Monica Williams, President, Texas Woman’s University-Houston

Described as a city within a city, Texas Woman’s University – Houston is strategically located within the Texas Medical Center. The synergies between the university and the surrounding healthcare sector provide students with the exposure, experience, and knowledge needed to excel in their careers upon graduation, with many of them being employed in the industry even before walking the stage. In an interview with Invest:, Texas Woman’s University-Houston President Monica Williams highlights the growth of the university’s presence in the Houston market and what the future may look like as they finalize their strategic plans

What have been the biggest changes for Texas Woman’s University – Houston in the past year?

As the inaugural president of Texas Woman’s University – Houston, it has been more than I dreamt it would be. I am a native Houstonian, and I watched the Texas Medical Center grow and develop over the past half-century. I catch myself looking out of the 10th-floor window and marvel at what surrounds our beautiful campus. We are in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, and to have the opportunity to build on top of a 70-year history just takes my breath away. Looking at the work of Monica Christopher in Dallas helps me envision what may be to come for Houston. The geographic difference between where we are in the system, 300 miles away from Denton and Dallas, is a little different for us. The last eight months have been employing a laser-focused view to set the foundation of our upcoming strategic planning process. We are assembling a steering committee to help us envision what Houston could be in the near future. With our 70-year history in the Texas Medical Center, and the fact that outside of our partners and supporters, not many people know we are here, we will focus on charting the next 70 years of our history in the city within the city that is our campus. 

What do you believe makes Houston the right environment for your offerings and programs?

I have spent more than 25 years in the higher public education sector, and there is something magical about TWU in general. Among our guiding principles are opening doors, fueling innovation, and cultivating grit. These are not just words but actions that govern our DNA. It is the secret sauce we give our graduates and stands out among all other professionals. The biggest upside is being located in the Texas Medical Center. Our students are learning and then going right next door across campus to become the best in their professions. They are already familiar with what is around them and where they will work. Our excellent faculty and academic programs in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other health areas are happening right in their backyard, giving us the leading edge to go right into work experience after leaving our great institution. 

What broader market trends are influencing TWU’s offerings and programs?

Things are evolving in a way where technology is infused into the classroom through AI, and simulation methodology, and our students are exposed to all of this. In Houston, we have some of the most cutting-edge labs. Our students get real experiences through experiential learning right here on campus. They spend approximately four days a week on clinical rotations right across the street. Leading institutions such as Methodist Hospital, MD Anderson, and Texas Children’s Hospital are our neighbors, and students are within reach of them. We offer what these institutions want to see and what they want our graduates to be equipped with.   

What feedback are you hearing from healthcare institutions regarding current workforce challenges?

Nursing is a big part of the shortage. We concentrate not on what everyone else around us is doing but on what we know our partners need. We are in constant communication with healthcare leaders regarding the opportunities to fill workforce needs. We partner with their human resources departments to identify key occupations that need people in the workforce, and we are producing those students. Our students are employed as soon as they graduate, in some cases even before they become alumni. 

To what do you attribute the university’s success in occupational therapy and physical therapy programs?

Our PT and OT faculty are phenomenal and brilliant. Our students are cultivating that grit in the classroom. At any given time, you can walk into the lobby of our building, and you can see the students practicing and working. They interact with their peers and treat them as patients. They are getting experience through simulation. This gives us a leading edge. Aside from clinical rotations, they are experiencing it at every turn. These graduate students have matriculated through their undergraduate experience and proven themselves worthy of being in this program. You can see the intensity in their faces and their actions. They are serious about the oaths that they take and the work that they do. They know that it is pioneering. It is a part of who they are when they come into this program. 

What are the greatest opportunities for the institution to support Houston’s evolving healthcare sector?

In addition to healthcare, we are doing amazing work in other areas. We are partnering with independent school districts and community colleges to see what pipelines make sense for us to include in our strategic plan. For example, Coleman College, which is right across the street from us, has the most amazing laboratories, and they are working in the dual credit space to bring forward healthcare students to work in our healthcare fields as well as in education. There is a teacher shortage as well. We are looking at growing our partnerships with these independent school districts. We are at the table with them, helping them to imagine what it will look like to bring more teachers into the workforce. We are working with the community colleges to bring more allied health workers into the workforce. We are also hearing that TWU-educated teachers stay in the classroom 10 years longer than graduates from other universities. 

What is your outlook for the educational sector in the near future?

TWU is a member of the Houston GPS, known as the Guided Pathway to Success initiative. Our partners are community colleges that are concentrating on Houston’s regional higher education landscape. These primary efforts focus on improving the transfer pathways and reducing the time to degree while increasing the graduation rates. This is all of us locking arms. These are the efforts that offer our students the best experience across institutions and help us all as partners to achieve the goal of equitable, high-quality education for everyone. This is at the core of the roadmap for TWU in Houston.