UNL Professor Deryl Hatch-Tocaimaza Honored for Student Veteran Support
For Adam Fullerton, there has truly been no place like Nebraska in his pursuit of higher education.
A student veteran with nearly 12 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Fullerton has struggled to balance demands of college coursework with the needs of family, military and full-time employment. Those ongoing battles led him to an area of research — higher education supports for military servicemembers — and necessary backing from Nebraska’s Deryl Hatch-Tocaimaza through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s educational leadership and higher education doctoral program.
“Through my work as an undergraduate and masters student, by and large, the expectation of professors at other institutions was for me to figure out a way to get around the requirements of my job and military service,” Fullerton said. “Here at Nebraska, Dr. Hatch is my adviser and he is working with me, making timelines flexible so I can balance my time and complete my degree.
“I’ve told Dr. Hatch this before, but his decision to work with me has literally changed the direction of my life. Without the flexibility I found here at Nebraska, earning my Ph.D. is not something I would have a chance to accomplish right now.”
For going above and beyond in supporting Fullerton, Hatch recently received a Patriotic Employer award from Office of the Secretary of Defense. The honor was presented through the Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program.
A student veteran with nearly 12 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Fullerton has struggled to balance demands of college coursework with the needs of family, military and full-time employment. Those ongoing battles led him to an area of research — higher education supports for military servicemembers — and necessary backing from Nebraska’s Deryl Hatch-Tocaimaza through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s educational leadership and higher education doctoral program.
“Through my work as an undergraduate and masters student, by and large, the expectation of professors at other institutions was for me to figure out a way to get around the requirements of my job and military service,” Fullerton said. “Here at Nebraska, Dr. Hatch is my adviser and he is working with me, making timelines flexible so I can balance my time and complete my degree.
“I’ve told Dr. Hatch this before, but his decision to work with me has literally changed the direction of my life. Without the flexibility I found here at Nebraska, earning my Ph.D. is not something I would have a chance to accomplish right now.”
For going above and beyond in supporting Fullerton, Hatch recently received a Patriotic Employer award from Office of the Secretary of Defense. The honor was presented through the Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program.