Become a Texan

Dr. Joanna Shaw

I feel completely privileged and honored to be a professor here at Tarleton. I feel that Tarleton is a special place that offers students a very personal and unique educational experience. Each time I begin a class, I ask my students a simple question: “What is the best thing that has happened to you since we last met for class?” So often their responses remind me of what a special place Tarleton is by voicing positive experiences they’ve had with faculty, staff, campus organizations, facilities and the food! My favorite part about teaching here is getting to know my students for who they are and helping them discover what they are passionate about.

Tarleton State University’s College of Business Administration (COBA) offers undergraduate and graduate students high-quality, innovative, creative and relevant education in business disciplines. We serve a very diverse group of traditional and non-traditional students. As a professor in the Management, Marketing and Administrative Systems Department, I am committed to creating a learning environment that encourages each student to reach their full learning and scholarly potential.

The College of Business Administration is also connected with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) which is located at the Langdon Center in Granbury and serves 10 counties in North Texas. The SBDC creates a strong relationship between small businesses and student opportunities for direct interaction. We also have internship opportunities with Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Lockheed, Lowes, Wal-Mart, and JC Penney just to name a few.

With nine active student organizations within COBA, multiple study abroad opportunities, and excellent faculty and staff, the College of Business Administration prepares students to meet the challenges and opportunities they will experience in a very global and diverse world.

I am passionate about our students!

Joanna Shaw, Ph.D.

Department of Management, Marketing and Administrative Systems

B.S. Tarleton State University
M.S. Tarleton State University
Ph.D. University of North Texas

Email: jshaw@tarleton.edu
Office: College of Business 128
Phone: 254-968-9087

Dr. Pam Winn

"The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies provides a personal touch in a high-tech world. In a time when graduate education is essential to staying competitive in the job market, Tarleton blends high technology delivery with professor expertise; integrated, field-based learning opportunities; and personal access to faculty and staff via technology or face-to-face.

Our 30-hour Master’s degree offers busy professionals a variety of venues and delivery methods to expand knowledge, enhance careers, and network with fellow educators. Students seeking a doctorate in Educational Administration engage instructional formats with a cohort of like-minded professionals and a highly accomplished faculty.

Across Texas, Tarleton excels at teacher and administrator preparation, achieving some of the highest pass rates in the state. A low student-teacher ratio provides opportunity to build lasting mentor relationships and leave your educational experience feeling enriched and empowered. At Tarleton, you are a name, not a number."

Dr. Pam Winn, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor
Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
Phone: 254-968-9792

Dr. Jason Sawyer

The meat and food industry is quite often the end point of all facets of production agriculture.  To manufacture various food and meat items into a convenient and user-friendly vessel will continue to be the driving factor of the industry.  Students participating in meat and food science based classes will gain an appreciable understanding of the theories supporting the conversion of meat and food into edible forms.  Not only will students gain a wealth of information within the classroom, but also outside of the classroom rigors students can increase their level of learning by participating in extracurricular activities such as student-based research, internships, meat evaluation, and quiz bowl opportunities.  Students interested in the meat and food industry can direct their educational career towards areas of specialty that includes research and development, food safety, production methods, and ingredient or equipment technical sales.  Through their participation in meat and food science based material and the animal science and wildlife department, students will be further equipped with the skills necessary to be successful in today’s competitive job market.

Jason Sawyer, Ph.D.
Department of Animal Science and Wildlife Management
Director of the Tarleton State University Meat Laboratory

B.S. Kansas State University
M.S. Oklahoma State University
Ph.D. University of Arkansas

Email: sawyer@tarleton.edu
Office: Autry 310
Phone: 254-968-1836

Dr. Melissa Becker

Tarleton State University’s Teacher Education Program offers undergraduate students high-quality, learning experiences in the public school classroom.  By working directly with pre-kindergarten through high school age students, teacher candidates practice the educational theories taught in the Tarleton classroom and begin to refine their skill as a highly-qualified teacher. 

Area public schools and Tarleton professors join together in a collaborative effort to provide the best hands-on experiences for the Tarleton student.  The partnership is supported and enhanced by the Effective Schools Project (ESP), one of the nation's largest and longest-running school-improvement ventures.   

With the Effective Schools research as its foundation, leadership teams from over fifty Texas schools and Tarleton professors meet together several times each year.  Erin Gruwell (author, Freedom Writers), Eric Jensen (author, Teaching with the Brain in Mind) and Alan November (author, Web Literacy for Educators ) are recent ESP professional development leaders.   The undergraduate student directly benefits from the ongoing partnership because Tarleton classroom instruction actively addresses the current trends and issues facing public schools. 

As a result of the ongoing public school partnerships and the interactive experiences with public school students, Tarleton State University graduates possess the knowledge, skills and values required for successful teachers in the 21^st century.

Melissa Roberts Becker, Ed.D.
Associate Professor, College of Education
Off Campus Undergraduate Coordinator,
Department of Curriculum and Instruction

B.S. Howard Payne University
M.S. University of Southern Mississippi 
Ed.D. Baylor University

Email: becker@tarleton.edu
Office: Howell Building 101A and Hickman Building 309
Phone: 254-968-9941 or 817-732-7300

Dr. Barry Lambert

Dr. Barry Lambert gives 110% to Tarleton State University. Dr. Lambert serves as the Director of the Southwest Regional Dairy Center, where he oversee the daily operations related to teaching and research. He also instructs a variety of Animal Science undergraduate and graduate courses.

Another area of his responsibilities lies in a research appointment at Texas AgriLife Research in Stephenville, TX where he conducts research in the area of nutrient management and ruminant nutrition. 

