Advisory Board

The  Advisory Board is comprised of business professionals who are committed to the success of graduate students at Sam Houston State University thereby committing to share wisdom, networks, and insights to enhance the holistic education of the graduate student. The goals of the Advisory Board are to prepare graduate students for a productive, professional life beyond SHSU and to help build life enhancement skills.

  • Career Mentoring and Readiness

    Career Mentoring and Readiness is core to the foundation of the SHSU development offer.  Our graduate students have a wide array of mentors from faculty advisors, peers, and now we are adding the advisory board.

     

    The advisory board members, industry professionals, are ready to develop mentoring relationships with interested students.  To learn more about the advisory board members.

     

    Students seeking mentorship for the 2020 Fall Semester, are encouraged to sign up by Thursday September 24, 2020.  Registered students will receive further information by Thursday October 1st, 2020. Spring semester dates will be announced at a later time. Register here.

     

    We are committed to your success!

     

     

    American Psychological Association

    A mentor is an individual with expertise who can help develop the career of a mentee. A mentor often has two primary functions for the mentee. The career-related function establishes the mentor as a coach who provides advice to enhance the mentee’s professional performance and development. The psychosocial function establishes the mentor as a role model and support system for the mentee. Both functions provide explicit and implicit lessons related to professional development as well as general work–life balance.

     

    Career Mentoring Focus: 

    • Discuss with students’ ways they can measure their skill progression and determine improvement areas 
    • Inspire and encourage students to overcome weaknesses by bolstering their confidence and motivation
    • Help students connect career goals with necessary skills or opportunities for growth
    • Share experiences in success and barriers as students navigate the transition from school to career in the current job market and hiring trend
    • Encourage the development of plans and action steps for students moving into the current job market

    For questions regarding Career Mentoring, please email The Graduate School at TheGraduateSchool@shsu.edu. 

  • Advisory Board Members

    Stephanie Atkins
    Stephanie Atkins

    Chair, Advisory Board Graduate School, SHSU

    Organization: The Redbird Group

    Work Experience: 35+ years

    Areas of Expertise: Global leadership, Organizational navigation, relationship building

    Jose Colandres
    Jose Colondres

    Regional Compliance Director

    Organization: Albemarle Corporation

    Work Experience: 34 years

    Area of Expertise: Global compliance, supply chain management, risk management

    ekayode
    Ekene Kayode

    President, Principal Consultant

    Organization: Hankuri Data Solutions

    Work Experience: 22+ years

    Area of Expertise: "1. Information & data management strategy development & implementation. 2. IT Program/Project Management using Agile delivery methodologies. 3. Building and mentoring highly effective, high performing teams.

    trichardson
    Tim Richardson

    Markets and Financial Analyst

    Organization:TMR Markets and Analytics

    Work Experience: 30+ years

    Areas of Expertise: Finance, Markets, Business Development and Sales, Corporate R&D

    lrowley
    Laura Rowley

    Client Advisor

    Certified Financial Planner and Financial Advisor
    Organization: Mercer Advisors|Kanaly Trust

    Work Experience: 26 years

    Areas of Expertise: Financial planning, Investment Management, Trust and Estate Administration

    sscarpino
    Steve Scarpino

    Director, Ethics & Compliance, Global Programs

    Organization: BP

    Work Experience: 34 years

    Areas of Expertise: Ethics & Compliance, Negotiation, People Management, Program/Project Management

    sschroeder
    Steve Schroeder

    Global Human Resources Manager

    Organization: Core Laboratories

    Work Experience:

    Areas of Expertise: Human Resources management, Leadership, Mentoring, Coaching, Organizational Behavior, Working in global organizations, Diversity, Communications

    Stephanie Atkins

    Significant challenges facing new workplace entrants: 1. Adaptability 2. Efficacy core (I am enough)

    Contribution: I can help identify life core skills and values and develop life practices to center and re-center to contribute one's best.

    What I do when I’m not working: Journaling, writing, spending time with family

    Jose Colondres

    Significant challenges facing new workplace entrants: 1. Many new graduates are heavily influenced by either the big name of the organization or the initial job offer, both have merits. However, they need to be considered against the graduate's values and goals. Many large organizations may not be a good fit for their working style or goals. In the short term, individuals adapt; but in the long run, it becomes harder to succeed. 2. Knowing one's value is critical. If you are not certain about what you bring to the table, it will be much harder to integrate into the organization and also to grow your self confidence, which will show in your work. Know what you bring and what the organization brings.

