Comfort Pratt, associate professor of Bilingual Education and Secondary Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, was re-elected as regional vice president for the national collegiate Hispanic honor society Sigma Delta Pi.
As regional vice president, Pratt oversees the Sigma Delta Pi chapters in eight states: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Pratt assists institutions in her region with membership, recruitment, chapter reactivation, general consultations and best practice ideas.
“I have truly enjoyed working with the advisers in the southwest these past three years and I look forward to even stronger collaborative efforts within the region,” Pratt said.
In addition to serving as regional vice president, Pratt also has served as national chair of the Graduate Research Program for seven years and is the current adviser for Texas Tech University’s Sigma Delta Pi chapter.
Pratt became the adviser for the Texas Tech chapter more than 11 years ago. She remembers being approached by student members to accept the position.
“I had never heard about the society,” Pratt said, “but I told them I would be their advisor because I truly enjoy working with students.”
Since becoming adviser for the Texas Tech chapter in 2004, the society has received more than 35 awards, including Honor Chapter, Graduate Research Grant and the Frida Kahlo award for outstanding website. Pratt also has received the award for Advisor of the Year three times.
“By the end of that academic year, we had initiated two groups of new members, carried out numerous activities and established a Spanish club,” Pratt said. “To my surprise, we were named an honor chapter by the National Executive Committee and I won the National Adviser of the Year award.”
Pratt said her election as regional vice president has given the Texas Tech chapter the opportunity to become a part of the decision-making body of Sigma Delta Pi nationwide.
“This re-election is confirmation that the role we played was valued and that the members have confidence in our ability to continue to contribute positively to the society,” Pratt said.
(News release from Texas Tech University)
