Faculty Achievements Beyond the Hilltop

The strive for academic excellence is not limited to the classroom for our impeccable faculty at St. Edward’s University. From publications of pioneering research to awards for transformative artwork, see how our exceptional educators are reaching new heights in the world of academia beyond the Red Doors.

Tammie Rubin

Associate Professor of Art Tammie Rubin has been named one of 50 fellows in the 2024 United States Artists Fellowship program and awarded $50,000 to support her creative and transformative work. Rubin, a talented ceramic sculptor and installation artist, also recently opened her solo show “Points of Origin” in January at the C24 gallery in New York City — lasting through March.

John Knorr

Professor of Kinesiology John Knorr’s new book “St. Edward's University Athletics: A History from Saints to Tigers to Hilltoppers” will be published in March 2024 by The History Press. Knorr’s new book is an effort to maintain institutional history and to tell the remarkable story of athletics throughout the years.

Lorelei Ortiz

In December, Lorelei Ortiz, professor of Business Communication and associate dean of Academic Programs for the Bill Munday School of Business, was honored with the publication of her research article “Pandemic Impact on Internships: Did Business Interns Pivot Effectively to Meet Employer Expectations?” in Business and Professional Communication Quarterly. Ortiz’s research explores how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted internships during the Spring 2020 semester when lockdowns began.

John Lopez

The National Hispanic Institute (NHI), an international nonprofit committed to serving the needs of future Hispanic leaders, established The John F. Lopez, Jr. (JFL) Research and Management Fellowship and JFL Micro Internships in 1991 in honor of John Lopez, clinical assistant professor of Criminal Justice. As a graduate student intern at NHI that year, Lopez worked with colleges across the country to sponsor students from their institutions to work as interns at NHI that summer. Lopez has served on the Board of Trustees/Directors for NHI for 32 years and is a member of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association. This semester, Lopez is taking members of the Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity chapter at St. Edward’s to visit law schools across the state in an effort to assist with their paths to becoming attorneys.

Amy Concilio

An article created by Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy Amy Concilio has been accepted for publication by CourseSource, a peer-reviewed teaching-focused journal. The article “An Interrupted Case Study on Urban Prairie Restoration” contains data from Concilio’s research at Commons Ford to teach key concepts in environmental science — including the value of urban green spaces, problems with invasive species and the challenges and opportunities of land management and ecological restoration in urban/suburban environments.

Stephen A. King

Professor of Communication Stephen A. King is the co-author of “Terror and Truth: Civil Rights Tourism and the Mississippi Movement.” In the book, which was published in August, King and his co-author, Roger Davis Gatchet, examine the history of racial violence and injustice in Mississippi and the state’s confrontation through civil rights tourism.

Alexandra Robinson

In Fall 2023, Alexandra Robinson, professor of Art, spent eight weeks as an artist in residence at Artpace in San Antonio, Texas. Robinson began her journey one year prior when she met with the curator. The exhibition showcasing Robinson’s never-before-seen works of art opened to the public in November, and her showcase “this land is my land / this land is your land” remained on display through mid-January 2024.

W. Carsten Andresen

W. Carsten Andresen, associate professor of Criminal Justice, has shared his research on gay/trans panic defense cases — a controversial legal strategy blaming victims’ sexual orientation or gender identity for attacks made against them — with lawmakers, LGBTQ+ organization leaders and media outlets over the years. In December, Andresen’s work on analyzing hundreds of homicides involving defendants who raised gay or trans panic defenses was published in Homicide Studies, titled, “The Gay and Trans Panic Defense: Focusing on the Homicides, Not the Court Room Strategy."


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From Texas politics to studies on “super shoes,” discover the hilltop experts who are sharing their expertise and commentary with the media.