McMurry University Promotes Dr. Jori Sechrist to Associate Vice President

McMurry University is pleased to announce the promotion of Dr. Jori Sechrist to Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Institutional Effectiveness, and Student Success.

Dr. Sechrist has been deeply engaged in advancing student success at McMurry, contributing her expertise to university initiatives focused on retention, progression, and completion. Her leadership includes service on the Foundations of Excellence project (2014-16), the Gateways to Completion project (2017-21), and the Quality Enhancement Plan (2016-25). Through the QEP, she served on both the selection and leadership teams that supported the development of the Mindset for Success office and data-informed interventions for students on academic probation. She currently serves on the Excelencia in Education Leadership Team, continuing her commitment to advancing equitable outcomes for students.

In her work overseeing institutional effectiveness, Sechrist has supported inquiry-driven, data-informed decision-making across the university. In her new role, and with the support of President Lynne Murray, she will lead the Institutional Task Force for Retention, coordinating cross-campus efforts to strengthen student persistence and success.

Dr. Cynthia Martin, Vice President for Academic Affairs, highlighted Sechrist's leadership approach.

President Lynne Murrayexpressed her support for the promotion.

About Dr. Jori Sechrist

Dr. Sechrist is originally from Hobbs, New Mexico, and is an alumna of McMurry University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from McMurry University in 2001, followed by a Master of Science in sociology in 2003 and a Ph.D. in sociology, with a minor in gerontology, in 2008 from Purdue University.

Before joining the McMurry faculty in 2014, Sechrist served as a postdoctoral research associate at Purdue University and as an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Texas-Pan American. She is currently a professor of sociology and head of the Department of Sociology and Criminology.

Her research focuses on the quality of relationships and exchanges between older parents and adult children, with particular attention to racial and ethnic variations. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Marriage and Family, Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, and Research on Aging. She is also committed to undergraduate research, regularly mentoring students and presenting with them at academic conferences.

Dr. Sechrist has held leadership roles with the Southwestern Sociological Association, serving as vice president (2023), president-elect (2024), president (2025), and past president (2026).

Since 2018, she has served as McMurry's Director of Institutional Effectiveness, contributing to the redevelopment of the university's mission statement, assessing general education and university competencies, and implementing the strategic plan, "The Second Century at McMurry University." Her recent work has focused on student success, assessment, and institutional effectiveness, with presentations at state and national venues including TxAHEA, SACSCOC, Gateways to Completion, and AAC&U.

Contact

Leah Bennett, Director of Integrated Communications
[email protected]
325-793-3800, ext.1013