TAMIU Welcomes New Dean of The Graduate School, Dr. Lola Norris

This Fall at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) new leadership faces are being seen among first-time and returning undergraduate, graduate students, and faculty. TAMIU has named three new deans, including a new Dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Lola Orellano Norris. 

TAMIU provost and vice president for Academic Affairs Dr. Claudia San Miguel said Dr. Norris’s selection to lead the Graduate School affirms the University’s dynamic growth in graduate studies.

“We have seen astounding growth in TAMIU’s graduate enrollment and deliberately sought out a Dean with broad higher education experience, familiarity with the unique needs of graduate students, and someone well versed in the expectations and deliverables that accompany a true graduate school experience.  Dr. Norris offers broad expertise and experience, has studied in global classrooms, and has distinct personal insight into the graduate experience at TAMIU and The Texas A&M University System.  Her community outreach, research, service, and teaching at the University are well-known. We believe this rare combination will continue to drive The Graduate School’s exceptionality,” Dr. San Miguel explained. 

Dr. Norris is a familiar face to many on campus as an alum and a professor.  To some, she’s been their student.  To others, they are her students. She says the global classroom has been her happy place since childhood.  To date, she’s traveled to every continent except Antarctica.  Her facility with languages stems from growing up in Switzerland and switching between four languages daily.

“It’s complicated. I was born in Spain, raised in Switzerland, and now reside in the United States, on the border with México. I like to joke that when it comes to languages, I have been a victim of circumstance because I grew up in Switzerland. My reality has always been multilingual and multicultural. At seven, I was already managing four languages daily. From elementary school through college, I learned various additional languages and achieved fluency in several more. And I haven’t stopped. Studying languages, traveling, and learning about other peoples and cultures has always been part of my life,” Dr. Norris said.

That facility and fascination with languages and cultures soon presented a career direction and a life path. 

“When I graduated from high school in Switzerland, I planned to study medicine. By happenstance, I ended up getting an undergraduate degree in German, Spanish, and English Translation from the Zürich Translators’ and Interpreters’ School instead. I enjoyed working as a translator and interpreter after graduation and thought my life would revolve around the United Nations in Geneva and other international organizations, but I got married, moved to the United States, started a family, and lived a very different life.

“Soon, I was raising our children, working as a freelance translator and teaching languages at various private schools across the U.S.  After coming to Laredo, I earned my first graduate degree, the M.A. in Spanish Literature, as an older, non-traditional student with family obligations...like most of my classmates then and like many graduate students today,” she recalled.

Being attuned to the graduate school experience is not surprising for Dr. Norris -- she’s lived the challenges and opportunities graduate study can present, sometimes simultaneously.

“Oh, I had doubts about whether graduate school was right for me, but I encountered very supportive professors who recognized my potential, mentored me, and encouraged me to further my education. I realized that I loved doing research, and I already knew that I loved teaching. At last, I had found my calling as college professor. I went on to earn a Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies and a second Master’s degree in Spanish Translation and Interpreting at two different Texas universities. 

“As a first-generation college student, I never imagined I would become a University professor or administrator. When we moved to Laredo, TAMIU had just joined The Texas A&M University System, and a brand-new campus was being built in north Laredo. It was such an exciting time, a bright new beginning. I recognized the opportunities the University offered. Captivated by the vision and mission of the institution, I wanted to become part of the dream, as a student, as a faculty member,” she recalled.

She’s quick to affirm the value of graduate study and correct any misconceptions about the role it can play. 

“A popular misconception is that graduate school is a continuation of undergraduate education. It is much more. A graduate degree brings a deeper focus. Undergraduates will absorb new information, whereas graduate students typically conduct original research, generate knowledge, and contribute to scholarship in their discipline. TAMIU graduate students can work closely with their professors, often earning prestigious assistantships or fellowships or publishing their own research. Graduate students practice higher-level problem-solving skills and become more confident and articulate public speakers. Graduate coursework is time-consuming, and expectations are higher, but it is an investment in one’s future that increases one’s earning potential, boosts upward mobility, and contributes to a more fulfilling professional life,” she observed. 

Norris said she’s excited about her new post and the opportunity to lead change at The Graduate School. 

“One of the beautiful things in academia is that every Fall we start anew. We welcome new students and faculty, and we are thrilled to see all the returning students and faculty on campus. Every Fall we are open to new experiences and boundless possibilities. At the Graduate School I am looking forward to assisting graduate students as they navigate the graduate experience and to supporting them in their endeavors. 

“Our graduate enrollment has almost doubled to over 1600 graduate students. We now offer two doctoral degrees, 25 master’s degrees, and six graduate certificates. My goal is to maintain the momentum, continue growing graduate enrollment, and innovate to attract more international students while supporting study abroad by our graduate students.

“We have more graduate degrees in development, both at the master’s and doctoral level. This is part of our strategic plan to take TAMIU a step further to attain Research 2 status. Our enthusiastic Graduate School team is getting ready for the Graduate School Open House, our marquee event, Thursday, October 10, 5 – 7 p.m., in the Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center. The application fee will be waived for those who apply to any of our programs on that day,” she explained. 

While she’s lived around the world, she said Laredo is her happy home. 

“I adapt easily to new surroundings, and I have loved all my prior homes, but Laredo is the city I have called home the longest now, and I am very happy here. Laredo is such a unique place. I love its bilingual, bicultural vibrancy; the people’s friendliness; the scrumptious food... and the hot climate. Yes, I might be one of the few people here who actually love Laredo’s triple-digit temperatures,” she smiled.

For more on TAMIU’s Graduate School, email graduateschool@tamiu.edu, call 956.326.3020, or click on https://www.tamiu.edu/gradschool 

Read an extended interview with Dr. Norris here including more about graduate study today, her  favorite books, her green cactus thumb, and a growing set of collectibles that honor her Swiss heritage...and colorfully and handily keep her on time.