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Humanities Texas welcomes our new board members! The Humanities Texas Board of Directors formulates policy, approves programs and projects, reviews grant applications, participates in fundraising, and promotes organizational activities. Directors are selected for knowledge of or involvement in the humanities and represent a balance between the academic and public spheres.

The Humanities Texas Board of Directors meets at the Westin Riverwalk in San Antonio in November 2019.
Daina Ramey Berry

Daina Ramey Berry is the Oliver H. Radkey Regents Professor of History, a Fellow of Walter Prescott Webb Chair in History, and the George W. Littlefield Professor in American History at The University of Texas at Austin, where she is also the chair of the Department of History. A "scholar of the enslaved" and specialist on gender and slavery and Black women’s history, Berry is the award-winning author and editor of six books and several scholarly articles.

"I am delighted to serve as a member of the board for an organization that I have supported and been a part of since I arrived in Texas eleven years ago," said Berry.

Daina Ramey Berry.

Walter Díaz

Walter Díaz is the founding dean of the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in Edinburg and Brownsville. Díaz served a critical role in the establishment of a new interdisciplinary college that combined the resources and academic strengths from three legacy institution colleges.

"I am honored to receive an appointment to the Board of Humanities Texas," commented Díaz. "This organization’s established mission to advance heritage, culture, and education in the State of Texas is always of vital importance and even more so given the unprecedented times we live in."

Walter Díaz.

Daniel J. Gelo

Daniel J. Gelo is dean and professor of anthropology emeritus and former Stumberg Distinguished University Chair at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Gelo holds PhD, MPhil, MA, and BA degrees in anthropology from Rutgers University. As dean of UTSA’s largest college for seventeen years, Gelo led eleven departments in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

"The best humanities scholars and teachers nourish our society, and Humanities Texas sustains their good work," said Gelo. "I’m honored to be part of this effort."

Daniel J. Gelo.

Maryse Jayasuriya

Maryse Jayasuriya is a professor of English and associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at El Paso. She earned her MA and PhD from Purdue University and her BA from Mount Holyoke College. She is the author of Terror and Reconciliation: Sri Lankan Anglophone Literature, 1983–2009 (Lexington, 2012) and the editor of The Immigrant Experience: Critical Insights (Salem Press, 2018).

"In these challenging times, which require critical insight and historical perspective more than ever, education and public programming in the humanities are essential," commented Jayasuriya. "I am honored to be a member of the board of Humanities Texas because I have seen firsthand that Humanities Texas has provided tremendous support for teaching and programming in the humanities."

Maryse Jayasuriya.