About
Welcome to the University of Houston!

It gives us great pleasure to welcome all of our incoming graduate and professional students to the University of Houston. You are now part of an exceptionally promising and diverse group of scholars.

Join us on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 1:30pm for your graduate orientation webinar hosted by the University of Houston Graduate School. Please note, this orientation is for all newly admitted graduate and professional students, but it is separate from any college/department/program orientation.

Register to confirm your attendance by Friday, August 11. For a detailed orientation agenda, visit the Graduate Orientation website.

We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to the University of Houston campus.
Agenda
  • Opening Session / Orientation Overview
  • Academic & Administrative Information
  • Student Panel
Presenters
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Dr. Sarah Larsen
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
Dr. Larsen joined the University of Houston in July, 2018 as Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School. Over the past five years, she has initiated cross-campus professional development for graduate students with campus partners in the Graduate School, University Career Services, the UH Library, the Writing Center and the Office of Research.
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Shari Corprew
Director
Shari Corprew joined the University of Houston in January 2011 with the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. After working with scholarships and grants for almost 5 years, she joined the Graduate School in December 2015. During her time with the Graduate School, she has provided strategic vision to serve graduate students and has strengthened communication within the UH community. She is responsible for managing the Graduate School’s Finances and Operations.
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Dr. Tashemia Jones
Assistant Director, Academic Affairs
Dr. Tashemia Jones is currently the Assistant Director of Academic Affairs in the Graduate School. She graduated from Texas Tech University in 2018 earning a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration. Dr. Jones has over 16 years of higher education experience including student activities, student conduct, underrepresented students, and first-time in college students to name a few. Her passion has always been student success and creating innovate ways to enhance the overall collegiate experience for all students. She continues to gain knowledge in post-secondary education with the hopes of becoming a college dean and Vice President of Student Affairs in the future.
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Fitzgerald Smith
Associate Director of Graduate School Admissions
Fitzgerald Smith serves as Associate Director for Graduate Admissions, a role which allows him to facilitate the application process to many of our renowned graduate programs and oversees many of the administrative processes related to admissions. He joined the University of Houston Graduate School in 2015 out of a passion for fostering personal growth and development through higher education. Fitzgerald is also experienced in the realm of international education and loves working with students from various cultural backgrounds. He also serves as a main point of contact for all admissions related questions for both students and colleges.
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Funda Sahin, Ph.D
Ombudsperson for Graduate and Professional Students
Dr. Funda Sahin is an Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at the University of Houston. She earned her Ph.D. in operations and supply chain management from the Mays Business School, Texas A&M University. She also holds an MBA degree from Texas A&M University and BA in accounting and finance from Marmara University in Turkey.

Her teaching and research interests are in operations and supply chain management. Dr. Sahin is passionate about the University of Houston community and student well-being. Over her career, she worked with graduate students in a wide variety of roles ranging from teaching graduate courses, directing graduate student research, coordinating the Bauer Supply Chain Management Doctoral Program, serving on numerous committees related to graduate student education, and graduate student policies to mentorship. The knowledge and experiences she accumulated over the years through these interactions helped her better understand the concerns and difficulties that graduate students may endure. These insights assist her in her Ombudsperson for Graduate and Professional Students role.
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Ariana Santiago
Head of Open Education Services, University of Houston Libraries
Ariana Santiago is the Head of Open Education Services at the University of Houston Libraries, where she provides leadership and strategy for open education services. She collaborates with Libraries and campus partners on services and resources that advance open education and pedagogy, including the adoption and creation of open educational resources. Ariana has published, presented, and contributed professional service in the areas of open educational resources, information literacy, and library outreach.
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Priyanka Raut
Associate Director, University Career Services
riyanka brings 10 years of career counseling experience in Higher Education. With her leadership, University Career Services expanded to the University of Houston at Sugar Land providing career guidance to students and alumni and building collaborative relationships with faculty and employers in the Fort Bend County. Priyanka is skilled at working with students from all majors while mainly supporting students from the College of Nursing, Technology and Education at the Sugar Land instructional site of the University of Houston.

Priyanka can assist students and alumni by reviewing resumes, discussing internship and job search strategies, conducting mock interviews, guiding the graduate school application process, and resolving any other career related questions or concerns.

Priyanka has served in leadership positions at the National Career Development Association’s (NCDA) International Student Committee and within the Assessment Committee for Division of Student Affairs (DSA) at the University of Houston for which she received an outstanding committee contribution award from DSAES. She holds graduate degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Pune, India and Counseling Psychology from the University of Kansas.
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Kazanda Wills, Ed.D., LPC
Psychological Counselor
Dr. Kazanda Wills is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 15 years of experience in the field of mental health. She has worked with diverse clients in various mental health settings including residential facilities, non-profit mental health agencies, and higher education institutions. In her work with clients, Kazanda utilizes strength-based, systemic, and relational cultural therapeutic approaches. With that, she prides herself on getting to know the whole client as she works to be inclusive, culturally mindful, and collaborative throughout the therapeutic relationship.

Kazanda received her doctoral degree in Education with a focus on learning and organizational change. She is passionate about the commitment to continued growth through education and diverse experiences and looks forward to continuing to promote positive change and diversity where all individuals are seen, valued, and heard.
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Aidan Lobby
Graduate Student
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Donald Rabin
Graduate Student
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Viswatej Mudigonda
Graduate Student
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