In July, the Texas International Education Consortium (TIEC) Board of Directors welcomed new faces and a new leadership team. As TIEC’s board chair and vice chair pass their mantles, their legacy of meaningful programming, membership expansion, and steadfast advocacy have made a permanent impact on the organization. We anticipate exciting growth for the organization with the expertise of our expanded board.
Dr. Richard Benson, President of The University of Texas at Dallas, on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, officially assumed the role of TIEC board chair. Dr. Benson has overseen an impressive record of internationalization, with UTD ranking among the top 20 U.S. institutions hosting international students in the United States every year to date of his time as university president. Dr. Jennifer Cowley, President of The University of Texas at Arlington, assumed the role of vice chair. Dr. Cowley, likewise, is a strong champion of internationalization, personally overseeing her university’s global engagement efforts in strategic regions. Together, the two will oversee the search for a new TIEC President and CEO and set priorities for TIEC as the consortium heads into our 40th year in operation.
After four years as TIEC board chair, we thank Dr. Lawrence Schovanec, President of Texas Tech University, for his time and partnership as he steps down from the TIEC board. The start of his tenure as chair coincided with TIEC contemplating significant changes in our mission. His broader vision of TIEC’s role in Texas’s educational landscape is now woven into who we are as an organization. He was a vocal advocate for the TIEC Fellowship for Afghan Evacuees and for mobilizing TIEC’s own resources to seed opportunities to internationalize Texas campuses. Without his mentorship, frank advice, and steadfast support, we would not be where we are today. Thank you, Dr. Schovanec.
Three new board members were officially confirmed by the TIEC Board of Directors. Each embodies Texas's incredibly diverse higher education.
Dr. Diane Chase serves as Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the University of Houston System and Senior VP for Academic Affairs and Provost for the University of Houston. Dr. Chase brings her experience in internationalization strategy at the institutional and system levels to her role as a TIEC board member.
Dr. Tom Evans, President of the University of the Incarnate Word, represents one of the first private universities to join TIEC and brings his extensive experience in internationalization, particularly building academic partnerships in South America and Mexico, to his new board position.
Dr. Rick Lange, President of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, serves as an advisor on the TIEC academic medical center project in Saudi Arabia for Prince Mohamed bin Fahd University and brings the perspective of health sciences to our board and represents West Texas and the Texas Tech System.
We are grateful to our returning board members, TIEC’s past board vice chair Dr. Pablo Arenaz, President of Texas A&M International, and Dr. Kelly Miller, President of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, who will serve alongside TIEC’s Secretary of the Board Dr. David Gardner and Treasurer Ms. Emily McCracken.
