Stella Lessert earned her Master’s in Social Work after spending thirty years in the corporate environment. She has a wide variety of experiences with leading social skills groups, groups of adults with dementia and early stage Alzheimer’s disease.
If you’re a fan of the Houston Astros, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with the work of Brian McTaggart (’95). McTaggart began working at the Houston Post in 1989 and has been covering Houston sports ever since.
When Judge Stuti Patel (J.D. ’96) was sworn in as an associate district judge of Fort Bend County, Texas, in July 2015, she became both the youngest and the first Indian-American associate district judge in the district’s history. She lives in Sugar Land, Texas with her husband Hiren Patel (M.B.A. ’95) and two children.
For April, here’s a classic photo of Shasta engaged in a little tree-hugging in honor of Earth Day. Rain or shine, Coogs are taking the world by storm!
John Streeter (’90) graduated from the UH Radio and Television program at the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication with a knack for making interesting films of all kinds. Employed by the Johnson Space Center, he is the recent recipient of a Lone Star Emmy for his film “Orion: Trial by Fire.”
Patty Taméz (’07) is campus coordinator at Oracle Technologies and Information Services, and previously worked at UH’s University Career Services post-graduation. A native Houstonian, avid Cougar Athletics fan, yoga-lover and active volunteer, she loves cheering on the Coogs and enjoying the festivals, great food and cultural diversity her home town has to offer.
Curtis Gannon (’00) is an artist who uses the pages of comic books as inspiration — and often, as materials — in his work. His next exhibition, “Amazing Adventures in Escapism,” will be on display from May 12 to June 12 at BeDesign in Houston.
Iliana Rocha (’03) is the author of the poetry collection “Karankawa,” which won the 2014 AWP Donald Hall Prize for Poetry. A native of Victoria, Texas, she is currently a Ph.D. candidate in English with a creative writing emphasis at Western Michigan University.
Coogs are getting ready to kick off one of the University’s most beloved traditions: Frontier Fiesta! Our story round-up didn’t require a lasso — it’s easy to find stories about Coogs who are using their UH education to make a difference.
Alvaro Saar Rios is a playwright who is currently a theater professor at the University of Wisconson-Milwaukee (UWM). His plays have been produced nationwide, and include “The Crazy Mexican Show,” and a one-man show, “One Hot Texican Summer.”