Dr. Kristie Cerling, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School at Houston Christian University (HCU), was announced as a recipient of the Texas Women in Higher Education (TWHE) 2024 Institutional Event and Leadership Development Grant, one of nine women selected state-wide.
TWHE grants are designed to support women in higher education in Texas as they pursue opportunities for advancement and professional growth. Recipients will each pursue individual projects that will support their goals, then will attend the TWHE conference in Corpous Christi in April 2024.
“I am grateful to Texas Women in Higher Education for the opportunity to establish mentorship opportunities for myself and to continue investing in other leaders at our institution and beyond. Intentional mentorship is one of the best ways to grow, and I know this grant will allow me to lead more effectively at our university,” said Dr. Cerling.
Research shows that female university presidents are outnumbered 3:1 by their male counterparts. Dr. Cerling’s goal is to establish a mentorship program to engage with current female university presidents to gain insights and wisdom that will fuel her growth as a leader and enable her to invest in other female leaders to support their professional development and career goals.
Additional grant recipients included Khristie Prince, Tyler Junior College; Karen Longshore, MS, Tyler Junior College; Lory Z. Santiago-Vazquesz, PhD; Angela Kelling, PhD, University of Houston-Clear Lake; Laurel Smith Stvan, PhD, University of Texas at Arlington; Ritu Gairola Khanduri, PhD, University of Texas at Arlington; Cheryl Marcelo, MEd, Austin College and Swagata Chakraborty, PhD, University of North Texas.
TWHE grants are administered by Del Watson, Phd, Director of Faculty Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin, and Martinella Dryburgh, Phd, Executive Director of the Posey Leadership Institute and Associate Professor of Business Administration at Austin College.
The organization is dedicated to developing, advancing and supporting women employed at colleges and universities across the state of Texas.