On top of all of that Dr. Lambert spends extra time, like many Tarleton faculty members, guiding student groups. He serves as faculty advisor for the Tarleton State University Dairy club, Dairy Judging Team, and Dairy Challenge Team.

Dr. Lambert took a moment to answer a few questions about his research, his teaching and his life away from Tarleton.

Your research interests include nutrient management from a nutritional, as well as an environmental standpoint. Why are you so interested in dairy science and, particularly, ruminant nutrition?

“Advances in agriculture must keep pace with population growth in order to ensure food security for our nation and world.  Currently, the world population doubles every 40-50 years.  That means we must also double our food supply in that same time span.  We will have to use the best science available to make that a reality.  The teaching and research that occur here will help to provide more efficient meat and milk production for future generations.  The current generation of students must be ready to face those tough challenges.  I believe they are.”

You are very involved with students in and outside of the classroom. What is your favorite thing about teaching at Tarleton State University?

“Seeing students learn and grow professionally and personally during their time at Tarleton. “

You teach, do research and direct the Southwest Regional Dairy Center. Is there something that you enjoy doing for fun and relaxation?

“I spend my free time training working Border Collies.  In many ways it is just like teaching because dogs learn through repetition, just like we do.  I enjoy working with my dogs because they love what they are doing.  They never ask for a day off or call in sick.  They are doing exactly what they were born to do and they know it.” 

Dr. Lambert is a member of the American Dairy Science Society and the American Society of Animal Science. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Tarleton State University. He earned his Ph.D. from the Kansas State University.

Dr. Michael Hibbs

One of the significant benefits that Tarleton offers the Undergraduate is the ability to do meaningful research. In the case of Physics and Astronomy, students can work hands-on with Tarleton’s state-of-the-art 32-inch telescope, which is the largest telescope solely used for undergraduate research in the United States. Through various publishable research projects ranging from, asteroid and super novae discovery to the search for exoplanets, undergraduates gain experience in research astronomy, as well as, the supporting fields.  These fields include optics, electronics, computer programing, imaging, image processing, and mathematics. This type of opportunity is generally only afforded to graduate students at larger universities.  The ability to offer these types of experiences to undergraduates sets Tarleton State University apart as being a unique educational experience.

Mike Hibbs, Ph.D.
Department of Chemistry, Geosciences and Physics

B.S. Physics, University of Texas at Arlington
M.S. Physics and Astronomy, Stephen F. Austin University
Ph.D. Interdisciplinary Engineering, Texas A&M University

Email: hibbs@tarleton.edu
Office: SCI 213 A
Phone: 254-968-9150

Dr. Leslie Spotz

From the beginning of the piano student’s first semester at Tarleton, they are immersed in all aspects of the piano program.  Freshmen and transfer students, alongside upper level pianists performed on Tarleton’s recent regional piano tour (Waco-Dallas-Granbury), a series of professional level piano recitals.  Creative preparation for such performances is a step-by-step process, beginning with necessary in depth work, one-on-one, in the piano studio, followed by the piano studio class, where all students, moderated by the piano professor, play for each other.  Next, students are introduced to internationally acclaimed guest artists such as Barry Snyder, Van Cliburn Competition Silver Medalist, or Nicoletta Conti, accompanist to the legendary Luciano Pavarotti. Tarleton pianists receive instruction from these great pianists in addition to hearing them perform.   They perform and teach from the earliest moments of their collegiate experience.

Performances as soloist, accompanist, or pianist in ensemble, are a regular feature of the curriculum, and pianists enjoy opportunities to perform on all keyboard instruments, including Tarleton’s Richard Kingston harpsichord, the Waggener Memorial Organ, digital keyboards and Tarleton’s two nine-foot concert grand Steinways.  There are opportunities for interested students for composition and arranging.  The curriculum emphasizes appropriate musical interpretation, musicianship, music theory and history and a thorough grounding in both traditional and new repertoire.

Leslie Spotz, D.M.A.
Associate Professor of Piano

B.M. Curtis Institute of Music
M.M. Temple University
D.M.A. Rutgers University

Email: spotz@tarleton.edu
Office: Fine Arts 124
Phone: (254) 968-9241

Dr. Lori J. Anderson

Having taught sociology for nearly 35 years, I still find teaching at Tarleton State University a rewarding experience.  The highlight of my day is entering the classroom. Even though I don't always find my students sitting on the edge of their seats, before I'm through with the lecture my hope always is to see them more enthusiastic about studying sociology. 

Having the opportunity to teach sociology gives me the chance to change people's lives – otherwise I would've been a minister, the other career I considered.  I appreciate Tarleton for giving me the venue to share a different way of thinking with our students. I know that at this university I can be creative, challenging, and a bit pushy.  I feel it is my responsibility to drive students, not to question their values; to consider where they came from and then encourage them to decide for themselves if they want to cling to their existing beliefs or change them. 

The part of the discipline of sociology that appeals to me the most is the opportunity to empower students to probe their “take it for granted reality” and find new ways of seeing life.

It is not just the perspective of sociology that is exciting here at Tarleton. This discipline often results in collaborative research projects with students.  My fellow researcher, Dr. Pati Hendrickson, now retired, and I have had numerous opportunities to take students to conferences to present exceptionally good social science research.  Having the chance to teach students statistical analysis and data assessment is one of the best parts of my job.

Working in the Tarleton sociology program is truly a privilege for me, and I value my time teaching here because Tarleton students appreciate the opportunity to learn a different way of thinking and receive the hands-on opportunity for scientific research.

Dr. Lori J. Anderson
Professor of Sociology
Phone: 254-968-9619

Ph.D., Oklahoma State University, Sociology.
M.A., Stephen F. Austin State University, Sociology.
B.S., University of Tennessee at Martin, Education—Sociology, History, and Psychology