Honors and Awards

His research interests include immigration, religion, race, Asian Americans, and civic life. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including Faith, Family, and Filipino American Community Life (Rutgers University Press 2013), Importing Care, Faithful Service (Rutgers University Press 2023) and the co-editor of Religious Movements Across Borders (Ashgate 2014). In 2006, he received the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Distinguished Article Award. 

During his time at the University of Houston Clear Lake, Stephen has received numerous teaching awards, including the Minnie Stevens Piper Award for Excellence in Teaching, the University of Houston– Clear Lake Alumni Outstanding Professor Award and the President's Distinguished Teaching Award. In addition to his academic work, Stephen has been an active partner and instructor for the Center for the Healing Racism over the last twenty years.  He is a seasoned equity consultant, executive coach, and training facilitator for programing across the country.

Raised in a modest neighborhood with ten siblings, Eddie worked alongside his father in a small dry goods store.  Life was sometimes difficult, but always filled with strong family bonds, enduring values, and joyful childhood memories.

In 1978, Eddie immigrated to the United States to pursue higher education.  While working full-time jobs ranging from cashiering at convenience stores to electronic technician, he earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering from UHCL. He later obtained an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, equipping him to bridge technical skills with business leadership.

Eddie began his career in the oil & gas industry at Schlumberger before joining Honeywell Industrial Automation. In 1993, he founded an automation consulting firm focused on managing alarm systems in high-risk industrial plants.  Over the next two decades, Eddie led that company to become PAS Global, a leading provider of cybersecurity software. Serving more than 80% of the world’s major oil companies across 70 countries, PAS Global became a trusted name in safeguarding critical infrastructure. In 2020, PAS Global was acquired by Hexagon, the global leader in geospatial technology and software.

Throughout his career, Eddie’s innovations advanced industrial cybersecurity, automation, and process safety. He coauthored two industry-defining books and contributed to a U.S. patent related to operational safety and security. In 2017, CRN magazine recognized him among the “30 IoT Executives Whose Names You Should Know.”

Outside of work, Eddie’s life centers on family and service. He and his wife, Tamara, are the proud parents and stepparents of six adult children and three grandchildren. He now advises AI and cybersecurity startups, supports immigrant advocacy, and mentors students and young entrepreneurs. Eddie is an active supporter of Water is Basic, a nonprofit that empowers women in South Sudan to lead sustainable clean water initiatives. He also served on the Executive Board of the International Society of Automation, contributing to its strategic growth and global outreach.

A former national-level boxer, Eddie maintains a lifelong commitment to fitness.  He also enjoys cooking – especially preparing Persian meals to share with family and friends.

In the years since she walked the stage, she has proudly served as the president of the Tomball Business and Professional Women’s Organization, the Women’s Business Forum, and a member of the Grand Parkway Association Board. 

Lori’s tie to education did not end with her cap toss. She served as one of the founding members for the Lone Star College Foundation board, and in 2001, she was the LSC Foundation’s StarGala honoree. The Foundation also granted her the Lone Star College Small Business of the Year Award. To this day, she remains honored to have been a core part of Lone Star College’s history. 

In 2014, Lori made the jump into local government, serving as a city councilwoman for her beloved hometown of Tomball, Texas. Since retiring from private practice, she has rededicated herself to public service by being elected to Tomball’s mayorship. One of her greatest joys is having the opportunity to serve the community which her family has called home for centuries.  

Jackie’s path to environmental advocacy began during her undergraduate studies at the University of Houston–Clear Lake, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a concentration in Geology. While studying hydrogeology, she uncovered a devastating truth: the water her family relied on was contaminated, likely the cause of her father’s cancer, her own neurological and reproductive issues, and their animals’ illnesses. That discovery changed the course of her life and launched her into a career rooted in science, public service, and community engagement.

