Liz Inskip-Paulk, 1963-2022
Elizabeth Inskip-Paulk, known affectionately by most as “Liz,” died June 7 after a long battle with cancer. Hailing from Bedford, England, Liz grew up northwest of London with her parents, brother and twin sister. She spent many hours training as a swimmer, taking to the cold pool in the early morning hours until she could no longer feel her fingers, a necessity when adjusting goggles in-action. Liz's athletic dedication earned her a scholarship to Texas Tech University, along with her sister, in 1983, which would mark the beginning of her impactful presence in Lubbock, Texas. Liz earned two degrees (B.A., advertising and public relations; M.A., English, rhetoric and composition/writing studies) from Texas Tech while competing as a student athlete. At the Texas Tech pool, Liz met several other swimmers and athletes that would become lifelong friends, including her soon-to-be husband, David. She even found time to work at the campus-hosted radio station KTXT-FM The Raider 88.1 where she filled the airwaves with her love for 80s music.
After finishing her degrees and athletic career, Liz decided to become a U.S. citizen and emphasized the importance of voting in a democracy. She also joined the United States Navy to show her appreciation to the country that had provided her so many opportunities. As a public affairs officer, she managed public relations tasks and missions linked with her reserve unit and surrounding areas. Liz received early promotion recommendations at each level during her tenure as an officer until her honorable discharge in 2004 as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
When she finished her military service, she picked up where she left off as an influential member of the community. Liz undoubtedly left her greatest mark on the Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication but served many campus parties such as the National Wind Institute, Mentor Tech, President's Leadership Institute, and as Staff Senate President from 2016-2017. Liz gave an epic speech for her candidacy, even though the limit was only five minutes. However, with her command of words and prose, Liz moved the crowd to such a degree as she spoke of democracy that no one noticed the clock running over.
In those years she served alongside Ben Montecillo, who was also Liz's predecessor as president. “Liz represented the best of the TTU Staff and worked tirelessly to ensure that everything Staff Senate did was thought-out and well-planned,” Montecillo said. “We're all better off because of the way Liz advocated and looked out for us but it's her kindness, passion, and friendship that we'll carry with us for years to come.”
Liz brought the same compassion and determination to every role she played and with every hat she wore. In her duties as an instructor, she always took extra time assisting students who reached out to her. She headed the introductory writing course in CoMC, MCOM 2320 Writing for Media and Communication, for which she called upon her practical experiences in the real world to provide the students with the best education. Alongside teaching, Liz was editor-in-chief in the CoMC marketing department, overseeing all publications and social media.
“She was phenomenal,” Todd Chambers, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs, said. “She was involved with the university at every level, always trying to help people, always making something happen somewhere. A spirit like hers will be sorely missed.”
Although Liz held many titles, responsibilities and jobs, most people would call her, simply, an advocate. She served the marginalized voices and made sure they were heard, represented and treated with respect. She served her students with a great attention to detail. She served her country because her gracious spirit wanted to give something back.
“Liz was meticulous, incisive, and detail oriented - qualities that are of greatest importance in editing and managing content creation - but at the same time she was a true blithe spirit, joyous, kind, jovial…both respected and fun to be around. We will always treasure her talents and her character,” said David D. Perlmutter, Professor and Dean of the College of Media & Communication. Indeed, she was kind but firm. She had a lovely, cheerful attitude, despite experiencing adversity throughout her life. She was seasoned with a sense of adventure, tough as nails but with a gentle touch. She had a love of words, art, and a soft heart for animals. She will be dearly missed by all who were lucky enough to have known her.