Dr. Clary is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Texas State University and is co-leading this project. She has led and co-led numerous internally and externally funded research projects understanding and supporting the well-being of military members and Veterans over the past seven years and has 25 published peer-reviewed articles. Most of her research has used qualitative methodology to understand substance use behaviors, mental health, and well-being among Veterans across the United States and specifically in Texas and Illinois. Notably, she is currently serving as Co-Investigator of $100,000 National Institutes of Health Grant supporting Veteran suicide interventions and was Principal Investigator of an internal Texas State University $5,320 grant supporting the well-being of student Veterans via the use of photovoice methods—an innovative qualitative methodology used to encourage participants to share their stories and lived experiences via images, photos, videos, and storytelling.

Dr. Katherine Selber is a Professor in the School of Social Work at Texas State University. She holds a Bachelors in Psychology from The University of Texas Austin, a Masters in Social Work from the University of Houston, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Texas Austin. In 2015 she was awarded the statewide Texas Veterans Commission Patriot Award and appointed as the Texas State University System Research Fellow from 2017-2018 where she conducted a review of veteran programming on campuses in the system.

Dr. Selber is a co-founding member of the Texas State University- Veteran Advisory Council (VAC). Since 2008 she has provided leadership in developing Texas State’s award- winning program for serving the campus’ veterans and military connected students. She has supervised Social Work student interns in a special program, the Veterans Initiative, that serves the student veterans on campus and in the community. She also teaches a graduate course on Veterans Transitions and has trained over 650 students interested in working with veterans in the community. She has established collaborations with hundreds of national, state, and local veteran service organizations including various Veterans Administration clinics across the country.

She has conducted research on veterans’ needs, veterans in transition, health and behavioral health issues, and building capacity in veteran service organizations. She has been the recipient of grants from state and federal entities and foundations including from the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Heath Resources Services Administration grants and Chase Foundation for providing training stipends to MSW students, many of them veterans and military family members, to work with veterans upon graduation. She has published and presented on issues related to veterans.

Dr. Selber is a military family member. Her son deployed six times for over 1500 days in Iraq and Afghanistan. She understands personally issues of military service and sacrifices.

Dr. Heriberto Arambula is an independent researcher, military veteran, and a Pat Tillman Scholar. He is a program manager at Patriot’s Hall, a 10-acre retreat and resource hub for veterans, active military, and their families in Dripping Springs, Texas. He’s deeply interested in improving schools, enhancing school safety, and addressing military veterans’ challenges as they transition to civilian life. His journey started with the events of 9/11, leading him to a Baghdad deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom II, shaping his commitment to supporting veterans in their post-military transition.

Heriberto holds a B.A. in history and political science, an M.A. in teaching, and a master’s in business tailored to veterans’ needs. He earned his Ph.D. in Education from Texas State University, where he focused on trauma and social integration among Central Texas veterans. Beyond academics, Heriberto actively engages in meaningful initiatives that aim to preserve veterans’ stories through various mediums. He’s collaborating to create a digital exhibition for veterans with the Alkek Library at Texas State.

Dr. Khoi Nguyen is an expert in emerging technology. He has dedicated his career to elevating the stories of under-represented communities using immersive and emerging technology.

Dr. Nguyen holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of California, Irvine. He has won numerous awards and grants for his work in computational science and immersive technology. He is currently building and innovating on the Alkek Laboratory for Immersive Arts and Sciences (ALIAS). In it’s ambition, ALIAS will house the largest collection of immersive stories of under represented communities in the world.

Kristin Van Diest is the Head of Special Collections and Archives at Texas State University and serves to lead her team in creating a more accessible, organized, and well-preserved archival presence on campus. She received a MS of Library Science and a Graduate Certificate in Archival Management from the University of North Texas. Professionally, her work centers around the preservation and support of the stories of Veterans and Military-Affiliated students and families in the TXST community and surrounding area. Her experience in digital publishing and archival practices allows her to lean into innovative and adaptive approaches to promoting and accessing research materials. visibility and digital publishing platforms. She currently serves as co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Open Initiatives in Academic Libraries and the journal manager of the Journal of Interactive Veteran Experiences. 

