The Graduate School Team

Student Success and Program Development

 

Kouider Mokhtari, PhD
Interim Dean of The Graduate School
Anderson-Vukelja-Wright Endowed Chair
kmokhtari@uttyler.edu

Kouider Mokhtari, Interdisciplinary PhD (Ohio University), is the Interim Dean of The Graduate School at The University of Texas at Tyler. He also serves as the Anderson-Vukelja-Wright Endowed Professor and Director of the K-16 Literacy Center in the College of Education and Psychology. His research focuses on metacognition and reading comprehension among first and second language readers. He has published extensively in these areas and his work has been widely cited. More about Dr. Mokhtari’s research, teaching and service work can be found here.

 

Cindy Davis, PhD
Director, Graduate Program Support
The Graduate School
cindydavis@uttyler.edu 

Cindy Davis, PhD, is the Director for Graduate Program Support at The University of Texas at Tyler. She has worked in higher education for more than 15 years, teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels and serving as a graduate program director. She has published in a variety of outlets, including the journals Administrative Theory & Praxis, International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior, PS: Political Science & Politics, and in edited volumes including Toward a More Livable World: Social Dimensions of Sustainability and Civic Education in the Twenty-First Century: A Multidimensional Inquiry. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond, VA, and a PhD in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University.

 

Motunrayo Laniyan, MS
Coordinator, Graduate Student Success
The Graduate School
mlaniyan@uttyler.edu 

Motunrayo Laniyan is the Coordinator for Student Success at The Graduate School of The University of Texas at Tyler. Before joining The Graduate School team, she gained diverse experience in business strategy, finance, and technology startup industries, focusing on internal project management, portfolio management, and data-driven process improvement. Her multifaceted background and expertise support her commitment to enhancing graduate student success. She holds an MS in Industrial Management from UT Tyler. 

Vacant
Coordinator, Graduate Student Academic Services
The Graduate School

Vacant
Data Manager 
The Graduate School

Cindy Sprayberry
Administrative Assistant III
The Graduate School
csprayberry@uttyler.edu 

Cynthia Sprayberry is the Administrative Assistant III and the Thesis and Dissertation Coordinator for The Graduate School at The University of Texas at Tyler. She has worked at UT Tyler for ten years serving in the School of Education Administrative office and Certification office. Before joining UT Tyler, she worked in the private sector for 18 years as an administrative/executive assistant. She holds an MA in History and an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from UT Tyler.