89R17216 KRT-F
By: Tepper H.R. No. 480
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Distinguished representatives of the Texas Tech
University System are gathering at the State Capitol on March 12,
2025, to celebrate the system's vital role in the Lone Star State;
and
WHEREAS, The Texas Tech University System, governed by a
nine-member board of regents and led by its chancellor, Dr. Tedd L.
Mitchell, consists of Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University
Health Sciences Center, Angelo State University, Texas Tech
University Health Sciences Center El Paso, and Midwestern State
University; boasting over 400,000 alumni, the system is dedicated
to advancing higher education, health care, research, and outreach
across the state; and
WHEREAS, Established more than a century ago, Texas Tech
University, the flagship institution of the Texas Tech University
System, is a major comprehensive research university led by its
president, Dr. Lawrence Schovanec; over 40,000 students are
enrolled across 10 colleges and 3 schools, and this year, the
inaugural class of students will graduate from the Texas Tech
University School of Veterinary Medicine, providing trained
veterinarians to rural communities where they are needed most; the
university has earned the Very High Research Activity designation
from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher
Education, and it is one of only 107 public research institutions in
the nation to achieve Tier One status; and
WHEREAS, The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center has
grown from a school of medicine into a comprehensive health-related
institution encompassing six schools, which have trained more than
42,000 health care professionals; under the able leadership of its
president, Dr. Lori Rice-Spearman, it produces about 24 percent of
all degrees and certificates awarded by health-related
institutions in the state; in addition, the university serves as a
vital health care resource across a vast 121-county area, and it is
at the forefront of rural health innovation; and
WHEREAS, Angelo State University joined the Texas Tech
University System in 2007, and under the guidance of its president,
General Ronnie D. Hawkins Jr., it enrolls over 11,500 students; the
university was one of the first in Texas to offer a degree in cyber
defense certified by the National Security Agency; its
award-winning Regional Security Operations Center, the first in the
state, has become a nationwide model for public-private
collaborative cybersecurity programs; notably, the university is
affordable, allowing many students to graduate with little to no
debt; the university has been named to The Princeton Review's "Best
Colleges" list every year since 2010; and
WHEREAS, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
became a stand-alone institution in 2013, making it the fourth
member of the Texas Tech University System; among its four endowed
schools is the Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine, which has
expanded access to critical dental care for West Texans and
addresses the dentist shortage in underserved communities;
overseen by its president, Dr. Richard Lange, the university
enrolls approximately 1,000 students, and it is home to the first
medical school on the nation's southern border; in 2025, it will
break ground on a world-class cancer center, bringing critical
comprehensive cancer care to the region; and
WHEREAS, Midwestern State University, which boasts a
100-year history of educational excellence in North Texas, became
the fifth and newest addition to the Texas Tech University System in
2021; benefiting from the leadership of its president, Dr. Stacy
Haynie, the university consists of six colleges and a graduate
school, and it enrolls more than 5,300 students; Midwestern State
University is also a key economic driver in the Wichita Falls area;
the university pairs engaging academic programs with hands-on
research opportunities that address workforce demands;
additionally, the university has partnered with Sheppard Air Force
Base to expand educational opportunities for active-duty military
members and their families; and
WHEREAS, True to their missions, the Texas Tech University
System and its five component institutions are enhancing higher
education and health care, and their remarkable achievements and
many contributions to the Lone Star State are indeed worthy of
special recognition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 12, 2025, as Texas Tech
University System Day at the State Capitol and extend a warm welcome
to the visiting delegation.