McAllen, Texas – Dr. Sandra Hansman has been appointed the new associate dean for the Texas A&M University McAllen Center for Higher Education.
She will assume her new role on August 1, 2024.
“Dr. Hansman is a great addition to our leadership team,” said Manny Vela, vice president and chief operating officer for the Texas A&M University Center for Higher Education in McAllen.
“She brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to the role. Our early conversations were filled with many great ideas and an overall excitement to work together to grow and strengthen our academic programs and provide the best educational experience for our students.”
Vella said Hansman will support the McAllen Education Center’s programs through academic coordination, campus resources and student activities to ensure students have a great Aggies experience.
She said the agency will also foster community engagement to raise awareness of HECM within and outside the Rio Grande Valley.
A native of San Antonio, Dr. Hansman has lived and worked in the Rio Grande Valley region since joining the faculty of Texas-Pan American University in 2005.
She has served as associate dean of the Graduate School at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley since August 2018 and has held leadership roles in several departments and divisions at the school over the past 18 years, including academic and student affairs, admissions and enrollment, research, program development and international programs.
“I am excited to join the Texas A&M University community and contribute to the McAllen Center for Higher Education’s mission of providing a world-class education to South Texas students,” Hansman said.
“As a longtime leader in higher education in the Rio Grande Valley, I have a deep understanding and appreciation for the needs of the industry in the region. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the Aggies and help shape the Valley’s exciting future.”
Dr. Hansman has served as consultant, co-investigator, first author, and director/principal investigator on over $6 million in state and federal funding. Dr. Hansman’s academic research focuses on individuals with disabilities, and his research interests include applied and professional ethics and the intersection of disability and artificial intelligence.
She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Science from Concordia University in Texas in 1990. She earned her Master of Education in Special Education with an emphasis in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993 and her Doctorate in Special Education with an emphasis in Counselor Education in 2000.
The McAllen Center for Higher Education will host a networking event to introduce Dr. Hansman to Texas A&M students, faculty and staff on August 1 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
