Faculty Senate president honored to lead in new era
As the University of Houston-Victoria works to transition into the Texas A&M University System, Nadya Pittendrigh finds herself in a position to lead in a positive direction in the next academic year.
Pittendrigh, a UHV associate professor of English and director of composition, was elected as president of the UHV Faculty Senate for the 2025-2026 academic year.
“I am honored to be involved in the university’s shared governance, especially during such a pivotal time,” Pittendrigh said. “Shared governance is a special and precious thing in academia. I believe in its importance, and I look forward to helping to promote it in the coming year.”
Keith Akins, a UHV associate professor of criminal justice and director of the undergraduate criminal justice program, served as the previous president.
“We are going through a time of significant change as a university, and I cannot think of anyone I’d trust more to lead and represent the faculty than Dr. Pittendrigh,” Akins said. “She was an outstanding vice president of the Faculty Senate and did not hesitate for a second to step up to the presidency when I had to resign. She is active both on campus and in the Victoria community. She is responsible, hardworking and fearless.”
As the university moves into this new chapter and the many changes that will likely follow, Pittendrigh plans to focus on any changes that will impact the faculty, whether they come from changes in university policies or from state governance. She hopes to coordinate with the university’s leadership to facilitate good working relationships while ensuring that faculty are able to have a voice at the university, she said.
“There are going to be lots of changes in all areas of the university in the coming days, and I want to help make sure those changes are positive and promote collaboration,” she said. “Shared governance is about transparency and inclusion. It allows everyone to feel that they are a part of the university’s campus community. Moving forward, the best thing we can encourage is transparency and cooperation.”
In addition to working with the university’s leadership, staff and the Texas A&M System, Pittendrigh also hopes to encourage more cooperation among the faculty. The faculty have a major impact on the university’s academic offerings, including developing curriculum and starting new programs. By facilitating good working relationships with leadership as well as faculty members, Pittendrigh hopes to promote positivity and unity in the midst of the coming changes.
“The shift to the Texas A&M System feels like a gust of possibilities,” she said. “I want to keep up the positive momentum we’re experiencing and make sure that shared governance is part of what we’re building as we move forward. I’m genuinely hopeful that the university will be able to thrive in this new situation, and I’m excited to see what’s next.”
In addition to Pittendrigh, the Faculty Senate members for the 2025-2026 year are as follows:
Executive Committee:
- Vice President: Humberto Hernandez, College of Natural & Applied Science
- Secretary: Brooke Garcia, College of Business
- Past President: Keith Akins, College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Senators:
- Alex Aidov, College of Business
- Emmanual Quansah, College of Business
- Johathan Du, College of Business
- Kwan Lee, College of Business
- Mark Ward, College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
- Saba Razvi, College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
- Blake Stricklin, College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
- Sara Zedaker, College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
- Paul Carlson, College of Education & Health Professions
- Chang Lee, College of Education & Health Professions
- Sharon De Marin, College of Education & Health Professions
- Barba Patton, College of Education & Health Professions
- Ali Dogan, College of Natural & Applied Science
- Hardik Gohel, College of Natural & Applied Science
- Frank Jalufka, College of Natural & Applied Science
- Aobo Jin, College of Natural & Applied Science
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.