Kasandra Moore is a graduate student in the school of Social Work at Texas State University. She is a U. S. Army veteran and registered Yoga Therapist. Her experience as a transitioning service member and military spouse encouraged her to pursue a career in the helping professions. Upon completion of her degree, she looks forward to continuing to serve women veterans and service members. Spending time with her family, traveling and reading are a few of her many hobbies. She believes storytelling is an important tool to aid in healing and is committed to the success of the TEXVET Legacy project. 

Fernando Aguilar is a graduate student at Texas State University, where he is pursuing a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree at the School of Social Work. As a proud U.S. Air Force veteran, Fernando’s time in the service shaped his deep appreciation for the sacrifices made by veterans and their families. This experience motivated him to pursue a career in social work, with a particular focus on giving back to the veteran community.

Fernando aspires to work with veterans or Hispanic families, believing in the power of empowerment to help individuals and families overcome challenges and reach their full potential. His dedication to supporting veterans is further demonstrated through his involvement in the Texas Veteran Legacy (TexVet Legacy) project. Outside of his academic and professional pursuits, Fernando enjoys spending time with his family, as well as engaging in outdoor activities like hiking and traveling.

Casen Blount is an undergraduate social work student at Texas State University. His family has a long history of military involvement, including father who served for 22 years in the United States Air Force. He was born and raised into the military lifestyle and I fell in love with it everything that comes with it. He believe that we owe everything to military members and veterans and wants to do anything he can to give back. 

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Madi is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served for six years as an aircraft maintenance technician on the B-1 bomber. Originally from Lubbock, Texas, she is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Digital Media Innovation with a minor in Human Resource Development and Training at Texas State University. She also holds an Associate of Arts degree in Radio-Television-Film. Madi brings her extensive experience in technology and visual storytelling to her current role, combining technical expertise with a passion for education and creativity.

Madi enjoys teaching individuals how to utilize emerging media and technology and is dedicated to telling others’ stories through visual media. She volunteers as a videographer for the nonprofit We Are Those People, which focuses on sharing the stories of individuals in addiction recovery. After graduation, Madi plans to continue empowering others to leverage technology and media for impactful storytelling

In her free time, Madi enjoys watching movies, spending time with her cats, and contributing her videography skills to nonprofit organizations.

Larry enlisted in the US Army as a Field Artillery Specialist and served for 20 years. He was assigned to numerous staff and leadership roles and retired as a First Sergeant. Larry’s interest in computers and his goal is to complete a PhD program in CS have led him to continue his education journey with Texas State University. Larry’s work after the military has been in finance, administration, and technology sectors, gaining expertise in software engineering, DevOps, and Agile methodologies.

Additionally, his commitment to the veteran community has led him to the Texas Veteran Legacy program. When not coding, Larry enjoys weight training, photography, and mentoring transitioning veterans. Larry is a lifelong student of learning with a passion in leveraging technology to make a meaningful impact and aims to inspire others in the tech community.

William is an undergraduate research assistant and computer science major at Texas State University. Originally from Arlington, Texas, he is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran dedicated to advancing research in computer science. William is passionate about leveraging technology to solve real-world problems and is involved in veteran-related outreach and support.

Laura has a long family history of military service with two retired Air Force parents, grandfathers on both sides that fought in the Korean War and World War II, several uncles, great uncles and great grandparents that served, and a sister who is a 2LT currently stationed in Hawaii.

Laura is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Media with a minor in Theater at Texas State University’s school of Journalism and Mass Communication. She holds an additional Associate of Arts degree in Radio-Television-Film from Austin Community College and Certificate of Video Production from San Diego City College. Laura plays several key roles as a multimedia journalist in the student news organization The University Star and brings that experience to the team in her role as video editor. She is also a member of school media clubs, Collegiate Broadcasters Inc. and Bobcat Promotions. During the semester, she works as a camera operator with ESPN+ through Texas State Athletics.

With so many extracurricular activities, Laura spends most of her time at school. When not studying, she likes to read fanfiction and stream as a V-tuber where she helped raise over $50,000 for various charities by playing video games. She aspires to work in broadcast news or live entertainment after college.