Jason Headrick, an assistant professor of leadership and community development with the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications, has been selected as a fellow in the 2020-2021 Texas Tech University Institute for Inclusive Excellence.

The institute is a partnership between Tech's Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; the Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center; and the Center for Global Communication. Established in 2009, it provides faculty with an opportunity to promote a greater understanding of the academic value of diversity.

In addition, the institute provides an opportunity for participants to consider inclusive pedagogies and best practices in the classroom and the university as a whole. One of the goals of the organization is for participants to complete the program with a richer understanding of the academic success that can be achieved through an institutional model of inclusive excellence.

In notifying Headrick of his selection, Erika Brooks-Hurst, Tech's Administrator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Teaching Initiatives, noted, "We truly appreciate your advocacy of diversity and equity at Texas Tech University."

As part of the program, Headrick and other fellows will learn strategies and insights to better prepare Texas Tech students to be multiculturally competent and globally competitive. Faculty members who attend the institute will also assist Tech's Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in development of policies and programs that advance the academic and professional climate for diversity and equity at Texas Tech.

Prior to joining the Texas Tech faculty in August, Headrick served as an assistant professor of practice in agriculture leadership, education and communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He also worked as a graduate teaching assistant in agriculture leadership, education and communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Headrick received his bachelor's degree in agricultural communications and his master's degree in community communications and leadership development from the University of Kentucky. His doctorate in human sciences-leadership studies is from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a member of the American Association for Agricultural Education, Association of Leadership Educators, and the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture.

CONTACT: Scott Burris, Chair, Department of Agricultural Education and Communications, Texas Tech University, at (806) 742-2816 or scott.burris@ttu.edu

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