Texas Tech Alumnae Chosen Among YWCA’s 2023 Women of Excellence

March 7, 2023

Four of the nine honorees are members of the Red Raider family.

Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University System (TTU System) are well represented in this year's Women of Excellence Awards, the annual honors presented to notable community members by the YWCA of Lubbock.

Among the nine recipients of the 2023 awards are four Texas Tech alumnae, two of whom are also current employees; one is a staff member for the TTU System and another a faculty member at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC).

The honorees are:

Emily Wilkinson, Arts & Culture: Wilkinson, the public art director in the TTU System's Office of Facilities Planning & Construction, holds two master's degrees from Texas Tech – one in museum science and another in education – and is working on her doctorate in higher education administration.
Dr. Jessica Gray, Medicine: After earning her bachelor's degree in biology and her doctorate in medicine, Gray works as a clinical assistant professor at TTUHSC and as a board-certified family medicine physician for UMC Physicians.
Murvat Musa, Professional: Musa, who earned her master's degree in public administration, is the CEO of Reese Technology Center.
Nanette Deso, Jane O. Burns Award: A 1984 Texas Tech graduate, Deso is the Executive Vice President of Lone Star State Bank of West Texas.

The Women of Excellence Awards are presented each year to recognize and honor women in the community who have achieved career excellence and contributed to business, industry, organizations and the community. Created in 1989, the awards have recognized nearly 300 women. The YWCA Women of Excellence Celebration & Dinner is scheduled for Thursday (March 9) at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.

“The rising stature of Texas Tech is not only the result of what our students, faculty and staff do on this campus. The success, reputation and support of alumni are so essential to the advancement of this university," said Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec. "Congratulations to each of these outstanding Red Raiders on this most deserving recognition from the YWCA.”

tags: Academics, Achievements, Staff, 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

College of
Arts & Sciences

The Texas Tech University College of Arts & Sciences was founded in 1925 as one of the university's four original colleges.

Comprised of 16 departments and more than 400 tenured faculty members, the College offers a wide variety of courses and programs in the humanities, social and behavioral sciences, mathematics and natural sciences. Students can choose from 41 bachelor's degree programs, 34 master's degrees and 14 doctoral programs.

With just under 11,000 students enrolled, the College of Arts & Sciences is the largest college on the Texas Tech University campus.

Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest

College of Education

The College of Education at Texas Tech University offers a full range of programs, including 9 doctoral degrees, 10 master's degrees, two bachelor's degrees and numerous specializations which can lead to careers in public or private education as teachers, professors, administrators, counselors and diagnosticians.

Programs in the college are housed in three departments.

The Department of Curriculum & Instruction offers advanced degrees that prepare leaders, researchers, and professors with the knowledge, skills, and practical application experience needed to analyze, construct, and evaluate curricula in ways that create optimal learning conditions for all learners. Language and literacy, bilingual education and STEM education are just a few of the specializations offered by C&I.

The Department of Educational Psychology & Leadership consists of a diverse group of academic programs that equip students with a comprehensive knowledge of learning, motivation, development, and educational foundations. The disciplines of counseling and school psychology are housed within the EP&L department as are programs to prepare future college administrators, primary and secondary school and district leaders, as well as practical and academic educational psychologists.

The Department of Teacher Education focuses solely on teacher preparation, ensuring that teacher candidates are ready for the classroom on day one. The Teacher Education Department is home to TechTeach, an innovative teacher preparation program that puts teacher candidates into public school classrooms for a full year and requires that students pass teacher certification tests prior to entering the classroom. Various paths to teaching careers, including fast-track distance programs statewide and alternative certification options, are also housed in this department.

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

Museum of Texas Tech

The Museum of Texas Tech University, with its more than eight million objects, is one of the largest and most diverse university museums in the U.S.

The Museum has collections ranging from fine and decorative arts, natural science, clothing and textiles, history and anthropology and archaeology.

The Museum's Natural Science Research Laboratory houses an internationally important collection of fauna and frozen tissue samples and has played a role in identifying major human health risks, such as Hanta Virus.

The Lubbock Lake Landmark, another division of the Museum, is one of the country's most significant archaeological sites documenting continuous human habitation dating back 12,000 years.

The museum also is home to an academic program offering a master's degree in Heritage and Museum Science.

Twitter
Facebook