Dr. Tania Heap is the Sr. Director of Learning Research and Accessibility based in Academic Affairs, Associate Director of Research and Evidence in the Learning Ecosystem for Empowering Futures (LEEF), and adjunct faculty at the University of North Texas (UNT). She has been involved in digital learning initiatives in different capacities for 20 years. Her background is in educational psychology, practice-based research in learning technology, digital accessibility and Universal Design for Learning, scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), and learning design for high-enrollment online classes.

Dr. Audon Archibald completed a Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of North Texas. His research interests include an emphasis on the role popular media plays into the development of attitudes and behaviors. He currently assists the Research and Evidence Team in LEEF as a full-time data analyst aiding in the development and evaluation of research projects centering around the role of technology in education.

Thomas Trebat is a Ph.D. student in Computer Science at the University of North Texas, where he’s part of the Computer Vision and Intelligent Systems (CoVIS) Lab under the guidance of Dr. Xiaohui Yuan. His research dives into exciting areas like machine learning, natural language processing, robot perception, computer vision, and intelligent systems.

Before starting his Ph.D. journey in Spring 2023, Thomas spent over 10 years as a software developer, working extensively with Java and Python. When he’s not exploring the latest in AI, you’ll probably find him enjoying a peaceful walk around South Lakes Park or hitting the golf course.

Hello! I am Quentin Smith, a senior Business Analytics major here at UNT, planning to graduate in May 2026. One of my biggest interests includes the advanced data and analytics behind sports, and how people can use that data to optimize player performance. I also enjoy evaluating and visualizing different forms of data for businesses and organizations to gain key insights into internal operations and markets, as well as future trends. I previously worked for the UNT Men’s Basketball Team in a video and analytics role. When allowed to become a part of the Research and Evidence team, it was an opportunity I could not pass up. Working with R&E will allow you to work with purposeful student data from different learning research projects and use that data to encourage changes in the learning environment, which is a perfect segment of research for me that I am looking forward to!

I'm Natalie Brown, a Senior in the UNT Psychology program who is also pursuing a minor in studio art. My main interests involve neurocognitive research and behavioral psychology, really anything in relation to how our brains processes shape our realities and actions. After graduating I hope to go on to pursue a masters degree in clinical psychology with an emphasis in clinical research. I'm an avid painter and love to apply my creativity in any field I work in. Although this is my first research position I really look forward to gaining hands on experience with colleagues who share my interest in data analysis and to work to make learning experiences more accessible and functional here at UNT.