Congratulations to both Judith Quander, Ph.D. and Brandon Lee for their inclusion in two different prestigious programs through the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), a higher-education association that represents public colleges and universities, particularly regional public institutions that grant bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. AASCU provides advocacy, leadership development, policy analysis, and professional support for its member institutions.
Dr. Judith Quander, Associate Vice President of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development and Professor of Mathematics Education, was recently named to the 2026–27 cohort of AASCU’s Becoming a Provost Academy (BAPA). She is one of 37 higher education professionals from across the country in the program, which is designed to prepare emerging academic leaders for the complexities of the provost role.
Developed in partnership with the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), BAPA provides participants with targeted preparation in the key areas that define effective academic leadership. The program is geared toward experienced deans, associate and assistant provosts, and other academic administrators, and focuses on building the capacity required to succeed as a chief academic officer.
Brandon Lee, Title IX/Equal Opportunity Officer, was recently welcomed to the newest cohort of AASCU’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), one of 45 rising academic and administrative professionals from across the nation. For more than a decade, ELP has supported the development of mid-senior career higher education professionals by equipping them with the skills and perspective needed to take on expanded leadership responsibilities. Participants explore key topics, including strategic communication, project management, organizational change, and the development of a personal leadership approach.
Dr. Liza Alonzo, Assistant Vice President, Presidential Affairs and Constituent Relations, is a dedicated and longtime volunteer of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™. She was elected as a member of its Board of Directors at the organization’s board meeting on June 2, 2026, in preparation for the 2027 season. The Rodeo Board of Directors is primarily responsible for the performance and operations of the Rodeo. The board also elects members of the Executive Committee and officers.
Kionna Walker LeMalle, Director of Executive Communications, was recognized at the 2026 Literary Awards ceremony of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Inc (BCALA) on Saturday, June 27, for her novel “Behind the Waterline,” which won the Lee Smith Novel Prize before its publication by Blair Publisher in 2025.
The Literary Awards ceremony of the BCALA recognized excellence in adult fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by Black authors published in 2025. The event took place during the American Library Association Conference and Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois, where “Behind the Waterline” was named an Honor Book for Fiction. The novel has been longlisted for two additional prestigious awards: The Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize and the Aspen Words Literary Prize.
If you have not read “Behind the Waterline” yet, you owe it to yourself to put it on your summer reading list! Join Ms. LeMalle at Lit Java Coffee and Books for a BYOB Book Club Event (bring your own bubbly, books, and bookish friends event) in Pearland on July 24. The novel is also available in UHD’s library and through any book retailer.