Faculty Senate President
2024-Dr. Nicole Boutte-Heiniluoma
Previous–DaeJan Grigsby is the Senate President for 2023-24. She is a biologist by training, and is a former chair of the Biology Department at HCC. Previously she served as chair of the Senate Policies and Procedures Committee.
President-elect
Previous–Dr. Nathan Smith is Chair of the Philosophy Department at Houston Community College. He has a PhD in philosophy from Boston College and the University of Paris, Sorbonne. He has been a full-time instructor of philosophy at Houston Community College (HCC) since 2008, a Program Coordinator of Philosophy (2010-2014), and the OER Coordinator (2017-2022). He has been a representative on the Faculty Senate since 2012, an officer, and an active member of several committees. Currently, he is Faculty Senate Treasurer and co-chair of the Compensation, Workload, and Benefits Committee.
Immediate Past President
Professor David White was the Senate President for 2022-23, his second term of office (the first one coming in 2015-16). By training, Prof. White is a historian who specializes in history of the mass media and in economic history. He has been active in the Faculty Senate since 2011 or so. As Immediate Past President, he also serves as the chair of the Past Presidents Caucus, and has been actively involved over the years with Graduation, Educational Affairs, Instructional Technology, Bedichek-Orman, Policies and Procedures, and Compensation.
Vice President
Stacey Higdon
Secretary
Professor Katherine Rhodes Fields is the Secretary for 2023-24. Along with serving as Visual Arts Chair for the Studio Art and Art History Division, Professor Fields is also an artist who extensively exhibits her work and is active in the printmaking community in Houston and abroad. She is also the Chair of the Policies and Procedures committee for the 2023-2024 academic year and has been an elected Senator for the iterations of the COE MVPA/COE VPA in the Faculty Senate since 2016.
Treasurer
2024-Sophie Haci
Previous–Dr. Nathan Smith is Chair of the Philosophy Department at Houston Community College. He has a PhD in philosophy from Boston College and the University of Paris, Sorbonne. He has been a full-time instructor of philosophy at Houston Community College (HCC) since 2008, a Program Coordinator of Philosophy (2010-2014), and the OER Coordinator (2017-2022). He has been a representative on the Faculty Senate since 2012, an officer, and an active member of several committees. Currently, he is Faculty Senate Treasurer and co-chair of the Compensation, Workload, and Benefits Committee.
Parliamentarian/Sargeant-at-Arms
Dr. Donald Parker
Workforce Liaison
Dr. Mia Taylor joined HCCS in 2008 and, in 2010, joined the Faculty Senate, where she continues to serve as a Business Center of Excellence Faculty Senate Delegate. She was appointed as the 2023-2024 Workforce Liaison in her new role. Over the years, she has assumed several integral leadership roles in the Faculty Senate, including Chair of Professional Development (2016-2020). As Chair, she oversaw the Faculty Conference, Faculty Retreat, Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards, Bedichek-Orman Auction, Bedichek-Orman Grants, and the Bedichek-Orman Auction and Proceeds that fund professional development opportunities for HCC faculty—both part-time and full-time. The HCC Faculty Senate and the HCC Foundation manage the fund. Mia continues to oversee these efforts due to her commitment to ensuring an equitable and inclusive environment for all faculty. In addition, she has actively served and participated in the following Faculty Senate Committees: Compensation, Benefits & Workload, Dual Credit, Educational Affairs, Graduation, Instructional Technology, and Policies & Procedures.
Webmaster
Dr. Matt Webster is a psychology faculty member at Houston Community College (HCC), where he also serves on the Concourse syllabus management team and as the webmaster for the HCCS Faculty Senate website.