Jamie Rae Walker, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Extension Specialist

Jamie Rae, Associate Professor & Urban & Municipal Parks Specialist at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, has an extensive background in park & recreation administration, environmental psychology, citizen input, park planning & policy. She enjoys assisting local advocates in implementing evidence-based & locally driven practices to support strong parks, connectivity, & open spaces. She currently leads the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Department of Recreation, Park & Tourism Sciences Urban &Municipal Parks Extension outreach program –offering technical assistance, facilitation, and continuing education to empower community leaders, boards, park practitioners, and volunteers across Texas. Extension team members work with leaders & citizens to identify their local assets & link them to the relevant tools necessary to for them to develop feasible and locally driven plans, programs, parks, and places that contribute to their community’s overall health, economy, and green infrastructure.  Jamie Rae also serves as the Principal Investigator for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Working on Wellness Environments (WOW-E) program.  

Valerie Jauregui, Program Manager, Working on Wellness Environments (WOW-E)

Valerie Jauregui is currently managing the Working on Wellness Environments initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – a project in cooperation with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention High Obesity Program. She has experience in both the nonprofit and government agency sectors with an emphasis on communication. Her two most recent projects have focused on assisting community leaders and organizations develop the capacity and partnerships instrumental in identifying and implementing key interventions to improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables land local physical activity opportunities. Valerie has an interdisciplinary background in community development and outreach as well as communication. She has worked at both community agencies such as the City of McAllen Parks and Recreation Department, Family Endeavors, Disability Services at Texas A&M, the Texas A&M School of Dentistry, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension as well as media outlets: the Eagle Newspaper (Bryan, Tx) and the Onda Local de Andalucia (Seville, Spain). Ms. Jauregui was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley and is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Valerie holds a degree in International Studies from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in Public Service and Administration from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. She is currently working on her DrPH, Health Promotion/Health Education & Behavioral Sciences, at the  University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health. 

Kelsey Coats, Project Specialist

Kelsey Coats, has a Masters of Regional Planning from Cornell University and is a graduate of Texas A&M University’s Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences program. Kelsey, has an interdisciplinary foundation in community parks and open spaces with an emphasis on social and behavioral marketing. Prior to attending Cornell, Kelsey worked for the Children’s Museum of Houston, Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s urban and municipal parks community outreach program.

Kelsey has experience in participatory action research, diverse and inclusive citizen engagement, environmental psychology, and evidence-based community planning, programming, and place-making. She has worked with rural and urban communities on locally, co-driven site inventories and assessments, citizen prioritization processes, place-making, and small community park master plans. As a project lead Kelsey co-developed and administered a community capacity building micro-grant program for AgriLife’s CDC funded Working on Wellness Environments initiative by partnering with Texas border community leaders to translate Policy, System, and Environment best practices relevantly into local health equity initiatives. She has also developed a social and behavior marketing effort to improve knowledge about local parks in 3 communities.  

Kelsey’s work has been presented at state and national meetings and been recognized with the TAMU RPTS Silver Chaparral Award, NRPA scholarship for Community Engagement Training, and team award for program development from the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals.

Kelsey continues to pursue opportunities building transformational teams and engaging in collaborative community processes to improve the health and wellbeing of all people and the environment.

Anna Stehling, Project Coordinator, Working on Wellness Environments (WOW-E) 

Anna Stehling has a Bachelors degree in Urban & Regional Planning from Texas A&M University. Ms. Stehling works with local communities practitioners and advocates to help create policy, system, and environmental changes that will provide community members with opportunities for a healthier lifestyle. The WOW-E team aims to impact these communities by empowering locally-driven teams to establish infrastructure and opportunities for physical activity while finding ways to increase their access to healthy foods. Serving as a Community Navigator, Anna uses her knowledge of planning practices and community systems as well as her for serving others to create connections that foster feasible and personalized recommendations for the unique Texas communities she supports.  

