Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]  

CANYON, Texas — A West Texas A&M University nursing professor is among a handful of higher education professionals around the state who will help a prominent organization bring meaningful change to the profession. 

Dr. Priscella Correa, WT’s Baptist Community Services Professor of Nursing, is one of 12 Texans chosen for the 2022 cohort of Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education’s Career and Leadership Development Institute. 

The institute’s 2022 fellows will participate in a one-day leadership workshop Feb. 27 in Fort Worth prior to TACHE’s 47th-annual state conference. 

“I am so blessed that WT supports TACHE and I am honored to be selected as one of the 2022 fellows,” Correa said. “Attending the conference will provide me valuable resources as I continue to develop career leadership skills.” 

“In times when health care is facing challenges on every front, we find it encouraging for our nursing faculty to participate in outstanding educational leadership opportunities,” said Dr. Holly Jeffreys, head of WT’s Department of Nursing. “Our students and, ultimately, the Panhandle as a whole benefit when our faculty implements relevant, innovative educational strategies, such as those modeled at TACHE.” 

The institute is designed to expand and prepare the next generation of diverse leaders at colleges and universities in Texas by providing them a hands-on and engaging curriculum. 

At this year’s TACHE conference, which will run through March 2, participants will explore a range of challenges and opportunities facing Latinx students, faculty and staff in higher education. 

“Attending past TACHE conferences has provided me the confidence to be an effective voice at the table, and not only to inspire but also to mentor first-generation and diverse students to excellence in higher education,” Correa said. “Support and mentorship of educators across Texas allows exchange of ideas in a safe environment to discuss solutions to meet the unique needs of Chicano students and ultimately to be a voice for all students in a diverse environment.” 

Other members of Correa’s cohort represent such schools at University of Houston, Texas Christian University, Texas State University and University of Texas—Rio Grande Valley. 

“These outstanding individuals were nominated for their diverse range of professional experiences as transformational leaders,” said Esmeralda Valdez, institute chair. 

WT has been an official Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016. To qualify, an institution’s Hispanic full-time equivalency must be at least 25 percent of the overall undergraduate population. 

Since that time, overall enrollment of Hispanic students has grown 21 percent. As of Fall 2020, Hispanics made up 28.71 percent of WT’s overall student population. 

Addressing the needs of its diverse population is a key goal of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World. 

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised more than $85 million. 

About West Texas A&M University 

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs, 39 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.