About

President Lawrence Schovanec Biography

Under Lawrence Schovanec’s leadership, Texas Tech University has reached new heights, exceeding benchmarks in student enrollment, research awards and expenditures and fundraising.

After receiving his doctorate in mathematics from Indiana University, Schovanec joined Texas Tech’s faculty as an assistant mathematics professor. Today, as the university’s 17th president, his tenure at Texas Tech has spanned more than four decades. He’s served as a department chair, dean, provost and, since 2016, university president.

Since Schovanec’s appointment, Texas Tech has received more than $1 billion in philanthropic gifts, and the university’s infrastructure has seen considerable improvements through the investment of more than $900 million in campus facilities.

Enrollment at Texas Tech has increased by nearly 5,000 students under Schovanenc's leadership, and in 2020, the university exceeded 40,000 students for the first time. One year earlier, Texas Tech reached two milestones: The U.S. Department of Education designated Texas Tech a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and the Texas Legislature approved the establishment of the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine, the state’s first in over a century.

While the increase in enrollment is notable, Schovanec is particularly proud of the significant progress made in student success, highlighted by a more than 40% improvement in Texas Tech's four-year graduation rate.

Reaffirmed a “Very High Research Activity” institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the university’s research expenditures have grown by more than 40% since Schovanec became president, now exceeding $255 million in total research expenditures in 2024.

Continued support from the State of Texas has effected positive changes on the university. As an advocate for Texas Tech and higher education more broadly, Schovanec has prioritized demonstrating the value and return on such investments that benefit not only Red Raiders but the state and the nation.

Published primarily in the areas of biomechanical and physiological control systems and solid mechanics, Schovanec has spoken extensively at international conferences and other professional venues. He’s a strong sponsor for educational and outreach activities in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and has received more than $3.2 million in external funding, primarily from the National Science Foundation.

In addition to his role as president, Schovanec serves on the executive board for the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education, representing the United States. He is also a member of the NAFSA Board of Directors.

Previously, he was chair of both the Texas Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors and the Texas International Education Consortium board. From 2021-2023, he chaired the Big 12 Board of Directors.

Schovanec and his wife Patty, a member of the mathematics faculty, are inspired every day by the students, each of whom brings unique experiences and perspectives that add to the fabric of the Texas Tech experience. Together, they share the values of grit, determination and hard work – traits that are on display every day by Red Raiders across the globe.