Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec will serve a two-year term as the U.S. Regional Vice President for 2024-26.

Lawrence Schovanec, president of Texas Tech University, has been named to the Board of Directors for the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education (IOHE), serving as the U.S. Regional Vice President. In this role, he represents all IOHE member universities and associate universities in the United States.

“I look forward to the opportunity to work with the leadership of the IOHE and colleagues on the Board in serving the member institutions and continuing to advance internationalization in higher education in the Americas,” Schovanec said.

Founded in 1980, the IOHE is the leader in the internationalization of higher education in the Americas and the Caribbean. The IOHE has more than 350 members spanning nine regions and 28 countries from Canada to South America. The mission of the IOHE is to strengthen institutions of higher education through educational cooperation with members and strategic partners. It provides opportunities for member institutions by implementing internationalization strategies through the management of a wide variety of events, missions and professional development programs.

Elizabeth Trejos-Castillo, Texas Tech's vice provost for international affairs, said Schovanec's position on the board will help support inter-institutional partnerships with IOHE members and other universities in the U.S. to promote cultural and knowledge exchanges.

“President Schovanec's representation on IOHE Board of Directors further elevates Texas Tech's global profile of research and academic excellence across higher education institutions in the Americas and the Caribbean,” Trejos-Castillo said. “As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), Texas Tech is well-positioned to advance internationalization efforts across universities in the U.S. and the Americas and Caribbean regions, further support the development of global scholars, and promote dialogue to advance best practices on sustainable development goals.”

Trejos-Castillo also will serve as U.S. Regional Executive Secretary for IOHE through 2026.

For more information on the IOHE, visit its website.