Alumni Awards

Recent Honorees

• Dr. Geoff Eldridge '01

  

  Geoff Eldridge currently serves as the Propulsion & Power Systems Flight Safety Critical Item Management Expert for the United States Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and as an Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Dr. Eldridge earned his B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Political Science from Texas Lutheran University, and his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Tennessee.

  After completing his doctoral studies, Dr. Eldridge chose to serve his country and joined NAVAIR as a career civil servant. He played a key role in the Navy’s alternative fuels program and led the team which mixed the fuel for the world’s first supersonic flight powered by an alternative fuel blend. Other significant milestones in that program include the Blue Angels conducting an entire airshow performance using an alternative fuel blend, and the sailing of the Great Green Fleet in which the conventionally powered surface vessels and the entire air wing of a Carrier Strike Group used alternative fuels.

  Dr. Eldridge went on to lead the Navy Fuels & Lubricants Laboratory. Building on the love for chemical instrumentation he developed at Texas Lutheran, Dr. Eldridge authored several grants which brought state-of-the-art equipment to the laboratory. Under his leadership, the laboratory team developed several revolutionary test methods and evolved into one of the leading facilities in the field.

  Dr. Eldridge has also volunteered with STARBASE Atlantis, a Navy STEM outreach program for 5th grade students, spoken to local high school chemistry classes, and mentored many interns.

  Dr. Eldridge has two wonderful daughters, Samantha, 8, and Leanna, 20, who last summer interned with Microsoft’s X-Box Studios.

• Dr. Vanessa Espinoza '17

  

  Vanessa Espinoza is a first-generation college student who pursued degrees in Chemistry and Physics while at TLU. During her time as a bulldog, she was a member of the Women’s soccer team, President of the Society of Physics Students, and SGA president. Thanks to the support of the TLU faculty she was also able to pursue summer research experiences beyond TLU at National Labs in Pittsburg and Washington DC.

  Following the completion of her degrees, she pursued a PhD in Chemistry at Rice University. While at Rice, she was also named a NSF Graduate Research Fellow, a prestigious graduate student fellowship with a ~16% awarding rate. In addition to her graduate work, she also created new organizations and workshops that focused on educating undergraduate students about graduate school and the opportunities in higher education. In July 2022, she obtained her PhD and accepted a postdoctoral position where she focused on enhancing her teaching pedagogy and developed programming that created more inclusive spaces for graduate students.

  She is currently an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Schreiner University where she teaches a variety of chemistry courses and is developing her lab to inspire the next generation of scientists.

• Dr. Anuli Mkparu '02

  

  For over a decade, Dr. Anuli Mkparu, MD, MBA, MSc. has been recognized as a physician and surgeon who practices compassionate, evidenced-based medicine. She graduated with a double major in Chemistry and Molecular Biology from Texas Lutheran University, and received multiple honors during her time there, including being an Outstanding Graduate of her class. She also attended Columbia University, where she graduated with a Master of Science in Human
  Nutrition with High Honors. She went on to graduate from Duke University School of Medicine, where she won multiple awards including an Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Medical Society Research Award and the American Medical Association Global Health Award. She was a research fellow at the Center for Orthopaedic Research at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; and presented her award-winning research at several high-profile meetings, including the Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. She obtained her orthopaedic surgery residency at academic hospitals in Massachusetts, including Harvard University's Massachusetts General Hospital and the Shriner’s Hospital for Children, winning the New England Orthopaedic Society's First Place Resident's Research Award during her time in residency. She has always been drawn to helping under-served communities and has done several medical mission trips, including to Lagos, Nigeria; and the Dominican Republic.
  
  

  Dr. Mkparu is the Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Sunnyvale Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Clinic in Philadelphia, PA. She is also the Founder and Medical Director of Sunnyvale Wellness Center, in Philadelphia, PA. She is the Chief Medical Correspondent for The Source on WURD Radio 96.1FM/900AM, Philadelphia, PA and is the Inaugural Medical Director of Bucks County’s Street Medicine Program. Dr. Mkparu graduated with an MBA from Yale University School of Management in May 2021, receiving an Outstanding Graduate Award
  for Excellence in Scholarship, Leadership, Service & Advocacy.
  She is a member of Black Women Orthopaedic Surgeons, which works to support and empower black women through mentoring, activism and education while advocating for health equity. She is a member of Duke University’s Regional Board and has also been a guest speaker on multiple medical and academic panels including Yale University, Columbia University, Duke University and the City of Philadelphia. Her hobbies include dancing and traveling, and while she enjoys her work tremendously, her favorite activity by far remains spending quality time with her adorable twin daughters.

• Dr. Allyson Matthys '13

  

  Allyson Matthys is a family practice physician with the Baylor Scott and White Hospital and Clinic System. She is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and provides a full range of primary care services including preventive health and wellness exams, acute and chronic disease management, and immunizations. Dr. Matthys was named one of the Top Doctors in Fort Worth by the Fort Worth Magazine in 2022.
  Dr. Matthys is an Army Reserve Captain, serving in the 394th Field Hospital as the Periodic Health Assessment Clinic OIC (Officer in Charge) She is responsible for a team of two other physicians, two medics, and one nurse as they maintain the medical readiness for their unit and other units in the area.
  Allyson is married to Andrew Barry, a Texas State Trooper in Tarrant County. When they are away from work, they enjoy traveling and playing with their two fur babies - Jasmine, a German Shepherd and Riley, a Golden Retriever.

• Dr. Julie Kutac ‘01

  Julie Kutac is the professional education and research specialist for the Alzheimer’s Association- Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter. Dr. Kutac received her B.S. in molecular biology with a minor in theology from Texas Lutheran University, her M.A. in religious studies from Rice University, and her Ph.D. in medical humanities from the University of Texas Medical Branch.

  Building on her performance experience and education at Texas Lutheran, Dr. Kutac prepares and delivers engaging, evidence based education programs to health care providers across Texas. Dr. Kutac also liaises with the scientists studying Alzheimer’s disease in the Texas Medical Center and Southeast Texas, facilitating connections between the scientists and the community.

  

  Dr. Kutac has presented her research at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities national conference, the Conference on Medicine and Religion, among others. Her writings are published in “The Journal of General Internal Medicine,” “The Journal of Medical Humanities,” and “The Journal of Religion and Health.”

  In her free time, Dr. Kutac sings with the Houston Symphony Chorus and enjoys giving her Shi Tzu-Yorkie mix, Lulu, a happy old age.