In 2015, Jackie founded THEA to support communities affected by pollution and to help ensure they have a voice in environmental decision-making. Under her leadership, THEA has mobilized more than 60,000 people across Houston and the Gulf Coast region to advocate for the cleanup of some of the state’s most dangerous Superfund sites, including the Jones Road Ground Water Plume and the San Jacinto River Waste Pits - now recognized as a state-confirmed cancer cluster.

Jackie’s work centers on environmental health literacy—breaking down complex science and regulatory processes so that communities can participate in decisions that affect their health and future. Through strategic partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, and grassroots organizations, she ensures residents have the data, tools, and representation they need to make informed decisions and hold polluters accountable. In addition to collaborating on community-engaged research, Jackie advises academic projects and currently serves on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s expert committee on the State of the Science and the Future of Cumulative Impact Assessment.

Recognized for her leadership and impact, Jackie has received numerous honors, including the Houston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” and the Champion for Change award from environmental pioneer Lois Gibbs.

From classroom discovery to statewide advocacy, Jackie’s work exemplifies how science, lived experience, and persistence can drive meaningful change.

In 2018, Ms. Koncaba was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to Texas Mutual’s board of directors where she currently serves on the Executive Committee and Operations Committee Chairman. She also currently serves on the boards of Stewart Security Capital, the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce, and South Belt-Ellington Chamber of Commerce, on which she serves as Chair-Elect.  

In the past, Ms. Koncaba was the chairperson of the Texas Bankers Foundation Board, Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, and Bay Area YMCA Advisory Board. She was a Change Magazine “Women Creating Change” honoree, University of Houston–Clear Lake “Early Achievement Award” recipient, Perry Family YMCA Volunteer of the Year, Houston Business Journal – “Women Who Mean Business” honoree, and a University of Houston “Cougar 100” honoree each year for 5 consecutive years.  

While she has achieved much with her professional and civic involvement, Ms. Koncaba feels that it is even more important to give back to the community who has blessed her so much through active charitable engagement.  She and her husband, Kenny, support numerous local charitable opportunities that benefit groups or individuals in the region financially, as well as with their time and talent.  

The charity Ms. Koncaba gets the most joy with her involvement in is Kidz Harbor, a group foster home in Liverpool, Texas, where she has made it her mission to bring awareness to the foster children who reside there.  She has been active for many years providing and procuring funds for various improvements on the property for the betterment and enjoyment of these children.  She also continues to be an active member of the Gala Committee, on which she has served for nearly 10 years.  

Ms. Koncaba and her husband, Kenny, have 3 children, Kristen Marinello, Matt Koncaba, and Alice Koncaba as well as one grandchild, Andy Marinello.  

She is originally from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, home of Little League Baseball. Dr. Huss-Keeler taught in the elementary classroom for 10 years, mostly in kindergarten in public school, private school, Catholic school and college lab school. She was previously an instructor in the Education and Psychology Department at Berry College in Rome, GA.

At UHCL she developed the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Interdisciplinary Studies program focused on Early Childhood Education and the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Care and Education program, both of which give professionals in early childhood care and education a pathway to a bachelor’s degree. She also has been extensively involved in doctoral dissertation advisement serving as chair and methodologist on a number of dissertations. Her service commitments included service on Faculty Senate including chair of the Curriculum Committee, Facilities and Support Services Committee (FSSC), Parking Committee and Space Allocation and Utilization Committees. She has served on multiple other committees at the College and University level. Dr. Huss-Keeler has been the recipient of the UHCL President's Distinguished Teaching Award (2006).

She serves as the early childhood higher education representative appointed by Governor Abbott on the Texas Early Learning Council and serves locally on the Martel Awards Committee. Nationally, she is Vice President for Awards for the National Association for Early Childhood Teacher Educators Foundation.

Dr. Huss-Keeler is married to Terry Keeler who is a retired flight controller at Johnson Space Center and has no children, but  tons of nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. Her hobbies are genealogy and historical travel.