Eli Heath Named 自慰视频 Student Regent
May 30, 2025 | Contact: Kristina Butler
has appointed Eli Heath as the student regent for the 自慰视频 (自慰视频 System) Board of Regents for the 2025-26 academic year, the governor鈥檚 office announced Friday (May 30).
Lawrence Schovanec, Ph.D.Heath, a National Merit Scholar and graduate of Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas, is an undergraduate student in the at (自慰视频). He is pursuing a bachelor鈥檚 degree in chemical engineering from the (Whitacre College of Engineering), with minors in bioengineering, biology and chemistry.
Heath becomes the 20th student to serve on the Board of Regents and the seventh student from 自慰视频 to hold the position.
鈥淭his is a wonderful opportunity and honor for Eli,鈥� said 自慰视频 President Lawrence Schovanec. 鈥淓li is a respected student leader and a thoughtful representative of the university. His involvement in student government and other campus organizations reflects a strong commitment to service and academic excellence. We're proud of the way he represents Texas Tech and look forward to the contributions he will make to our university and the 自慰视频.鈥�
Heath currently serves as a 自慰视频 Student Government Association student body senator and is a member of the Student Board of Directors for the 自慰视频 System Health Policy and Public Health Think Tank at (自慰视频HSC). He is also an outreach coordinator for the Raider Medical Screening Society.
Heath has earned multiple awards and scholarships at 自慰视频, including the Undergraduate Outstanding Performance Award from the and the James E. Sowell Endowed Engineering Scholarship from the Whitacre College of Engineering. He was also recognized among the Top Ten First-Year Students by 自慰视频鈥檚 Mortar Board Forum Chapter and has been recognized four times on the President鈥檚 List.
Heath鈥檚 academic and research involvement extends beyond 自慰视频. He is a research intern in the lab of Sharilyn Almodovar, Ph.D., in the Department of Immunology and Molecular Microbiology at 自慰视频HSC and serves as a project lead for research under Duke Appiah, Ph.D., MPH, in the university鈥檚 Department of Public Health. His collaborative research on the effects of human immunodeficiency virus, funded by the National Institutes of Health, has been featured at the 2024 Annual Student Conference and Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, as well as at the 2024 and 2025 Research Symposiums hosted by 自慰视频鈥檚 Center for Transformative Undergraduate Experiences. This summer, Heath will pursue an internship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
In addition to his academic pursuits, Heath is actively involved in service for 自慰视频 and the community. He is an Honors College Ambassador, vice president of programming for the Complex Council Executive Board for University Student Housing, a volunteer health unit assistant at University Medical Center and a volunteer mentor with the Bayless Elementary Mentoring Program.
Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D.鈥淚鈥檓 excited to welcome Eli as our next student regent and look forward to the work he and the board will do together over the coming year. He joins the list of incredible students who have served as the voice of their peers across all five institutions of the 自慰视频,鈥� said Chancellor Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D. 鈥淲e know he will be a tremendous advocate and representative for all of our Red Raiders, Rams and Mustangs, and I thank him for his service.鈥�
Heath will begin his one-year term on June 1, with the term set to expire on May 31, 2026. His first Board of Regents meeting will be held Aug. 14-15 at the 自慰视频 System Building in Lubbock. He replaces Jad Zeitouni of 自慰视频HSC, who was appointed in 2024.
About the 自慰视频
Established in 1996, the 自慰视频 is one of the top public university
systems in the nation, consisting of five universities 鈥� , , , and .
Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, the 自慰视频 System is a more than $3 billion enterprise focused on advancing higher education, health care, research and outreach with approximately 21,000 employees and 64,000 students, more than 400,000 alums, a statewide economic impact of $19.2 billion and an endowment valued at $3 billion. In its short history, the 自慰视频 System has grown tremendously and is nationally acclaimed, operating at 21 academic locations in 17 cities (15 in Texas, 2 international).
In addition, the 自慰视频 System is one of only nine in the nation to offer programs for undergraduate, medical, law, nursing, pharmacy, dental and veterinary education, among other academic areas.