Awardees
Vanessa M. Arline, MSN/Ed., RN-BC, CNE, Assistant Professor of Nursing in the Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing
Mrs. Arline is an Assistant Professor of Nursing in the Carol and Odis Peavy School of Nursing, currently earning her PhD in Nursing Education from Capella University and is a National League for Nursing (NLN) Certified Nurse Educator®. Her research focus is faculty-led mentoring of culturally diverse learners to influence professional development and practice readiness.
As an educator, Mrs. Arline’s has diverse experience in nursing education that includes advanced medical surgical nursing, pharmacology, and nursing mathematics. Her teaching philosophy emphases brain-based learning and transpersonal caring. Mrs. Arline is recognized with the 2024 TOAST Award for building student-teacher relationships and professionalism in her online course delivery.
Beena George, Ph.D., Professor of Management, Cameron School of Business
Dr. George is receiving the TOAST Award for the exemplary work she does in guiding College of Business Seniors and Graduate students through their capstone seminar. Her capstone seminar is the culmination of the student’s learning journey in their business degrees. Not only is she preparing students to take their final assessment, she is also managing an intense and fast-paced semester-long project for her entire class. Her focus is on the students’ success and preparation for the future. She engages with her students in detailed and thorough feedback, providing a wide variety of resources and supplemental information, a robust teamwork process and the collaborative skills needed to succeed in their professional journeys.
Emiliano Gonzalez, Ph.D., Professor of Education, Undergraduate Associate Dean, Director, Masters in Curriculum & Instruction
Dr. Emiliano Gonzalez is professor in the School of Education and Human Services. He acts as Undergraduate Associate Dean and also Directs the Masters in Curriculum & Instruction. Dr. Gonzalez is recognized with a TOAST Award for his learner-centered approach to his online courses. This includes assessing student needs, communication, and building community. Dr. Gonzalez, an early adopter of online learning has a way of reaching his students and getting them into the materials. An advocate for second language learners, Dr. Gonzalez implements the university mission of equity in education and social justice.
Eric A. Mabry, Ph.D. Visiting Associate Professor , Fellow of the Core
Dr. Eric A. Mabry is a visiting associate professor and fellow of the core at the University of St. Thomas (Houston, TX). Dr. Mabry is an alumnus of the University of St. Thomas. He has been the assistant dean at St. Mary’s Seminary and University (Baltimore, MD), served as the Department Chair of Systematic Theology at Christ the King Seminary, New York and was the interim director for the Lonergan Research Institute in Toronto. Dr. Mabry’s current historical research is exploring early medieval theologies of revelation. He is receiving recognition with the TOAST Award for the communication he builds with his students and the care with which he provides online course content.
Amber D. Miller, Ph.D., Adjunct Instructor, Biology Department
Dr. Amber Miller teaches Anatomy and Physiology I in the Biology Department as an adjunct instructor. Dr. Miller works for Bethyl Laboratories a Fortis Life Sciences Company as a Flow Cytometry Scientist validating in-house manufactured antibodies for use in flow cytometry. She is also the IHC Supervisor overseeing immunohistochemistry validation processes. Dr. Miller completed her PhD and post-doctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine in Molecular Virology & Microbiology and Genetics, respectively. Prior to joining Bethyl Laboratories she was the founding Director for the STEM Success Center at the University of St. Thomas, where she developed services, programming, and resources to help UST STEM students be successful along their collegiate journey. Dr. Miller is recognized with the TOAST Award for the passion and presence with which she conducts her online courses. She is there for her students and cares about their success.
Audrey Utti, MA, Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Ms. Audrey Utti teaches Human Growth and Development, General Psychology, Foundations of Statistical Analysis, Biopsychology, Health Psychology, and Child Psychology at UST. She has a background in Developmental Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience. She received her B.S. in Biotechnology her M.A. in Psychology, both from the University of Houston. Ms. Utti possesses a deep understanding of how students learn and develop and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to the classroom. Dedicated to fostering student growth, she is recognized today for creating engaging courses that challenge students to apply lessons to their own lives, fostering critical thinking, metacognition, and personal development.