Research Center
Mission
The Research Center is an initiative that started in 2022 and is a partnership between the College of Education (COE) and the College of Health Sciences (COHS). The missions of the Research Center align with Sam Houston State University’s call for academic excellence and enhanced reputation and visibility. Specifically, the Research Center aims to better equip faculty, staff, and students with the skills and knowledge to engage with research, competently work with data, conduct and disseminate quality and ethical research, and to develop competitive grant proposals for both internal and external research support. The Center’s overall missions are the following:
1. Increase the capacity for research;
2. Enhance the quality of the research;
3. Provide an environment that supports the integration of research into teaching and service;
4. Encourage and support cooperative research efforts across COE departments and divisions, other SHSU entities, and external agencies for shared creativity and learning;
5. Communicate research across COE, SHSU, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
Staff
Dr. Maribeth Jorgensen
Director
To schedule a qualitative research consultation with her, email: COEresearchcenter@shsu.edu
Dr. Maribeth Jorgensen
Maribeth F. Jorgensen (she/her), PhD, LPC (TX/SD), LMHC (WA), LIMHP (NE), NCC is an associate professor in the Department of Counselor Education at Sam Houston State University (SHSU). She also serves as the Assistant Dean for Research and the director of the College of Education Research Center at SHSU. Her primary area of scholarship is researcher development, with a focus on researcher identity development and research training. Maribeth primarily teaches research and clinical courses. In addition to her work as a counselor educator, she has been a licensed professional counselor since 2006 and sees individuals experiencing death and nondeath losses.
In her role as the Director of the Research Center she oversees operations, organizes and hosts researcher development workshops (see this link to suggest a speaker or topic for researcher development workshops), conducts research consultations related to qualitative research and research design, and gathers and disseminates data related to all Center outcomes.
Dr. Tracey S. Hodges
Assistant Director
To schedule a quantitative research or academic writing consultation appointment with her, use this link: YouCanBookMe Link
Dr. Tracey S. Hodges
Dr. Tracey S. Hodges is an Assistant Director for the College of Education Research Center and Associate Professor at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in the School of Teaching and Learning where she teaches courses in literacy, education research, and curriculum development. She graduated in 2015 from Texas A&M University with her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction focusing on literacy education and Advanced Research Methods. Previously, she worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi and University of Alabama before returning to Texas and SHSU. She has published more than 65 scholarly articles and edited/co-edited three handbooks of research. Her research interests include instrument development such rubrics and surveys of teacher beliefs, writing assessment, and student motivation.
While her primary interest is in literacy education, she explores the use of reading and writing across all disciplines and has received inter-disciplinary grant funding to explore teacher knowledge of literacy practices, writing in middle and high school science classes, and teacher self-efficacy for integrating literacy across the curriculum. Dr. Hodges has also worked as a writing consultant, helping faculty complete manuscripts and books and scaffolding the dissertation writing process for doctoral students. When she is not teaching and conducting research, she enjoys walking her dogs, playing tennis and pickleball, and reading.
Dr. Praphul Joshi
Assistant Director
To book an evaluation or quantitative research consultation with him, use this link: YouCanBookMe Link
Dr. Praphul Joshi
Dr. Praphul Joshi is a professor in the Department of Public Health at SHSU and serves as Assistant Director for the Research Center. Dr. Joshi obtained his master’s and doctoral degrees in public health from Norman J Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. He served as a lead evaluator for CDC funded Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention programs (HDSP) and Diabetes Prevention and Control program (DPCP) in the states of South Carolina, Maine, and Louisiana. In 2006, Dr. Joshi co-authored a manuscript on how-to guide for process evaluation, which has been adopted as a standard protocol by several funded initiatives. He also led the evaluation of teen pregnancy prevention programs in South Carolina, state tobacco prevention program in Maine, and safe and drug-free schools in Louisiana. Dr. Joshi served as the lead epidemiologist for Covid-19 surveillance in Southeast Texas and continues to monitor emerging infectious diseases and sexually transmitted infections in the region. Over the last twenty years, Dr. Joshi has worked on several externally funded research projects and has mentored faculty and students in research initiatives.
Dr. Joshi offers evaluation consulting for faculty working on grant submissions and funded initiatives requiring evaluation support. Support services include development of logic models, process evaluation, organizational charts, data collection protocols, and plan for continuous quality improvement. He also offers consulting in quantitative data collection, management, and analysis for research projects for both faculty and students.
Graduate Assistants
Abigail Lindemann
Graduate Assistant
Abigail Lindemann
I’m currently pursuing my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Sam Houston State University. I earned my Bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University, which amplified my passion for mental health and community engagement. Outside academics, I enjoy spending time by the pool, exploring new foods, playing with my cat, Pinot, and getting lost in a good book. I’m also a dedicated advocate for student-led research and interdisciplinary collaboration within the College of Education, believing strongly in the power of shared knowledge to create meaningful change.