Clarksville, TN – Dr. Alisa White, Austin Peay State University president, was named Lee University’s 2017 Distinguished Alumna of the Year during that school’s Homecoming celebration earlier this month.
The award is the highest honor given by the university to alumni and is given to a graduate who is making advancement in his or her career, while also embracing the values that Lee embodies.
“Dr. White came to the attention of the committee because of her outstanding work as a higher education administrator,” Dr. Jerome Hammond, vice president of University Relations, said. “She was chosen as this year’s recipient because she consistently embodies the core values of Lee; and as an alumnus, makes significant contributions to Lee’s welfare, reputation, and prestige.”
On June 30th, 2014, White became the tenth president of Austin Peay. She previously served as provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas at Tyler and provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.
She is an advocate for high-impact higher education practices that promote student success, and she has extensive experience in comprehensive course redesign.
In addition to her B.A. degree in business from Lee College (now Lee University), in Cleveland, Tennessee, White earned her M.S.L.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Before joining Austin Peay, she served institutions such as the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Louisiana State University in Shreveport, the University of West Georgia, the University of Texas at Arlington, Midwestern State University, and the University of Texas at Tyler as a professor, department chair, graduate adviser, dean and provost.
Her research has been published in scholarly journals such as the Journal of Advertising Research, the Journal of Advertising Education and the Journal of Creative Behavior. She also has served as a consultant for city governments and Fortune 500 companies, offering workshops on leadership, conflict negotiation and creative management.
White is married to Elliott Herzlich, who has more than 30 years of experience in the jewelry business. White and Herzlich have three grown children and two grandchildren.
