WT’s Janet Hindman First Professor Named to Hill Institute

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas —West Texas A&M University faculty member Dr. Janet Hindman is the first professor to be appointed to a position under the aegis of the University’s Hill Institute.

Hindman has been named the Dyke Rogers Professor of Educational Leadership in recognition of her success in the classroom and her key role in shepherding WT’s doctoral program in educational leadership, said Dr. Gary Bigham, dean of the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences and Regents Professor of Education.

“I am deeply honored to have been selected for this most prestigious professorship named for leaders who have championed the values that undergird our great country and way of life, President Joseph A. Hill and Dyke Rogers,” Hindman said. “As educators, I believe that we must embrace a moral imperative to prepare ensuing generations of educational leaders to lead with a strong moral and spiritual compass guided by the American values that we hold most dear.”

In the position, Hindman will serve both as a professor within WT’s Department of Education and as a scholar for the Hill Institute.

“Dr. Hindman once again is leading the way for other faculty to engage in propelling the University forward through her role in the Rogers College, and now through her service in exploring how values shape teaching, research and service outcomes to create engaged citizens as part of WT’s educational mission,” said WT President Walter V. Wendler.

The Hill Institute, an interdisciplinary academy of researchers, teachers and students to be funded via private donations, was formally announced following a $20 million gift from Cheryl and Alex Fairly in October. To date, theirs is the largest family gift to WT’s One West comprehensive fundraising campaign and in University history.

Other donations may be earmarked for the Hill Institute, as was a portion of the $5 million gift by Dyke Rogers announced in 2022 to name the Rogers College.

Hindman has enthusiastically and loyally supported college and department initiatives and faculty members through the years, Bigham said.

“She is committed to fairness, led by a strong moral compass, and abides by a strict code of personal and professional ethics—all traits of admirable and effective leadership that are also consistent with the stated values of the Hill Institute,” he said.

Hindman, a WT alumna, joined WT in 2012 following more than 35 years working in Texas public schools, including 28 years teaching and coaching in nine different school systems and time spent as an assistant superintendent and an education specialist. She earned her doctoral degree from Texas Tech University and currently serves as an associate professor of educational leadership at WT and director of the leadership in higher education doctoral program.

After arriving at WT, Hindman served for four years as head of the Department of Education and, alongside Dr. Judy Williams, coauthored the successful proposal establishing WT’s education doctoral program, which launched in 2019.

She has published 14 journal articles and made more than 60 professional presentations, largely on educational leadership and values at local, regional, state, national and international conferences, events and workshops.

Named for Joseph A. Hill, the second president of WT and its longest-serving leader, the Hill Institute will center on 10 values: trust, family life, hard work, regard for others, personal responsibility, compatriotism and patriotism, virtue, faith, personal and civic loyalty, and rugged individualism.

Endowed professorships enhance opportunities for faculty members with extra resources in teaching, research and professional growth.

As a scholar associated with the Hill Institute, Hindman will teach, research and conduct service projects centered on how the values outlined in the Hill Institute impact the educational mission of an institution and its students.

WT soon will boast nearly 90 endowed professorships, offering faculty additional funding for research, travel and more.

During the One West campaign, about 60 new professorships and chairs have been endowed throughout the University—an increase of more than 200 percent during the campaign.

The Hill Institute is a direct reflection of the values set out in the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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