Cindy Akers, a nationally-recognized agricultural administrator and educator at Texas Tech for more than a quarter of a century, has been named as the university's Vice Provost for Administrative Affairs, university officials announced this month. Akers will assume her new position on Jan. 1.

In her new post, Akers will serve as the primary senior administrator responsible for the following:

• Management of faculty retentions, partner accommodations and strategic hires
• Search, onboarding and professional development of new deans, department chairs and other administrators as appropriate
• Work with college deans on the recruitment, appointment and review of associate deans, department chairs, school directors and area coordinators
• Represent Provost or Office of the Provost in meetings or events as needed by the Provost
• Serve as Office of the Provost liaison with Texas Tech System Board of Regents. Prepare academic affairs items for Board of Regents meeting agendas
• Serve as liaison and/or manager for cross-institutional partnerships not falling within Office of eLearning & Academic Partnerships

 Akers will also provide interim vice provost level support for the Texas Tech University Ranching Heritage Center, office, and programs to help coordinate and facilitate their goals and activities until a vice provost of outreach and engagement is named

Akers is known as an excellent communicator, doing a skillful job moving between the university's many audiences from students to faculty and staff, as well as audiences both internal and external to Texas Tech.

Most recently, Akers served as Interim Dean of the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources for a year and half, and prior to that was tasked as Associate Dean for Academic & Student Program­s for eight years. As dean, she had a broad portfolio, overseeing academic and budget administration for the college with direct reports including the chairs of each of college's seven departments that enroll about 3,100 students and have more than 108 faculty members. 

Akers received her bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary agriculture in 1991, master's degree in agricultural education in 1992, and doctorate in curriculum and instruction in 2000, all from Texas Tech. The Estancia, New Mexico, native joined the Texas Tech faculty as an instructor in 1997 earning promotion to assistant professor in 2000, associate professor in 2006 and full professor in 2011. 

She was named Davis College's Assistant Dean in 2011, and Associate Dean for Academic & Student Programs in 2013. During that time, she also served as coordinator of the agricultural communications undergraduate program and director of the college's Dr. Bill Bennett Student Success Center. 

In terms of leadership development, Akers has participated in the Food Systems Leadership Institute (2020-2022); LEAD 21 (2006); and the Kellog Foundation Food Systems Professions Education Networking (2000). She was named president of the Non-land-grant Agriculture & Renewable Resources Universities (2019), and a Fellow in the American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE) in 2017. She is past president of the AAAE-Western Region, and has served as chair of Texas Tech's Teaching Academy.

Honors include the AAAE-Western Region Distinguished Teaching Award (2011), Texas Tech's Departmental Excellence in Teaching Award (2005), Texas Tech President's Excellence in Teaching Award (2005), Texas Tech Parents Association's Hemphill-Wells New Professor of Excellence in Teaching Award (2004), and the Texas Tech Alumni Association Outstanding New Faculty Award (2004). 

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