Faculty Emeriti
CLASS congratulates its newest faculty emeriti
UH System Regents appoint four retired CLASS professors to the faculty emeriti
The UH System Board of Regents in May appointed four retired College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences professors to the faculty emeriti – a body of scholars willing to assist and advise the university as requested, particularly in their areas of expertise.
The emeritus or emerita title is conferred only upon retired tenured faculty who made a significant contribution to the university through a long and distinguished record of scholarship, teaching and/or service.
Retired full and associate professors honored with emeritus status retain library, computing and parking privileges and other faculty courtesies.
This year’s CLASS Professors Emeriti are:
Professor George Antunes – Department of Political Science
Dr. Antunes joined the University of Houston in 1974 and has been a dedicated contributor to the University’s teaching mission. He has taught students from the first year through doctoral level in the Political Science program. For many years he also taught a required statistics course in the Master of Public Administration program, and supervised numerous capstone projects and masters’ theses.
In conjunction with his work at the University of Houston, he held several research positions, including as a Research Associate, Gerontology Section, Texas Research Institute of Mental Sciences (Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas), and as a Visiting Scientist (NASA/ASEEE Fellow), Johnson Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Houston, Texas).
Dr. Antunes’ publications cover several fields of urban politics and public policy, including criminology, gerontology, and political participation.
Professor Tatcho Mindiola – Department of Sociology
Professor Mindiola joined the University of Houston in 1974. In 1980, he became the director of the Mexican American Studies program which he has almost single handedly developed into the thriving Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS) that today is well known and highly respected throughout the community.
As a scholar, Dr. Mindiola has been active publishing a number of monographs, articles, and book chapters using Sociology to better understand the issues that face Mexican Americans. Furthermore, he has maintained an active teaching agenda developing a number of core courses for CMAS over the years and serving on various M.A. and Ph.D. committees.
Professor Roberta Weldon – Department of English
Professor Weldon has contributed to the excellence of the college’s undergraduate and graduate programs through an exemplary balance of outstanding teaching, nationally recognized scholarly publications, and administrative and program leadership.
She has 41 years at UH and during that time has received eight major teaching awards and has served on numerous committees.
Professor Sherry Zivley – Department of English
Professor Zivley has been a faculty member in the English department for 49 years. She has been a leader in curricular innovation and experimentation that focused on new pedagogies and effective student mentoring.
Dr. Zivley was the first to develop a Freshman English Teaching Training Workshop, an initiative that reflects the English Department’s deep commitment to writing pedagogy and the training of teaching assistants. She also served as Assistant Chairperson and Director of Undergraduate Studies. She is the author of over thirty articles, and has published on a range of authors.