Faculty Profile for Dr. Omar S Lopez

profile photo for Dr. Omar S Lopez
Dr. Omar S Lopez
Professor — Org, Wkforce, & Ldrshp Studies
AVRY 101
phone: (512) 716-4028
Scholarly/Creative Work
Awards
Grants
Service

Biography Section

Biography and Education

 Dr. López grew up in south Texas along the border in the Rio Grande Valley, in one of the poorest counties in the U.S. His daily observations of the effects from poverty on children and families left a definitive mark on his career decisions. Dr. López’ academic training includes the physical sciences, management, and education. This prepared him to work in different sectors as an engineer, business consultant, and education policy researcher. While these occupations provided a way to make a living, his south Texas experiences gave him the passion to seek a meaningful life where his work could focus on using transdisciplinary methodologies to solve some of the thorniest problems confronting society's most vulnerable populations. The result are his diverse publications, having published in the fields of educational technology, economics of education, teacher education accountability, higher education sustainability, and family studies.

Teaching Interests

 Purposeful Life Planning

Research Interests

 STEM Labor Economics
STEM Education
Competency-Based Education
Data Envelopment Analysis

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • Li, G., Li, L., Xie, L., & Lopez, O. S. (2023). The Effects of Ethical Leadership on Creativity: A Conservation of Resources Perspective. Current Psychology.
  • Cherrstrom, C. A., Lopez, O. S., & Ashford-Hanserd, S. N. (2022). STEM knowledge in non-STEM occupations: Implications for community colleges. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 46(7), 457–471. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2020.1868359
  • Lopez, O. S. (2020). Yet Another Pathway to College Completion: CLEP Exams. Community College Journal of Research and Practice.
  • Lopez, O. S. (2023). The determinants of wages among Americans with disabilities in non-STEM and STEM occupations. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 59(3), 285–300.
  • Lopez, O. S., & et al. (2023). Health and Life Sciences Existing Businesses Focus Group Report. Round Rock, Texas: STEM-for-All, Round Rock Chamber.

Selected Awards

  • Award / Honor Recipient: Fulbright Specialist, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the Institute of International Education’s Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), U.S. Department of State. March 1, 2016 - December 31, 2023
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Distinction Award for Excellence in Teaching, Texas State University. September 1, 2020 - August 31, 2021
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Teaching Award Honor, Texas State University. August 31, 2020 - August 31, 2021
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Favorite Professor, Alfred H. Nolle Chapter of the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society, Texas State University. August 1, 2017 - August 31, 2018
  • Award / Honor Recipient: OLC’s Effective Practices Award, Online Learning Consortium. October 1, 2015

Selected Grants

  • Daspit, Joshua J. (Principal), Wan, Min (Co-Principal), Anderson, Sidney Thomas (Co-Principal), Konopaske, Arthur R (Co-Principal), Lopez, Omar S (Co-Principal). Understanding and addressing the lagging growth of Hispanic-owned businesses, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $406682. (Submitted: February 23, 2022, Funded: January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2025). Grant.
  • Sherron, T., Ashford, S. N., Cherrstrom, C. A., Lopez, O. S., Boden, C. J.. College credit for heroes (CCH) Phase VI, Texas Workforce Commission, State, $241630. (Submitted: 2017, Funded: 2017 - 2020). Grant.
  • Sherron, T., Ashford, S. N., Cherrstrom, C. A., Lopez, O. S., Boden, C. J.. College credit for heroes (CCH) Phase VI, Texas Workforce Commission, State, $241630. (Submitted: 2017, Funded: 2017 - 2020). Grant.
  • Qasem, Apan Muhammad (Principal), Royal, Cindy L (Co-Principal), Hewitt, Barbara A (Co-Principal), Dolezel, Diane M (Supporting), Omana Sudhakaran, Pratheesh O (Supporting), Lollar, Jonathan Ernest (Supporting), Booth, Chad (Co-Principal), Roundtree, Aimee Kendall (Supporting), Ekin, Tahir (Supporting), Cordero, Rafael A (Supporting), Lopez, Omar S (Supporting), Ashford-Hanserd, Shetay Nicole (Co-Principal), Sriraman, Vedaraman (Co-Principal), Forsythe, Michelle Elizabeth (Co-Principal), Mendez, Francis A (Supporting). NSF Grant 22-611, STEM-CLEAR: Creating Contextualized Learning Pathways across Academic and Cultural Boundaries, National Science Foundation, Federal, $2646529. (Submitted: August 8, 2023, Funded: June 1, 2024 - June 2029). Grant.
  • Kisi, Krishna P (Principal), Lopez, Omar S (Co-Principal). Ergonomics in construction and general industries, US Department of Labor, Federal, $150000. (Submitted: July 1, 2023, Funded: September 30, 2023 - September 30, 2024). Grant.

Selected Service Activities

Member
Principal Investigator (PI) Council
September 1, 2023-August 31, 2025
Competency-Based Education (CBE) Coordinator
OWLS Competency-Based Education (CBE) Program
June 1, 2022-August 31, 2024
Member
Diversity Scholars Network, National Center for Institutional Diversity, University of Michigan
September 1, 2020-August 31, 2024
Member
Graduate College
September 1, 2019-August 31, 2024
Reviewer / Referee
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
September 1, 2019-August 31, 2024