First Black Woman Tenured at Texas A&M Commerce

Dr. Elizabeth, affectionately known as Dr. E, is the first Black woman tenured at Texas A&M University-Commerce. As an Associate Professor and Executive Pastor, she empowers women through her initiative, BLOOM, transforming lives and building connections.

Introducing Dr. Elizabeth: A Trailblazer as the First Black Woman Tenured at Texas A&M University-Commerce

Let me introduce you to Dr. Elizabeth, or Dr. E, as she’s fondly known. She’s the brains and heart behind BLOOM. She is also an Executive Pastor at Rhema Gospel Church and an Associate Professor of Public Health at Texas A&M University-Commerce. 

However, being a professor was not always part of her dream. If anything, Dr. E was more aligned to pursue a career in community medicine. She got her nursing degree as the first step to this journey with the goal of becoming a medical doctor. 

While studying for the MCAT, she started her graduate studies in public health and soon realized this was actually the space for her. As with many people, the exposure to something unknown led her to switch courses and pursue a PhD in public health. Reflecting back, this was the best decision, though it seemed foolish at the time. One of her best moments now is seeing her students walk across the stage, having found a way to align their passion and educational endeavors. 

Though her journey in academia may seem seamless now, being a professor was not always part of Dr. E’s dream. Initially, she was inclined toward a career in community medicine, starting with a nursing degree to pave her way to becoming a medical doctor. However, while preparing for the MCAT, she began her graduate studies in public health and soon discovered that this was where she truly belonged. This pivotal switch to pursuing a PhD in public health turned out to be a defining moment in her life, ultimately leading her to an incredible achievement: becoming the first Black woman tenured in her department at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Given that only about 2% of the U.S. population are PhD holders, with women of color disproportionately represented, this achievement is truly exceptional. 

Dr. E reflects on this with both pride and a sense of responsibility.

“I’m not ashamed of how I carried myself and how I expressed myself up until I found out I’m the first Black woman tenured in my department. I’m glad I’m the first, and people can watch how I have walked and follow that.

She went on to say she is confident she will not be the last and many more will follow in her footsteps. 

Let’s Talk Bloom

Dr. E has an infectious energy that makes you want to sit up and pay attention. Throughout our interview, I found myself several times in awe of the wisdom she shared. 

When she talks about empowering women and building communities, you can’t help but get excited. In fact, she describes herself as a “community mobilizer” who loves “finding community and creating spaces where individuals can come together to actualize and realize their best selves.”

BLOOM is her latest project, and it’s all about bringing women together to support and grow each other. According to Dr. E, this project is a God assignment and a representation of her intersectionality as Elizabeth, a Pastor, and Dr. E.

Why BLOOM? 

The inception of BLOOM wasn’t a sudden revelation. “Before I talked about BLOOM, I had to experience an inner BLOOM,” she reflects. “I had to go through the places to realize that I need to be connected, I need to be empowered, I need another woman, I need other people around me. God showed me the product of who I am. I was able to see the women and the men that have poured into my life, but I had to sit with that and say why am I the way that I am.”

Until then, Dr. E had gone through many seasons with incredible women who shaped her. They might not have helped her sit for her exams or do those long study nights, but they held and supported her in more ways than she could explain.

These personal experiences shaped Dr. E’s vision for the program. “I am a product of women that have poured into my life,” she says. “I believe because I am a product of women that have poured into my life, that every woman needs to have another woman that is pouring into their lives.”

Dr. E says you need three types of women to help you fully bloom. One, a woman who can pour into you. Realistically, a mentor who’s where you aspire to be. This person doesn’t necessarily have to be older, but often, more experience and maturity come with years. Two, you need friends or peers in the same space and going through similar experiences. These are your girlfriends, your support system. And three, you need to be pouring into someone else. It can be a younger woman or someone looking up to you because you’re at a level they desire to reach.

You’ll have more accountability when you have all these three women in your life. For Dr. E, accountability looks like realizing that there are mentees who look up to her. Her actions and decisions will also influence the actions and decisions of her mentees. 

In another perspective, accountability for DR. E is having women in her life who won’t let her be average. “There is a woman who will say, ‘You can do better, and I know you can. I’m going to help you do better.’”

This is what Dr. E hopes to achieve with Bloom. 

She wants to bring together these three types of women so no one is left behind and walking alone. “It needs to be an ongoing process so that way I can call out the potential within this young woman and walk with her until she blooms in her God-given purpose.” 

The Power of Connection 

“We are three connections away from what we need,” Dr. E explains. “We are blooming in different seasons… The idea is when you bloom, I blossom. When I bloom, you also blossom because we’re connected.”

She uses a beautiful metaphor to illustrate this: “I may be a rose that only blooms in the spring, but that’s okay. I have a mentee that will bloom in the winter, and you may bloom in the fall, but because we’re connected, we will always experience a bloom because one of us is blooming.”

A blooming woman will do all she can to ensure her circle succeeds. She will connect you to what you need and not expect anything from it. 

According to Dr. E, to find this circle of Blooming women, you must be connected to God and understand what season you are in. 

On the day of her dissertation defense at Texas A&M Commerce, Dr. E had a brief conversation with a colleague, Dr. Espinoza, about her plans. 

This seemingly casual five-minute interaction led to an unexpected opportunity when Dr. Espinosa emailed her a job posting later that day.

Despite having applied to numerous positions since January, including post-doctoral and public health roles, and not seeing any success, Dr. E decided to pursue this lead. She applied for the position at A&M Commerce and ultimately secured the job. 

She encourages people to give their plans to God, for He will take care of them. 

However, when God finally opens that door, make sure you are ready to go all in. “I was ready with the resume and cover letter because when opportunity knocks, it may not knock again…. God opened the door, and I delivered. I went for that interview. I was just myself. They loved me clearly. I’m here, and it has just been that way.”

Why Attend BLOOM?

BLOOM  is more than just another women’s empowerment seminar. “This is a one-day intentionally curated event,” Dr. E clarifies. “This is not coincidental. Everything that will take place, every message that will go on on August 24th, has been prayerfully thought out and planned for you.”

The event aims to equip women with the practical tools to live out their God-given purpose. “We want to prepare an event where when you walk out of there, you can say, ‘I am so glad I attended the BLOOM experience, and I cannot wait to take these lessons and put them into practice and create my own BLOOM space experience,'” Dr. E shares.

The Bloom Experience 2024 has already happened, but follow Bloom on Facebook for updates about the next Bloom Experience.

Who Can Attend BLOOM?

“Every woman, regardless of your background or age… sixth grade to grown, there is no age discrimination here,” Dr. E enthusiastically tells me. “I want the 82-year-old grandmothers to come to BLOOM because we need to sit at your feet and listen because there’s something you can pour into us.”

Single attendees are also warmly welcomed. “If you’re by yourself and you feel, ‘No, this would be good if I came with my girlfriends,’ no, don’t let that stop you,” Dr. E says. “You’re going to connect with other blooming women. So you come by yourself, you’re going to leave with a connection of women you can do life with.”

As our interview draws to a close, Dr. E shares her ultimate vision: “20 years from now, I may not have the energy or capacity to do all these things that I’m doing, but while I’m blooming, I am going to [reach]everybody that I can so that the next generation of girls becomes empowered by us and they can [then] pull up the next generation of girls.”