Sept. 19, 2022
Newswise — EL PASO, Texas – Profiles in Diversity Journal® has selected Andrea Tawney, Ph.D., vice president for Institutional Advancement at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, as a recipient of the magazine’s 2022 Women Worth Watching® in Leadership Award. Dr. Tawney is one of 85 women selected this year for the magazine’s annual award, now in its 21st year. The women are recognized as outstanding examples of leaders who demonstrate talent, courage, persistence, commitment and generosity of spirit.
Past Women Worth Watching® recipients have gone on to become CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and other awardees have led business units, opened new markets, launched entrepreneurial ventures, and mentored the next generation of women leaders.
Dr. Tawney said the award holds a special meaning because she was nominated by members of the Institutional Advancement team, which she’s directed for the past four years.
“That's probably the greatest honor you can have – when someone on your own team nominates you,” Dr. Tawney said. “I love the fact that the women who were selected are representative of such a diverse spectrum of leaders from across business and academia. It shows the breadth of how far women have come in their leadership roles, even though there's still a lot of work to do. Women are now represented in every type of environment and have that seat at the table in a variety of very diverse industries.”
Dr. Tawney, along with the other 2022 award winners, shared their experiences, opinions, and words of advice with readers in the Q3 issue of Profiles in Diversity Journal®.
“As we begin our third decade honoring Women Worth Watching®, we continue to take pride in our successful collaboration with organizations, large and small, who value diversity and inclusion,” said Profiles in Diversity Journal® publisher James Rector. “We hope this award will serve to further energize and inspire today’s extraordinary recipients, and the many outstanding women who will become tomorrow’s leaders.”
As vice president of the Office of Institutional Advancement, Dr. Tawney oversees fundraising operations and marketing and communications for TTUHSC El Paso and Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso. She earned a Ph.D. in higher education studies from Texas Tech University, with a focus on the predictors of academic success for first-generation college students. Her expertise in the field has contributed to an 18-year career in higher education.
During Dr. Tawney’s four years leading the Office of Institutional Advancement at TTUHSC El Paso, she has been a champion of the university’s mission of educating the next generation of health care heroes. Under her watch, the university has:
- Raised $1.75 million for Hunt School of Nursing scholarships for the school’s 10-year anniversary in one year.
- Raised $755,000 for Foster School of Medicine scholarships for the school’s 10-year anniversary in nine months.
- Created TTUHSC El Paso’s inaugural president’s development council, a group of community leaders who focus on connecting donors with philanthropic opportunities to expand excellence in health care across the Paso del Norte region and prepare our region’s future nurses, physicians, biomedical researchers and dentists.
- Become the only institution in the Texas Tech University System to have endowed each of its schools.
A proud Air Force veteran, Dr. Tawney credits her professional success to her time in the military. She served four years active duty and four years reserve in the Air Force.
“I always feel that it gave me a strong start in leadership experience with a very regimented schedule,” Dr. Tawney said. “It gives you a lot of background in how you structure your day, how you prioritize and how you lead a team.”
Dr. Tawney’s strategy of how to approach her career has changed over the years, transitioning from a no-fail mindset, to one that will leave a legacy for female leaders of the future.
“In the earlier part of my career, I was trying to prove to myself that I wasn't going to fail and often tried to outwork the next guy,” she said. “In this part of my career, I've been really thoughtful about building the next path for diverse female leaders. I won’t be in this position forever, so I want to clear some of those obstacles that I experienced for the next generation of female leaders who follow in my footsteps.”
About Profiles in Diversity Journal® Profiles in Diversity Journal® is a quarterly publication dedicated to promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion in the corporate, government, nonprofit, STEM, and higher education sectors. Since 1999, Diversity Journal® has helped stimulate organizational change by profiling the visionary leadership, innovative programs, and individual commitments that make it happen.
About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.- Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It is also the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border designated as a Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation college students.
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