vanderbilt University and came to Texas State University in 2007. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in child language and serves as Graduate Advisor and Program Coordinator. Dr. Domsch co-developed and co-led the first Study Abroad programs in her department and has taken students to speech-language-hearing clinics in London, Newcastle, and Lima, Peru. She has received teaching awards from the Student Foundation and the Non-Traditional Students Organization, among others. Dr. Domsch has been instrumental in growing the graduate program in Communication Disorders, and in assisting Poster Strand Chair for the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is on the University Curriculum Committee at Texas State.
Assistant Professor
Kaysie Brown
Department of Theatre and Dance
Kaysie Brown, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, came to Texas State University in 2005 after earning a master’s degree in contemporary dance at Case Western Reserve University and performing and teaching throughout New York City. During her time at Texas State, she developed the outreach programs inspired by her time in New York, Creation in Motion, and Creation in Motion Touring Ensemble for Young Audiences (CIM TEYA). In 2017, Creation in Motion and CIM TEYA brought 10 Texas State students to perform and work with local schools in Trinidad and Tobago in collaboration with the Contemporary Choreographers’ Collective (COCO) Dance Festival and COCO in the Community. They were invited to return in 2018, and brought 19 students, and now plan to make this an annual event. In 2015, she received the Texas University Dance Educator of the Year Award from the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance.
Senior Lecturer/Lecturer
Rachel Romero
Department of Sociology
Rachel Romero, senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, came to Texas State University in 2012 after earning a master’s and doctorate degree in Sociology from Texas A&M University. During her time at Texas State, she has developed and taught 12 courses, at the honors, undergraduate, and graduate levels, including independent studies and a class for the Sociology Study Abroad Program in London. In the last five years, Dr. Romero has been the supervisor of 13 honors theses, 10 graduate theses and exit exams, seven student conference presentations, and three student publications. In 2018, Dr. Romero received the John R. Hood Honors Professor of the Year Award. She was the faculty advisor of Fatima “Toomi” Al-Dhahi – recipient of the LBJ Outstanding Senior Award in 2017, and TEDx student speaker and artist-researcher, Morgan Jones. Dr. Romero’s teaching philosophy promotes participatory learning, self-reflection, criticality, and learning in public. Her teaching mantra is: Always a teacher, always a learner.
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities
Professor/Associate Professor
Oleg Komogortsev
Department of Computer Science
Oleg Komogortsev, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science, earned a doctorate and master’s degree in computer science from Kent State University. Dr. Komogortsev conducts research in eye tracking with a focus on cybersecurity (biometrics), human-computer interaction, usability, bioengineering, and health assessment. He has more than 100 publications and has been invited to present keynote speeches and invited talks at top conferences and venues. His research was covered by NBC News, Discovery, Yahoo, LiveScience, and other news sources. Dr. Komogortsev is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER award, Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Barack Obama, and four research awards from Google. He has 10 patents, as well.
Lecturer/Assistant Professor
Michael Ippolito
School of Music
Michael Ippolito, assistant professor in the School of Music, joined the faculty at Texas State University in 2014 after earning a doctorate and master’s degree in music composition from The Juilliard School. His orchestral music has been performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, and San Diego Symphony Orchestra, among others, and he has been commissioned by Carnegie Hall, The Florida Orchestra, and Chamber Music America. His music has been featured extensively on radio including National Public Radio Tiny Desk Concerts, Performance Today, and Centennial Sounds. Dr. Ippolito has received awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Service
Professor/Associate Professor
Rebekah Fox
Department of Communication Studies
Rebekah Fox, associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies, earned a Ph.D. in communication from Purdue University. She currently chairs the Communication Research Center (C3) advisory board for the College of Fine Arts and Communication; is a member of the University Library Committee and Library Resource Grant Committee; and is the liaison for the Criss Cole College Preparation Program, which is a two-week summer program that brings blind or visually impaired students to the Texas State University campus to prepare them for college. She has served on numerous departmental, college, and university committees, and her professional service includes conference planning and journal reviewing, as well as serving as the editor for the Communication Law Review. She serves as a member of the Capital Area Fire Adapted Communities Coalition and has assisted the United States Forest Service in developing protocols for Rapid Deploying Learning Assistance Teams and learning from unintended outcomes.
Lecturer/Assistant Professor
Allie Thomas
Department of Health and Human Performance
Allie Thomas, a senior lecturer in the Department of Health and Human Performance, embraces service. Since her arrival at Texas State University, her commitment to advocate and educate for individuals with physical impairments, veterans, and youth at-risk has not waivered. She established two national Paralympic sporting events, wheelchair basketball and track and field. Allie coordinated an international amputee soccer showcase for the Haitian National Amputee soccer team. Most recently, Allie created a recreation therapy program for students in the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District Alternative Education Program. In addition, she feels it is her duty to help promote recreation therapy, advocating, and supporting organizations that support this outcome. She has been awarded Educator of the Year, Jerry Garrett Young Professional, and Presidential Award of Honor from the Texas Recreation and Park Society for her service and commitment to the community, her students, and the field of recreation.
Presidential Seminar Award
Oleg Komogortsev
Department of Computer Science
Oleg Komogortsev, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science, earned a doctorate and master’s degree in computer science from Kent State University. Dr. Komogortsev conducts research in eye tracking with a focus on cybersecurity (biometrics), human-computer interaction, usability, bioengineering, and health assessment. He has more than 100 publications and has been invited to present keynote speeches and invited talks at top conferences and venues. His research was covered by NBC News, Discovery, Yahoo, LiveScience, and other news sources. Dr. Komogortsev is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER award, Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Barack Obama, and four research awards from Google. He has 10 patents, as well.