[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 20, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E457]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING DR. ALISA WHITE, PRESIDENT OF SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MORGAN LUTTRELL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 20, 2025

  Mr. LUTTRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize President Alisa 
White of Sam Houston State University for her dedication, devotion and 
leadership in service to Sam Houston State University, its students and 
all Texans. Like Sam Houston himself, Dr. White saw Texas as a land of 
promise, offering opportunities for bold enterprise and she is 
delivering on that promise every day.
  Assuming the role as President of SHSU in August of 2020, Dr. White 
brought her leadership to the University in a time of disruption, 
change and uncertainty in education. The COVID pandemic had rendered 
the college experience unrecognizable. Finding a way through the 
pandemic, protecting her students and maintaining excellence, President 
White showed true leadership.
  Dr. White is truly committed to Sam Houston's first-generation 
college students and those coming to the school from low-income 
households. In every conversation with Dr. White, she speaks of her 
commitment to these students and to giving them the tools they need to 
be successful. This led to the establishment of the First-Generation 
Center to offer tailored resources and support to this cohort of 
students.
  Sam Houston has recently launched the Polytechnic College, known as 
SamPoly. This initiative aims to provide students with practical, 
industry-aligned education to meet the evolving demands of the 
workforce. True to Dr. White's mission to provide opportunities for 
students across multiple interests, SamPoly is breaking barriers to 
education and leading to success for an ever-growing range of student 
interests.
  In tune with the needs of the country and the interests of the 
students, President White has thrown her full support behind a new 
commitment to Cyber Studies. Both degreed and certificate level 
programs are growing at Sam Houston and the school is working with the 
CIA, FBI, DHS and other agencies to create a pathway to jobs in this 
fast-growing field.
  Under her leadership, the SHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine is 
making a name for itself in the medical field. Training predominantly 
Primary Care Physicians, they will serve throughout Texas and the U.S. 
in underserved communities. Since Dr. White coming to the helm, the 
medical school secured an investment from the State of Texas for $32 
million and an additional $23 million in pledges and gifts in 2023 
alone.
  It's not just in the classroom that Dr. White is making a difference. 
On the fields and courts, and even on the beaches, with the 
introduction of Beach Volleyball this year, Sam Houston students are 
reaching new heights. Dr. White has brought her brand of energy to Sam 
Houston State University and the feeling on campus is electric.
  As a Sam Houston State University graduate, I Could not be prouder to 
offer this commendation to my fellow Bearkat--Dr, Alisa White. Her 
leadership and service to the University and to Texas are unrivaled.

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