Gene Roberts, JD, EdD
Attorney | Mediator | Director
Education
- BS (cum laude) Lamar University
- MA University of Houston
- JD Southern Methodist University (Articles Editor, SMU Law Review; President of the Student Bar Association; Outstanding Male Graduate)
- EdD Sam Houston State University (Higher Education Leadership)
- Mediation Training:
- University of Texas School of Law, Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution
- Pepperdine University School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution
- Dispute Resolution Center (Austin, Texas)
Philosophy
Gene Roberts is an Associate Dean and the Director of Student Legal & Mediation Services. He has over 20 years of experience as counsel representing clients in litigated cases. Gene’s philosophy—as a private attorney and as the full-time Director of SLMS—is to help individuals understand their rights and responsibilities, comprehend the complexities of the legal system, and develop a proactive and productive strategy for the situation they face.
Gene is married with one son.
Leadership and Awards
- Gene was selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers—Rising Stars Edition in the area of business litigation
- Avvo.com rates his legal background as “superb"
- Fellow Member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, an honorary society of lawyers who are among the best-trained attorneys in Texas
- Authorized to practice law in all Texas state courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Western, and Southern Districts of Texas
- The Association of Attorney Mediators identified Gene as a “New Master of Mediation”
- Past-Chair of the Dallas Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (2012) after serving as its Secretary for three years.
- Recipient, Dallas Bar Association's "Special Section Award" (2012)
- Past member of the Board of Directors, President-elect, and President of the Dallas Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution
- Past member of the Board of Directors, Conference Co-Chair, and Past President of the Texas Association of Mediators
- Past Chair of the State Bar of Texas Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, and course director for its Advanced ADR courses in 2016 and 2017
- Past Vice-President of the Walker County Bar Association
- Past Vice-President of the University Student Legal Services Association-Western Region, and course director for its continuing legal education courses in 2018 and 2019
Service
- Gene served his church as an Elder, Sunday School teacher, and chair of the Strategic Planning Committee.
- Member of the Board of Directors of the Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County
- Chair of the Student Health Insurance Committee
- Chair of the Lowman Student Center Director Search Committee
- Member of the Orange Keys Selection Committee
- Member of the Division of Student Affairs Vision, Mission, Values, and Goals Committee
- "Bearkat Spirit Award" from the Vice President for Student Affairs at SHSU (2015)
- Sammy Award (2020) (the official university ceremony that recognizes SHSU's outstanding student leaders and organizations)
- He served on mission teams throughout Texas, Louisiana, and in the Agalta Valley of central Honduras
Hope Knight Garner | Attorney | Mediator
Education
- BBA (Human Resource Management), Baylor University
- JD South Texas College of Law
In addition to providing legal services to Sam Houston State University Students, Hope also teaches in areas of human resources management law and business legal environment. Hope's legal experience includes training as a mediator, certified guardian ad litem, and the district attorney for Leon County.
Taylor Keen | Administrative Associate
Education
- B.S., Sam Houston State University
Philosophy
Taylor is a first-generation college student and a 2022 alumna of Sam Houston State University. As a first-generation student, Taylor learned that there are no failures, just different results to learn from, including leadership roles, education, professional career, or everyday life.
Leadership and Awards
- Department of Criminal Justice's Dean's List (multiple times)
- Past President, Sigma Alpha Beta Pi Chapter
Service
- Sigma Alpha Beta Pi Chapter's Philanthropy Chair, where she coordinated events to serve the Huntsville community and the Sam Houston State University campus.
- Working with the Peyton Irwin Foundation for the annual Pineapple Run, a 5k event to bring awareness to stop distracted driving.
Dani | Student Assistant
Dani is from Carrollton, Texas, pursuing her bachelor's degree in forensic chemistry with minors in forensic science and biology. After graduating, she plans to obtain her M.S. in forensic science and work in a federal crime lab.
"I'll hold onto the world tight some day. I've got one finger on it now; that's a beginning." -Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
Daniela | Student Assistant
Daniela is from Rowlett, Texas, and is pursuing her bachelor's degree in criminal justice and Spanish with a minor in legal studies. After graduating, she hopes to obtain her MBA and attend law school. She hopes to become a criminal prosecutor.
"The decisions of our past are the architects of our present."- Dan Brown, Inferno
Ellen | Student Assistant
Ellen is from Mont Belvieu, Texas, and is pursuing her bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in communication studies. After graduating, she hopes to obtain her master's degree before acquiring her Cognitive Behavioral Therapy certification and specializing in providing therapy for young adults (ages 14-24) who struggle with anxiety, depression, and OCD.
"Life, it goes on, what can you do?" - Post Malone
Kayla | Student Assistant
Kayla is from Spring, Texas, pursuing her bachelor's degree in nursing. After graduating, she hopes to work in labor and delivery, and eventually the neonatal unit.
"If you're happy doing what you're doing, then nobody can tell you you're not successful."-Harry Styles
Melissa | Student Assistant
Melissa is from Kaufman, Texas, and is pursuing her bachelor's degree in criminal justice. She plans to become a criminal investigator or pursue a graduate degree in intelligence analysis.
“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one."-J.D. Salinger
Tyler | Student Assistant
Tyler is from McKinney, Texas, pursuing his bachelor's degree in forensic chemistry with a minor in biology and criminal justice. After graduating, he hopes to work in a forensic firearms unit in a crime lab.
"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world." -Robin Williams