Faculty Profile for Dr. Jonathan Vontsteen
Dr. Jonathan Vontsteen
Student Development Specialist II — IDEA Center
ALK 133A
phone: (512) 245-1515
Biography Section
Biography and Education
Dr. Jonathan Vontsteen (Lollar) is the student development specialist for the IDEA Center. Jonathan is a first-gen student who attended TXST starting in 2015, first earning an MA in Applied Ethics and Philosophy and later a PhD in Developmental Education with a concentration in learning support. His research is focused on developmental education policy, learning frameworks course interventions, professional development, and prison education. Jonathan has taught philosophy (PHIL 1320, Ethics and Society) and a learning frameworks course in educational psychology (EDP 1350, Effective Learning), and has unique experience working with neurodiverse students, students inside prisons, low-income and first-generation students. Jonathan is the associate editor for the Journal of College Academic Support Programs and president of the Texas College Reading and Learning Association. He has won TXST’s Doctoral Merit Fellowship, the Julia Visor Award from the National College Learning Center Association, and the Carol Dochen Professional Development Award from the College Academic Support Programs conference.Teaching Interests
mentoring, academic coaching, advising, undergraduates, graduate studentsSelected Scholarly/Creative Work
- Summers, E. J., Mahmoudi, E., Vontsteen, J. E., Conner, K. A., & Wiedeman, M. C. (2025). Utilizing technology to efficiently connect students: A critical qualitative study of non-competitive gamification and AI additions to research courses. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 36(1), 1–18.
- Hodges, R. B., Vontsteen, J. E., & Acee, T. W. (2022). Historical Review of How-to-Study Courses and the Emergence of First-Year Seminars and Learning Frameworks Courses. The Learning Assistance Review, 27(2), 227–263.
- Hodges, R. B., Payne, E. M., McConnell, M. C., Lollar, J. E., Guckert, D., Owens, S. L., … Shinn, H. B. (2020). Developmental education policy and reform: A 50-state snapshot. Journal of Developmental Education, 44(1), 2–17.
- Acee, T. W., Hodges, R. B., Vontsteen, J. E., Taylor, M. Z., Segovia, J. W., Wischnewsky, L. A., … Fathi, Z. (n.d.). Characteristics of learning-to-learn courses: Considerations for first-year experience programs. Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition.
- LeBlanc, T. R., Wischnewsky, L. A., Vontsteen, J. E., & Hodges, R. B. (n.d.). Neurodiversity and peer tutoring: A social justice approach. In Rowman and Littlefield handbook for peer tutoring.
Selected Awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Susan E. Hashway Outstanding Dissertation Award, National Organization for Student Success. 2025
- Award / Honor Recipient: Outstanding Professional Development Activity Award, College Reading and Learning Association. 2024
- Award / Honor Recipient: Program of Promise, National Organization for Student Success. 2024
- Award / Honor Recipient: Cynthia L. Peterson Outstanding Article Award, College Reading and Learning Association. 2023
- Award / Honor Recipient: Julia Visor Graduate Student Conference Proposal Awards, National College Learning Center Association. 2021
Selected Grants
- 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). 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.