Jesse Perez Mendez, dean of Texas Tech University’s College of Education, has been elected to the Board of Directors for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).

As a board member, Mendez will share in the fiduciary and policy-setting responsibilities of the association. His three-year term starts March 1.

“I’m honored to have been elected by my peers across the country as an at-large member of the Board of Directors for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education,” Mendez said. “The College of Education is seen as a state and national leader in educator and administrator preparation. I am thrilled to take on this role during an important time, as our nation faces challenges in meeting the need for well-prepared teachers, administrators and policymakers.”

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of educator-preparation programs dedicated to high-quality, evidence-based preparation that ensures educators are profession-ready as they enter the classroom. Among the nearly 800 member institutions are public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Guam.

Mendez has been dean of the Texas Tech College of Education since August 2019.

A native of Wichita Falls, Mendez earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Midwestern State University and master’s degree in political science from Texas Tech. He earned his juris doctorate from the Maurer School of Law and his doctorate in higher education and student affairs from the School of Education, both at Indiana University-Bloomington. He served as the dean and a professor of the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) School of Education from August 2018 through July 2019.

Mendez’s research interests include the dynamics of postsecondary access and policy issues in higher education. His work has been published in the Community College Review, the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, the NASPA Journal on Women in Higher Education and the Journal of American Indians in Education. He recently edited the book “Hispanic-Serving Institutions in American Higher Education: A Comprehensive Overview,” which offers insight on these institutions and the challenges they face.

(News release from Texas Tech University)