AFF Executive Committee
Advisor
Bahman Shahri, Ph.D.
Dr. Bahman Shahri has demonstrated a commitment to preparing future collegiate faculty. He has been involved in several years of teaching, research, leadership, program management, and professional service in various educational settings.Dr. Shahri currently serves as Instructional Consultant at the Texas A&M University Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE). He coordinates several graduate student programs such as the Teaching Assistant Institute (TAI), and the Graduate Teaching Consultant (GTC) Program. Dr. Shahri is the advisor to the Academy for Future Faculty (AFF) and a campus representative for the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL). He is devoted to the development of a national faculty committed to advancing effective teaching practices for diverse learners.
2023-2024 Director
Sharanee Sytha
Sharanee is a doctoral student in the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology in the School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. She currently holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from San Diego State University. Currently, her research focuses on the microcirculation of the heart, with emphasis on adaptations to cardiovascular disease, exercise and adipose tissue. Sharanee also holds a national appointment in the American Physiological Society and is a member of a handful of societies, both locally and nationally. She has given platform and poster presentations at conferences across the country and has worked on several first-author manuscripts and grant proposals. In addition to research, Sharanee has a great passion for teaching.2023-2024 Executive Committee
Jiahui Ye
Jiahui Ye is a Ph.D. candidate in the Wm Michael Barnes '64 Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. As a graduate research assistant for the AMTex laboratory at Texas A&M University, her current research focuses on data analytics in advanced manufacturing, specifically, Bayesian inference, modeling, uncertainty quantification, and process optimization in metal additive manufacturing, including laser powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition processes. She possesses a deep enthusiasm for conducting innovative research, as well as a strong passion for teaching and mentoring.
Kelly Rivenbark
Kelly is a fourth year Ph.D. student in toxicology in the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from King University. Her current research is focused on the development and assessment of sorbent-based remediation technologies to remove hazardous chemicals from the environment. She is a member of several national toxicology and chemistry societies and has published work at a national conference. She is always interested in learning new things by listening to podcasts and reading books.
Morgan J. Grant
Morgan is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Health Behavior in the School of Public Health and a Graduate Fellow in the Center for Health Equity and Evaluation Research. His research focuses on mental health and suicide prevention in at-risk and minority adolescents (e.g. Black, LGBTQ+) and HIV/STD prevention in sexual and gender minority adolescents. He is the recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Service and Leadership Emerging Professional Award from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing and has recently been recognized as one of Business Equality Pride Magazine’s 40 LGBTQ Leaders Under 40.
Rachel McNeal
Rachel is a third year Ph.D. student in the Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She received her bachelor’s degree in Forensic and Investigative Sciences at Texas A&M University while pursuing a double major in entomology. In her undergraduate education, Rachel performed field work in Trinidad and Tobago on habitat preference of forensically relevant flies, presenting this research at the North American Forensic Entomology Association meeting. Rachel’s current work focuses on how microbes impact decomposer flies under different thermal stress levels. She also works with her lab to give workshops to law enforcement agencies on how to properly collect entomological evidence during investigations.
Trevor S. Self
Trevor is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He received his bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2018 and transitioned to life sciences in 2020. His research includes ischemic heart disease, vascular adaptations, and the effects of exercise-training on the coronary circulation. Trevor has several peer-reviewed manuscripts with more under review and plans to submit for grant funding this fall. He is a member of APS, MCS, AHA, and NAVBO and has presented findings at multiple national conferences. Trevor is a highly motivated collaborator with strong interests in research in the academic setting.