Today we’d like to introduce you to Alisa White.
Hi Alisa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I remember both my parents going to college while my brother and I were young, growing up in Montana. My dad is a preacher, and we moved about every four years…Texas, Montana, Arizona, West Virginia, Tennessee. I learned an education can help promote a certain quality of life. The value of an educated life and being able to have choices and make decisions about what you want cannot be overstated.
My undergraduate degree is in business. After grad school, I worked in advertising for Southwestern Bell in Dallas, Texas. A few years later, I went back to Tennessee where my parents lived and started to really think about what I wanted to do long term. I was fortunate to have started a career in higher education because someone I knew offered me a job in an academic library. I attended grad school to earn a library science degree and later earned a Ph.D. in mass communication. I also started teaching, and I was part owner of a radio station at that time.
I have a great family. The center of my world is my husband, Elliott Herzlich. We’ve been married more than 20 years and have a blended family. All our kids and grandchildren are in Texas, my dad is in Texas, and I’m happy to be back home.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I am blessed to have great mentors who encouraged me to get into administration, and I’ve loved the journey. Before becoming president of Sam Houston State University in 2020, I served as president of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. Prior to that, I was senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Texas at Tyler and provost at Midwestern State University.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
A top priority for our university and me is a state of Texas initiative called “60 by 30TX.” The goal is 60% of Texans ages 25-34 completing a degree or certificate by 2030. That number includes folks who have gone to college in the past but still need to finish, or people who have education needs because of reskilling and upskilling requirements of their careers. I think we will always be in some sort of “change mode” to accommodate returning adults who may not fit the traditional model. We need to look around and ask, ‘Who is missing?’ We need to be intentional to help all our communities rise.
More than 70% of our students are also working jobs. I also worked a lot of hours as an undergrad and full-time in graduate school. I understand the challenges. While working and going to school at the same time can be a challenge, it can be a blessing. When Sam Houston State students graduate, they know how to work. This makes them highly sought by employers who want those specific academic skills and knowledge, but also a good work ethic.
The challenge of growing our health care workforce in Texas is a priority at SHSU. Our state is facing a significant shortage of physicians practicing primary care. SHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine was established in response to this shortage in rural East Texas. A community without health care is vulnerable. That’s a good reason to support rural practice and the education and training of our future physicians.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I’m a big believer in teams. Working with people that bring different skill sets, different experiences and different perspectives to problem solving is a part of a winning strategy. When people speak the truth, speak frankly and learn to discuss difficult issues in productive ways, significant things get done. The ‘skill of conversation’ is important in any collaboration.
Contact Info:
- Email: arwhite@shsu.edu
- Website: https://www.shsu.edu/
- Instagram: Instagram.com/samhoustonstate
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samhoustonstate
- Twitter: @SHSUPresWhite
Image Credits:
Sam Houston State University