    Contribution: By way of my diverse working history and my proven ability to connect with individuals. I have served in roles with increasing responsibility both in the government, as a public servant, and business sector, domestically and internationally. My experiences growing up in New York City and working my way up through Fortune 100 companies have provided me with a wealth of both business and life experiences.

    What I do when I’m not working: Fishing, restoring cars, and reading.

    Ekene Kayode

    Significant challenges facing new workplace entrants: 1. Adapting to a multi-generational workforce as they are usually younger than the company's current employees. 2. Technical learning curve for their new role: New workplace entrants would need considerable guidance on following new processes and learning how to use the tools necessary for their jobs.

    Contribution: I have over 22 years of experience working with Fortune 100 & Fortune 500 companies to develop and deliver innovative technology solutions, and I believe I can help the graduate students by ensuring they have access to the necessary tools and soft skills needed for them to be successful in the workplace.

    What I do when I’m not working: When I'm not working, I try to focus on spending quality time with my family doing some of the things we love, like travelling, cooking and volunteering with charitable organizations in my community. I also run a non-profit organization which is focused on empowering young girls and women of African descent with resources to help them develop both economically and personally.

    Tim Richardson

    Significant challenges facing new workplace entrants: 1. Ambitious young people can view the entity that they join after college purely as a tool to enrich themselves instead of an alternative view of how they can use their abilities to make the entity better than it would be in their absence, an attitude that likely and ironically enrich themselves even more. 2. New entrants into the world should take the time to understand the purpose of the entity they join, and their part in helping to achieve that purpose, and generally try to do good every day. Avoid nay-sayers.

    Contribution: Through my own advanced degrees Geophysics and Finance combined with a career spanning diverse occupations of research geophysics, management consulting, sales, market intelligence, and finance, which all together should enable me to provide insights and guidance for a wide spectrum of students' questions and concerns.

    What I do when I’m not working: Swim for exercise, Read mostly classic non-fiction, serve our home-owners association as treasurer of the board, enjoy cooking and spend time with my wife especially since our daughter has left for college.

    Laura Rowley

    Significant challenges facing new workplace entrants: 1. Opportunities to connect and network 2. Difficulty or lack of experience with formal communication, written

    Contribution: By exploring creative ideas as well as proven methods with other board members, staff, and students (past and present) to develop a strategy that will lead to successful employment for every graduate.

    What I do when I’m not working: When I am not working or doing work related activities, I can be found spending time with my husband and our two daughters, ages 13 and 16, and our two rescue dogs. We spend a lot of time at basket ball games, girl scout meetings and dance or piano recitals, etc. We are busy like every family with active children but in our free time we like play board games, garden, and bake.

    Steve Scarpino

    Significant challenges facing new workplace entrants: 1. How to work in a diverse business where everyone should feel comfortable to bring their whole selves to work; 2. Understanding the ethical implications of your decision-making process

    Contribution: Given I have 34 years of experience in diverse global organizations, including 17 years in the field of ethics and compliance, I’m excited to help graduate students be better prepared when they enter (or re-enter) the workforce.

    What I do when I'm not working: Exercise, working out and run a 5K each day. Photography. Career planning and mentoring to many colleagues, including many who are involved in start-up businesses.

    Steve Schroeder

    Significant challenges facing new workplace entrants: 1. Companies drive for efficiency, including through technology 2. Pace of change in industry and within companies

    Contribution: Help students connect academics studies with workplace application. Provide workplace organizational behavior insights; Demonstrate the value of servant leadership; share creative ideas to enhance students' confidence; bring globally inquisitive perspective.

    What I do when I’m not working: While not working, I enjoy spending time in the great outdoors. Mountain biking is currently my greatest outdoor passion. While attending SHSU years ago, I started up a Mountain Ski Club and organized trips for interested students. I also enjoy spending time with my wife and son. My parents were raised on farms and after retirement, moved back to the country, where I often now visit.

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