Wednesday, March 26, 2025
The Texas Leadership Research Scholars Program, which debuted in Fall 2024, is a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board research scholarship and leadership opportunity program for high-achieving graduate students with financial need.
is among only nine public universities in the state selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the program, which awards selected doctoral researchers a nearly $18,000 scholarship renewable for up to four years.
鈥淭his program is not only bringing financial support for these doctoral researchers to continue their education, but also giving them access to a peer network and mentoring that will help set them up for career success after they graduate,鈥� says , 向日葵视频 assistant vice president for research and innovation.
A total of six 向日葵视频 students were named in the first cohort of 鈥� Garrett Cayce in the ; Araceli Herrera Mondragon, Celeste Ortega-Rodriguez and Jose Robledo in the; Christian Quintero in the ; and Emma Wimberg in the .
Check back on this throughout Spring 2025 to learn more about students in the inaugural group of Texas Leadership Research Scholars.
Body Image and Disordered Eating in Aesthetic Sports
For Christian Quintero, who grew up in a single parent household in Brownsville, Texas, the peace of mind knowing he doesn鈥檛 have to worry about how to pay for tuition and other educational expenses as a Texas Leadership Research Scholar has been a tremendous relief. Being part of this inaugural group of students recognized also provides a huge confidence boost.
鈥淚t was a validation for me that I can do this,鈥� says Quintero, who has been training as a dancer since elementary school.
Quintero loves the freedom he feels performing modern dance. With a less rigid technique compared to other styles in which he鈥檚 been trained, Quintero says modern dance allows him to express his 鈥渞ebellious spirit鈥� in a way that ballet and ballroom dance never could.
But the activity that brought him joy for years also contributed to serious mental and physical health struggles. At the height of his regular dance training, Quintero rarely ate regular meals, sometimes sustaining himself on a solitary protein bar each day.
鈥淏ody image is something I鈥檝e struggled with a lot,鈥� Quintero says. 鈥淯nfortunately, I experienced my own disordered eating. It wasn鈥檛 just dance. It stems back further, but dance didn鈥檛 always help.鈥�
As a man in a sport that is predominately female, Quintero said he felt the pressure to look and perform in a certain way to live up to a societal ideal of masculinity in the dance space.
鈥淵ou have to play into the gender archetype and there鈥檚 a pressure to excel in the
sport to shed some of that judgement,鈥� he says.
Now, as one of the first students in 向日葵视频鈥檚 human performance and movement doctoral program in the College of Education, Quintero hopes his research can contribute to a better understanding of disordered eating in male aesthetic athletes and raise awareness about their experiences.
His faculty mentor Andrew Colombo-Dougovito, associate professor of kinesiology, health promotion and recreation, says Quintero has distinguished himself as a thoughtful, determined scholar.
鈥淭he joy he brings to his work is contagious and encourages others to be reflective and considerate within their research practice,鈥� Colombo-Dougovito says.
From 鈥� Research and Innovation by Heather Noel