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Meet our instructors
Posted or edited: 11.21.08 ... PJC Information Services
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Ulla Raus
Division Chair
Raus, a German native, has been passing on her knowledge to jewelry students at TIJT since 1986, teaching classes in fabrication, casting, wax carving, stone-setting and the metal arts processes such as enameling, reticulation, repoussage, mokume and granulation.
Raus attended three years of jewelry training at the Staatliche Fachschule Für Glas Und Schmuck in Kaufbeuren-Neugablonz, Germany. She was accepted to study under the renowned goldsmith and metal sculpture Herman Diesener in Bamberg, Germany, for two additional years. After immigrating to the United States, she worked as a bench jeweler on the West Coast and eventually opened her own custom design studio.
Raus is a Jewelers of America certified Master Bench Jeweler and has provided training for Jewelers of America, Swest Inc., Stuller Settings, Rio Grande and the Platinum Guild International. As a member of Jewelers of America’s Bench Certification Task Force, she helps bring increased professionalism to the American jewelry industry.
In her current position as division chair, Raus’ favorite duties include student advising, helping students in the registration process, communicating with potential students, escorting visitors on campus tours and job placement.
Shannon Calloway
Instructor, Jewelry Technology
Calloway completed her education and training in jewelry technology and gemology at TIJT in 1982.
After graduating, Calloway was employed as a goldsmith and stone-setter in Lubbock, Texas. Her work included manufacturing custom-designed pieces using both the casting method and hand fabrication. In 1987 Shannon and her husband, whom she met at TIJT, bought a ranch and moved back to East Texas. She worked for another custom jewelry store for several years before accepting a teaching position at Paris Junior College.
In 1990 Calloway became an instructor at TIJT, teaching all aspects of casting, advanced jewelry repair and stone-setting. She received her JA Master Bench Jeweler certification in 2000. As a representative of TIJT, Shannon has given numerous technical presentations to many civic and jewelry organizations. She is an advisor to the TIJT student association and is a member the Red River County Fair board.
Harrel Harrison
Instructor, Jewelry Technology
Harrison, a second-generation jeweler, has been teaching at TIJT since 1988. He has taught beginning and intermediate stone-setting, and now teaches the precious metals and bench technology classes.
After attending TIJT he worked in Port Arthur, Texas, before moving to the Dallas area to open his own retail store, performing all types of bench repairs and custom-order work.
Harrison is a Jeweler’s of America certified Master Bench Jeweler and received an “Award for Excellence” for his work on the task force to establish the certification program. He is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for two-year colleges.
Harrison has given presentations at various state jewelers conventions and at the AGS Conclave. He spent two summers in Sri Lanka teaching stone-setting and fabrication at the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewelry Institute through The Competitiveness Program, a technical assistance project funded by the United States Agency for International Development under a grant agreement with the government of Sri Lanka.
Waylan (Butch) Munday
Instructor, CAD/CAM
Butch Munday completed his education at Paris Junior College in 1966 in the watch repair and jewelry programs. He then worked in Dallas, Texas, as a jeweler and stone setter. He returned to Paris in 1975 and accepted a teaching position at Paris Junior College.
Since returning to PJC, Munday has worked with others to revamp the college’s jewelry program. He updated the stone-setting program, changed the casting program to reflect industry standards, and researched and developed the precious metals program.
In 2005 Munday developed the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology’s latest certificate program, Computer-Aided Jewelry Design, and has been training students in the CAD/CAM technology since.
Serina Omori
Instructor, Jewelry Technology
Omori began her studies in jewelry technology at TIJT in 2000 and graduated cum laude in 2002 with an associate of applied science in jewelry technology. She holds a gemological science certificate and JA Bench Jeweler certification. In 2002 she won the Swest Award for Excellence after being nominated by her instructors at TIJT.
After graduating, Omori moved back to her hometown, Portland, Ore. In October of 2002 she married Yuichiro Omori, a fellow student she met at TIJT. She continued her college education at Portland State University where she graduated cum laude and received a bachelor of arts in art history and studio arts.
While residing in Portland, Serina gained valuable experience as a bench jeweler at the custom jewelry shops Snow Owl Designs and Dyke Vandenburg Jewelers, developing a passion for working with customers and custom designs.
Omori instructs TIJT students in the art of stone-setting.
Frank Poye
Instructor, Horology
Poye graduated from the horology program at PJC in 1982 and operated his own watch sales and repair business before joining the faculty at Paris Junior College in 1991.
His main interests in watchmaking are vintage time pieces and designing and fabricating watches and watch parts. Poye has served as director of the Research and Education Council of AWI and was elected as an officer to the board of directors of the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute. He has attended the WOSTEP “Train the Trainers” program in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and is a member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors.
A native Texan, Poye is a self described “adventure capitalist.” He is a 1974 graduate of The National Outdoor Leadership School and yearround scuba diver, a backyard astronomer and an amateur paleontologist who avidly hunts for and collects dinosaur bones and pre historic artifacts. He plays several string instruments and loves to make music with friends at the local Bluegrass Project.
Anthony “Tony” D. Underwood
Instructor, Gemology and Jewelry Technology
Underwood joined the teaching staff at TIJT in 1990 after owning and operating a jewelry trade service for retail stores in his hometown of San Diego, Calif.
His association with the jewelry industry began in 1977 when he completed several certificate courses then offered by TIJT. In 1994, he was awarded an associate of applied science in jewelry technology. In 2000 he successfully completed the Jewelers of America requirements necessary to qualify as a Certified Master Bench Jeweler and was certified as a Graduate of Diamonds (DG) by the Gemological Institute of America. He received his Graduate Gemologist credential from GIA in 2003 and earned the Foundation Certificate from the Gemmological Association of Great Britain in 2004. In addition, he has received training in several Computer-Aided Design software programs.
At TIJT he provides instruction in gemology, jewelry technology, applied business practices, basic lapidary arts and CAD. He has also provided consultancy services in jewelry technology and stone-setting to the Gem & Jewellery Institute in Columbo, Sri Lanka, under the auspices of USAID.
Gove Dee Slate
Instructor, Lapidary Arts
Slate was born into a military family and has lived in various places in Europe and the Far East. He earned three associate of applied science degrees in computer-related areas while in the U.S. Air Force.
He holds an AAS from PJC in jewelry technology and has completed both the gemology and CAD/CAM certificate programs at TIJT.
Slate has an avid interest in all aspects of rocks and minerals and started collecting crystals and fossils at an early age. He began learning to cut and polish a variety of stones at the age of 15.
Douglas W. Cox
Lab Facilitator
Cox comes from a scientific and research background. He has a bachelor of science degree from Athens State University in Athens, Ala., as well as associate of applied science degrees in jewelry and horology from TIJT.
He completed all the classes offered in the jewelry department, receiving certificates in gemology, computer-aided design, industrial casting, lapidary and jewelry arts. He is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and Mensa International.
Doug assists students with their projects and assists instructors in class preparation, maintaining equipment, recordkeeping, recycling gold projects, and substitute teaching as needed.
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