UHCL's Faculty Council | 2026–2027 Presidential Appointments Announced

April 28, 2026

Dear Faculty,

I am writing to announce the presidential appointees from each college and the 2026-2027 Faculty Council leadership, effective August 1, 2026.

I want to first thank the 2025-2026 presidential appointees and Faculty Council leadership. Over this past year, they have led the efforts as we transitioned to this new chapter in shared governance. I am pleased that Dr. Cotten and Dr. Baker agreed to return and continue serving in their roles. Dr. Nelson Carter chose not to be reappointed or return to his role as secretary. Dr. Neal Dugre also decided not to be reappointed as the College of Health Sciences and Humanities representative. I appreciate their many contributions this past year and look forward to their continued leadership and engagement on campus. 

Additional Faculty Council representatives will be elected by each college.  

Presiding Officer
Stephen Cotten, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
College of Business  

Associate Presiding Officer
Sheila Baker, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, School of Library and Information Science
College of Education 

Secretary
Heather Kanenberg, Ph.D.
Program Director and Professor of Social Work
College of Human Sciences and Humanities 

Appointee
Xiaojun "Gene" Shan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Engineering Management
College of Science and Engineering

I look forward to our continued commitment to the spirit of shared governance and the participation of faculty and staff in the process.

Best wishes for a great rest of the semester.

Sincerely,

Richard Walker, Ed.D.
President