Sandra Harvey, Ph.D., Lone Star College-CyFair history professor, initially sought a career in psychology to help people heal and feel like they mattered. However, thanks to her professors at Baylor University, she realized that history could do the same thing.
“I enjoy teaching and helping students find their place in history,” said Harvey. “If I can connect students to history and get them excited about their educational opportunities, this is inspirational to me. I am paying it forward and passing on the enthusiasm for learning and the idea that ‘you can do it’ that my professors gave me.”
The LSC-CyFair history professor has spent 27 years learning, preserving and teaching Texas history. She will use that experience and knowledge to serve on the Harris County Historical Commission (HCHC). Harvey plans to help the committee create a more dynamic story of Texas History, specifically Harris County.
“I want to identify and amplify all of the different voices and stories of our local and state history,” she said. “I don’t want to just focus on the politics or popular topics like the Texas Revolution. There’s more to Texas History and more people connected to it than just those particular but albeit important events.”
The Harris County Historical Commission started in February 1958 to assist Harris County in promoting and preserving Texas’ historic and cultural resources. Under the Harris County Commissioners Court’s leadership, the historical commission provides a unified and effective process for reviewing, approving and maintaining over 500 markers and monuments designating historical sites across the county. Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones’s office nominated Harvey to the HCHC.
“Additionally, the Harris County Historical Commission promotes and supports countywide awareness, interest and appreciation of historic preservation in Harris County and statewide,” said Blake Ellis, Ph.D., chief talent officer for Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones. “Dr. Harvey is a well-respected teacher of Texas History and a dedicated researcher of Texas women’s history who will serve the commission with distinction. She is a leader with impeccable credentials, an unwavering commitment to student success and a record of expanding opportunities for all students.”
Harvey is a founding history faculty member of LSC-CyFair when it opened in 2003. She remembers the campus’s goal was to have a strong collaborative and innovative presence in the community. The professor feels her HCHC appointment helps reflect that original value.
“Lone Star College-CyFair wanted to be more than a college; we wanted to do as much as we could to support the community as they have supported us,” she said. “Serving the historical commission will create connections and opportunities for students and allow the college to stay invested while giving back to the community.”
Harvey earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Baylor University and a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University. She is a member of the Organization of American Historians, serving on the membership committee.