Dr. Antonio D. Tillis has been named dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and M. D. Anderson Professor in Hispanic Studies.

Provost Paula Myrick Short and the University of Houston are proud to welcome Dr. Antonio D. Tillis as the new dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and M.D. Anderson Professor in Hispanic Studies.

Home to 14 schools and departments, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is the largest and most diverse of the 14 academic colleges at the University of Houston.

Undergraduate and graduate majors cover the full range of the human experience – from anthropology to human space exploration sciences. The College also offers social and cultural analysis in African American, Mexican American, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality, and other interdisciplinary studies program.

CLASS extends its scholarship to the University, the city of Houston, and the nation through its policy, research, and cultural centers, which include the Hobby Center for Public Policy, the Center for Immigration Research, and the University Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic.

With over 500 faculty members, CLASS educates nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, preparing them for future studies and professional achievements.

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he served as dean of the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs at the College of Charleston. Prior to his appointment, he was a distinguished international visiting scholar at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica and has developed relationships with numerous universities in Brazil, Columbia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, France, Peru, Trinidad, Jamaica, England, Costa Rica, Ghana, China, and Gabon.

Dr. Tillis brings an international and national reputation as an acclaimed scholar and author with specializations in Latin American, Afro-Latin American and African Diaspora literatures to CLASS.

Dr. Tillis holds a B.S. from Vanderbilt University, an M.A. in Spanish Literature from Howard University, and a Ph.D. in Latin American Literature with an Afro-Hispanic emphasis from the University of Missouri at Columbia.

Dr. Tillis started his new role on Feb.1.