UT Dallas McDermott Scholars

McDermott Scholars Program Staff

Reena Schellenberg

Reena Schellenberg

Director

972.883.4610

Reena has been involved with the Eugene McDermott Scholars Program since its inception and was a selection committee member for every class of Scholars since 2004.

A member of the provost’s team since 2004, she has worked on projects ranging from strategic planning to the first-year student experience. Reena worked closely with the Scholars Program from 2007 until 2014, when she was charged with creating the Eugene McDermott Graduate Fellows Program. Since the fall of 2017, Reena has led both the Scholars Program and the Fellows Program.

Prior to joining UTD, Reena held positions in the arts, business, nonprofit, and education sectors.

She holds degrees from Queen’s University (Canada) and from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she was a Morehead-Cain Scholar and North Carolina Fellow.

Sherry Marek

Sherry Marek

Associate Director

972.883.4612

A McDermott Program staff member since the program's creation in 2000, Sherry has played a continuously central role in the program. As an undergraduate she was named a McDermott Foundation Scholar at UT Dallas, earning a B.A. in Economics and an M.B.A. She co-founded the national Undergraduate Scholars Program Administrators Association, served on its board for six years, and remains an active member.

Eric Fackler

Eric Fackler

Program Manager

972.883.4613

Eric joined the McDermott Scholars Program in 2011 after moving to Dallas from New York City with his family. He has fourteen years of experience in higher education, specifically in financial aid and scholarships. Prior to joining the McDermott Scholars Program, Eric worked in publishing, telecommunications, and secondary education. Eric earned a B.A. in history from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York and his M.A. in history from UT Dallas.

Dominic Kollasch-Gonzales

Dominic Kollasch-Gonzales

Program Specialist

972.883.4608

Dominic began his time with the program in 2015, ten years after he first visited and fell in love with the McDermott Program as a high school counselor. Northern-New Mexico Hispanic, Dominic moved to Texas from New Mexico the same year he started with the program, bringing 14 years of counseling experience, seven of which were as the Counseling Department Chair at St. Pius X High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dominic earned a B.Mus. from Oklahoma City University and a M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, California.

Renee’ Green

Renee’ Green

Administrative Services Officer

972.883.3593

Renee’ is a military veteran who has worked in higher education for over 10 years. This venture began at her local community college (DCCCD). While working there, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in English at the University of North Texas, where her passions for teaching, professional development, and student development heighten as well as her goals of being of service not only for her community but for other students. She began working for the University of Texas at Dallas just over five years ago as an admin in JSOM’s Marketing department. While there, she obtained her Master’s in Information Technology with a minor in Project Management. After finding an opportunity for advancement with University Recreation (UREC), she has now become a member of the McDermott family as our new Administrative Services Officer.