Texas Tech University

Nine Texas education leaders complete Texas Education Policy Fellowship Program

Robert Stein

June 23, 2020

Texas Education Policy Fellowship Program fellows pose with Harrison Keller, the Texas higher education commissioner

The nationally recognized leadership development program at Texas Tech University graduated its inaugural class.

The Texas Education Policy Fellowship Program (TX-EPFP), a professional development initiative coordinated by the Texas Tech University College of Education that seeks to strengthen education policymaking in Texas, graduated its inaugural class of fellows on June 4.

TX-EPFP is a 10-month, intensive professional development program for emerging and mid-level leaders in education and education related fields. The program provides rich and robust experiences to both educate and empower participants in their work for sound education policy and practice in the state of Texas. Fellows participate in a variety of activities to enhance their knowledge of education policy, build leadership skills and expand professional networks.

"We are so incredibly proud of our inaugural class. Over the past year, this group dived headfirst into learning education policy and developing their networks and leadership skills," said Rebecca Hite, TX-EPFP director and assistant professor in the College of Education. "You can see this extensive learning and hard work evidenced in their policy projects. We are confident these well-informed and passionate advocates will make great strides towards educational parity in Texas."

The members of the 2019-2020 graduating class of fellows are:

Tamara Anderson of San Antonio, associate director of academic success at Alamo Colleges District
Alyssa Benavides of El Paso, associate managing director of clinical informatics at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
Whitney Dove of Houston, manager of professional learning design and technology at the National Institute for STEM Education
Karla Duran of San Antonio, adjunct professor at University of the Incarnate Word
Ray Hernandez of San Antonio, director of high school programs at Alamo Colleges District
Ashauna Lindo of Houston, mathematics teacher at Aldine Independent School District
Ryan Litsey of Lubbock, associate librarian and head of document delivery at Texas Tech University
Catherine Nutter of Lubbock, senior director of University Advising at Texas Tech University
Kellie Wilks of Midland, chief technology officer at Ector County ISD

To view fellows' policy projects, visit https://www.depts.ttu.edu/education/outreach-and-research/epfp/texas-epfp-alumni.php.

TX-EPFP operates under the auspices of the national Education Policy Fellowship Program of the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) in Washington, D.C., which oversees fellowship programs in 17 states and the District of Columbia. In Texas, the program is coordinated by the College of Education at Texas Tech University.

The EPFP site at Texas Tech was established in 2019 and will welcome its second class in October.

Fellows join a rich network of 9,000 alumni in all 50 states, including state legislators, university presidents, school superintendents, state teachers of the year and leaders of nonprofits and foundations