Victorino Cantu, Project Coordinator, Working on Wellness Environments (WOW-E)  

Mr. Cantu has a master’s in agriculture science from Texas A&M Kingsville. His experience in the fields of youth and adult education, leadership, regenerative agriculture, food systems, and community development sectors provide him a unique set of skills that help communities visualize a better tomorrow. Through his Extension work, Victor collaborates with multi-sector entities to improve the health of our communities. His efforts as a Community Navigator using facilitative leadership allows community leaders and advocates to identify the connections, resources, expertise, and social capitol needed to make locally-driven and transformative changes for healthier communities.  

Jeongseup Lee, Doctoral Student, Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences

Jeongseup Lee is a Doctoral Student in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences. Jenogseup completed a Masters in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University in December of 2018. His thesis, Examining Varying Levels of Accessibility to Greenways Based on Socio-Demographic Characteristics, A Case Study of San Antonio, Texas, was awarded the American Academy for Parks & Recreation Best Paper Award in 2019. Mr. Lee also has a MLA from the Graduate School of Environmental Studies at the Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. His thesis was, The Behavior of Users and Their Decision Factors for Picnic Spots in Yeoeuido Hangang Park. Jeongseup also has a BE Landscape Architecture from Kyungwon University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, 2012. His research interests include users’ behavior in parks and open space; accessibility of green space or urban open spaces; and Walkability.

Yinglan Hao  

Yinglan Hao, is a Landscape Architecture Master’s student at Texas A&M University. She blends her passion for sustainable design with her international background in Landscape Gardening from Northwest A&F University, China. Yinglan’s dedication to innovative design has earned her a shared,  group award for Honorable Mention in the 2023 ULI Hines Student Competition and a Graduate Honor Award from Texas ASLA.  

As part of the WOW-E team, Ms. Hao has contributed to community projects in Texas and gained hands-on experience providing concept designs and renderings to support decision-making and implementation of parks, placemaking, and connectivity. As a visual storyteller, Yinglan combines her talent for hand drawing with proficiency in tools like Adobe Suite, AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Lumion. This fusion of traditional artistry and modern technology allows her to create compelling visual narratives, capturing the essence of design concepts with a personal touch. 

Spring / Summer 2023 Student Workers and Interns  

• Natalie Charlson – Working towards a bachelors in Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences
• Mahya Mahdavi – Bachelors in Planning and Urban Design, Masters in Transport Systems Engineering, Working on her masters in Urban Planning
• Farzana Ahmed – Has her Bachelors in Architecture, working on her Masters in Urban Planning 
• Isabel Ortiz – Working on her Bachelors in Landscape Architecture
• Arlette Castro-Nunez – Working on her Bachelors in Landscape Architecture 
• Kaitlyn Roberts – Bachelors in Recreation, Event, and Sport Management, working on Masters in Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences

Collaborators

• Dr. Jenna Anding, Professor &Nutrition Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
• Dr. John Collins, Associate Professor, University of North Texas
• Dr. John L. Crompton, Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University, retired
• Dr. Rebekka Dudensing, Associate Professor & Extension Economist, Texas A&m AgriLife Extension and Associate Vice President for Economic Development & Community Impact, Texas A&M University  
• Dr. Lou Hodges ,Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M University
• Emily Gunderson, Planner, Glorieta Adventure Camps  
• Dr. Fouad Jaber, Principal Investigator, Associate Professor & Extension Agricultural Engineering Specialist
• Dr. Sungmin Lee, Assistant Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University 
• Dr. Michal Ann Lord, CPRP, TRS/TXC.  
• Dr. Jodi Nerren, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist – Early Childhood Health & Safety,  Texas A&M AgriLife Extension 
• Laura Miller, Horticulture Agent, Tarrent County Extension
• Mikela Pryor, Civil Engineer at the USDA- Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Dr. David Scott, Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M University
• Dr. Scott Shafer, Professor, Texas A&M University
• Dr. Yang Song, Assistant Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University 
• Dr. Courtney Suess, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University
• Dr. Joseph Walker, Faculty, University of North Texas
• Dr. Laura Walker, Assistant Professor, Department of Management Sorrell College of Business,  Troy University
• Dr. Jacquelyn M. White, Program Leader Family & Community Health, Texas A&M Prairie View Cooperative Extension Program. 
• Dr. Doug Wunneburger, Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University