Texas Tech has received more than $1 billion in generous gifts, and the university’s infrastructure has improved significantly

Texas Tech University has scaled new heights under Lawrence Schovanec’s administration, surpassing previous records in student enrollment, research awards and expenditures, and fundraising.

Schovanec became an assistant mathematics professor at Texas Tech after earning his doctorate from Indiana University. Today, as the university’s 17th president, he has been at Texas Tech for over four decades. He has held various positions, including department head, dean, provost, and university president, since 2016.

Since Schovanec’s appointment, Texas Tech has received more than $1 billion in generous gifts, and the university’s infrastructure has improved significantly thanks to an investment of more than $900 million in campus buildings.

Under Schovanenc’s leadership, Texas Tech’s enrollment grew by about 5,000 students, and the university will surpass 41,000 students for the first time in 2024. In 2019, Texas Tech achieved two milestones: the U.S. Department of Education classified Texas Tech as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and the Texas Legislature approved the formation of the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine, the state’s first in over a century.

While the growth in enrollment is remarkable, Schovanec is especially happy of the tremendous improvements made in student success, as seen by a more than 40% increase in Texas Tech’s four-year graduation rate.

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education has reaffirmed the university as a “Very High Research Activity” school, and its research expenditures have increased by more than 40% since Schovanec took over as president, surpassing $255 million in total research expenditures by 2024.

Continued support from the State of Texas has had a favorable impact on the university. As a champion for Texas Tech and higher education in general, Schovanec has prioritized showing the value and return on such investments, which benefit not only the Red Raiders but also the state and the nation.

Schovanec has published significantly in the fields of biomechanical and physiological control systems, as well as solid mechanics, and has given several presentations at international conferences and other professional events. He is a prominent supporter of educational and outreach efforts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, having earned over $3.2 million in external financing, the majority of which came from the National Science Foundation.

In addition to his function as president, Schovanec is a member of the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education’s executive board, representing the US. He also serves on the NAFSA board of directors.

He previously served as chair of both the Texas Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors and the Texas International Education Consortium board. From 2021 to 2023, he chaired the Big 12 Board of Directors.

Schovanec and his wife Patty, a mathematics faculty member, are inspired by the students on a daily basis, since each offers distinct experiences and viewpoints that contribute to the Texas Tech experience. They share the principles of tenacity, determination, and hard work, which are demonstrated every day by Red Raiders around the world.