Former faculty member left a lasting mark on students and colleagues
The College of Health & Human Sciences mourns the loss of Janice Beth Boyce, a beloved faculty member, mentor, and culinary scholar who dedicated her life to the art and science of food.
Born in Fort Worth and raised in Duncan, Oklahoma, Janice inherited her mother's love of gardening and a gift for cooking, passions that would ultimately shape a distinguished academic career. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Texas Christian University and her Ph.D. from Texas Woman's University in 1990, with research focused on food safety and quality assurance.
Janice joined the faculty at Texas Tech following teaching positions at Texas Christian University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, becoming a cornerstone of what was then the Department of Nutrition, Hospitality and Retailing. Her scholarship explored food safety, consumer food behavior, and the practical application of culinary science, from HACCP systems in food manufacturing to silicone bakeware performance to the cultural dimensions of dining. She authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed studies, and her work reflected a consistent conviction: that understanding food matters, and that getting it right matters even more. She retired from Texas Tech in 2015.
"Dr. Boyce was an incredible educator who cared for her students and fellow faculty members," said Dean Tim Dodd. "She taught both undergraduate and graduate courses and mentored and impacted numerous students throughout her career. Janice was also a wonderful colleague and friend during her time in the College of Health and Human Sciences and truly embraced our mission of improving and enhancing the human condition."
But her students will tell you that her most lasting lessons were not always found in a journal. Janice brought the same care, precision, and joy to her classroom that she brought to her kitchen. She believed deeply in the intersection of knowledge and practice, and she modeled both.
Beyond the university, Janice was a woman of effortless style, genuine generosity, and quiet faithfulness. She could set a multi-course gourmet table or welcome a neighbor with whatever she had on hand. Her home held an estimated 1,000 cookbooks and a television almost always tuned to a cooking show. She loved irises, turquoise jewelry, linen clothing, good coffee, and travel, especially to the British Isles.
She is survived by her daughter Jan Louise Webb, her son Larry Dean Boyce, three grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and a community of colleagues and students whose lives she touched with warmth and wit.
Boyce leaves behind a legacy written in scholarship, in shared meals, and in the students she sent out into the world a little more confident in the kitchen and in themselves.