FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, July 2, 2021

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Dr. Rosalinda Ortiz in the Communication Studies Department at Tarleton State University was awarded Ball State University’s Distinguished Dissertation Award for her research on Hispanic students’ progress through dual credit programs.

Dr. Amanda Latz, Ortiz’s adviser, nominated her dissertation, Illuminating Liminal Spaces: A Phenomenological Investigation of Hispanic Students’ First-Year Experience at a Four-Year University with Prior Dual Credits, for the award.

“Researching this topic more in depth would be a great way to help students get a leg up on college, especially for first-generation Latino students who, like me, didn’t have the experience or understanding of the college process,” said Ortiz, who earned her EdD in higher education from Ball State in 2020.

Next, she hopes to complete a proposal for a book that would encompass all of the longitudinal research that she and a cohort of students conducted.

Ortiz began at Tarleton this year and teaches public speaking and organizational communication courses.

A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of nearly 17,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. True to Tarleton’s values of excellence, integrity and respect, academic programs emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.