Texas Tech Honors College Names New Dean

July 20, 2022

Jill Hernandez, dean of Arts & Humanities at Central Washington University, will begin her new role Sept. 15.

Jill Hernandez has been named dean of Texas Tech University's Honors College, the university announced today (July 20). She will assume her new position Sept. 15.

“For 20 years, the Texas Tech Honors College has served as a model for excellence, social engagement and interdisciplinary inquiry,” Hernandez said. “President Schovanec and Provost Hendrick share a vision for the Honors College to be a national leader in honors programs, and I am so excited to join the Red Raider family and build upon these strengths.”

Hernandez currently serves as dean of the College of Arts & Humanities and a professor of philosophy at Central Washington University, where she secured funding to establish the first EthicsLab in the Pacific Northwest. An acclaimed ethicist, Hernandez won the 2013 Robert B. Papazian International Prize in Ethics as well as the 2018 Sawtelle Foundation Teaching Innovation Award for meeting the diverse needs of students through lab-based, humanist pedagogy.

“Jill's experience in leadership development and student success will serve her well as dean of the Honors College,” said Ron Hendrick, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “I look forward to her bringing those skills not just to the Honors College, but also to the larger team of deans at Texas Tech.”

Prior to joining Central Washinton University, Hernandez served as associate dean of undergraduate programs at the University of Texas at San Antonio, interim associate dean of the Honors College and chair of the Academic Affairs Executive Committee for the University of Texas System Faculty Advisory Council.

“I can't wait to pursue what is so inimitably characteristic of the Texas Tech Honors College experience – the life of the mind and the spirit of adventure – with faculty, staff and students,” Hernandez said. “We will fulfill our promise to families to be excellent in every measure, lead the way and launch students into futures of their choosing.”

tags: Academics, Campus Access and Engagement, Faculty, Stories, provost

Texas Tech University

A new era of excellence is dawning at Texas Tech University as it stands on the cusp of being one of the nation's premier research institutions.

Research and enrollment numbers are at record levels, which cement Texas Tech's commitment to attracting and retaining quality students. In fall 2020, the university achieved a goal more than a decade in the making, reaching a total student population of more than 40,000. In 2018, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education again placed Texas Tech among its top doctoral universities in the nation in the “Very High Research Activity” category. Texas Tech is one of 94 public institutions nationally and 131 overall to achieve this prestigious recognition.

Quality students need top-notch faculty. Texas Tech is home to a diverse, highly revered pool of educators who excel in teaching, research and service. The university strives to foster an environment that celebrates student accomplishment above all else. Texas Tech is large enough to provide the best in facilities and academics but prides itself on being able to focus on each student individually.

The momentum for excellence at Texas Tech has never been greater.

X (formerly known as Twitter)
Facebook
Instagram
Linked In
YouTube
Spotify
TTU Mobile

Honors College

The Honor s College at Texas Tech is dedicated to providing students with a broad education that prepares them for a lifetime of learning.

Honors Sciences and the Humanities (HSH), formerly known as Honors Arts and Letters (HAL), is a major and minor degree program offered by the Honors College. HSH integrates the seemingly disparate sciences and humanities, instilling critical thinking skills and communication literacy through reading and writing-intensive courses while simultaneously preparing students for STEM-based careers and rigorous post-graduate programs like law and medical school. Within the HSH major, students may choose to pursue degree concentrations in Medicine, Global Health & the Humanities; Humanities Driven STEM; Environmental Science & the Humanities, or Politics, Philosophy, Economics & Law.

Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

Office of Research and Innovation

The Office of Research and Innovation is tasked with facilitating excellence in research, scholarship and creative activity for Texas Tech students, faculty and staff. The office promotes an academic environment embracing creativity, curiosity, innovation, diversity, ethics and integrity.

Among other programs, the OR&I supports responsible and safe conduct of research, faculty development and recognition, interdisciplinary collaborations, externally sponsored research, partnerships with industry and community stakeholders, international research collaboration and the application of research for the benefit of society. The OR&I promotes a culture of creative expression, discovery, innovation and collaboration with the goal of advancing Texas Tech's status as an elite national research university.

X (formerly known as Twitter)
Facebook
YouTube