Dr. Jill Hernandez was appointed Dean of the Honors College at Texas Tech University in July 2022 and assumed leadership in September of that same year. Prior to becoming the Dean, Hernandez served as dean of the College of Arts & Humanities and a professor of philosophy at Central Washington University, where she secured funding to establish the first EthicsLab in the Pacific Northwest and launched the PNW’s first undergraduate externship program through the Classroom-to-Career Initiative. She was particularly focused on leadership development for faculty, staff, and students; DEIB initiatives in hiring, mentoring, and tuition waivers; and elevating student success efforts within the College. 

Prior to joining Central Washinton University, Hernandez served as associate dean of undergraduate programs at the University of Texas at San Antonio, interim associate dean of the Honors College, and chair of the Academic Affairs Executive Committee for the University of Texas System Faculty Advisory Council.

Dr. Hernandez brings a broad background of advocacy and service nationally with the National Humanities Alliance, American Association of University Women, American Philosophical Association, and others. An ethicist by training, Dr. Hernandez won the 2013 Robert B. Papazian International Prize in Ethics for “The Integrity Objection, Reloaded,” and was awarded a 2018 Sawtelle Foundation Teaching Innovation Award for meeting the diverse needs of students through lab-based, humanist pedagogy.