Campus Kudos spotlights recent awards and distinctions earned by University of Houston faculty and students. These include memberships into professional societies, international honors, competitive fellowships and other accolades. To submit recent accomplishments, send a note to Academic Update.
2026 Undergraduate Research Day
This year's Undergraduate Research Day continued the University’s tradition of showcasing
hundreds of student projects throughout the MD Anderson Library. Students stood next
to their respective research posters, ready to share insights on their faculty-mentored
projects. Read more.
World Party
The University of Houston’s Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) welcomed faculty,
staff and student leaders to "A Celebration of Global Coogs" on Friday, April 10,
at Rockwell Pavilion. The event recognized individuals whose work has helped expand
global learning, strengthen international partnerships and deepen the university’s
culture of global engagement. Read more.
UH Student Success Team in the City of Angels
On April 11, Sanga Kim and Mario Martinez of the University of Houston’s Student Success
Research and Analysis team presented the paper "Predicting First-Year Retention in
College Using Machine Learning and Traditional Models” at the annual meeting of the
American Educational Research Association (AERA) in Los Angeles. The paper, which
was co-authored with colleagues Caroline Neary and John Emmons, was part of a session
focused on "data driven insights into student retention, attainment, and beyond."
This paper reflects ongoing work in Undergraduate Student Success to understand and address factors that may prevent a UH student from persisting from their first to second year. Predictive analytics models based on this data have allowed Undergraduate Student Success staff to identify first year students in need of additional support for proactive outreach.
Physics Professor Honored for Educational Excellence
Edgar A. Bering III, Professor of Physics and Electrical and Computer Engineering
at the University of Houston, has been honored with the Robert N. Little Award for
Outstanding Contributions to Physics Higher Education. Presented by the Texas Section
of the American Association of Physics Teachers, the award recognizes Bering’s career-long
commitment to advancing physics pedagogy and student success. Read more.
History Faculty Member Named 2025-26 AJA Fellow
Associate Professor of History Dr. Mark Goldberg has earned national acclaim for his
research into the intersection of mid-20th-century Cuban and Jewish identities. This
summer, Goldberg will conduct research at the American Jewish Archives (AJA) in Cincinnati
as the 2025-26 Herbert R. Bloch Jr. Memorial AJA Fellow. The fellowship will support
his upcoming book project, “Double Diaspora: Cuban Jewish Migration to Greater Miami.”
Read more.
College of Optometry Hosts Annual Leadership Awards
The University of Houston College of Optometry celebrated its annual Leadership Awards
on April 21 at the Texas State Optical Alumni Center. Dean Michael Twa presented honors
to a distinguished group of students, faculty, and staff, praising their dedication
to patient care, scientific discovery, and the evolution of optometric education.
Read more.
College of Pharmacy Garners Top Honors at Statewide Meeting
The University of Houston College of Pharmacy (UHCOP) made a significant impact at
the 2026 Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacy Annual Meeting, held April 24–26
in Galveston. A diverse delegation of Alumni, Faculty, and Staff received a wide array
of accolades for leadership, service, and research, with several members officially
installed into key statewide leadership positions. Read more.
Back to the May 2026 edition of Academic Update.