HUNTSVILLE — Jaimie L. Hebert, dean of Sam Houston State University’s College of Arts and Sciences since 2005, has been named provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at the university.

Hebert’s selection was announced by Dana L. Gibson, SHSU president, who said that he will begin his new duties Aug. 1. He will replace David Payne, who is retiring July 31.

Hebert received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in statistics at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and taught at Appalachian State University before coming to Sam Houston State in 1995.

Gibson said that SHSU was fortunate to have attracted so many talented and qualified candidates in its national search process.

“Dr. Hebert received an impressive amount of support from the university community as finalist,” she said.  “I personally feel he will continue the excellent trajectory of quality academic programs and research at Sam Houston.

“I am also confident that Dr. Hebert will continue to offer his energy, professionalism and high intellectual standards to SHSU, along with his deep respect for our mission and a sense of our strategic needs,” she said.

Hebert praised the current administration for the leadership they had provided in the past as well as their ideas for the university’s future development.

“I am honored to serve this wonderful institution in this capacity,” Hebert said.  “Dr. Payne has had such a significant, positive impact on our university, and it is daunting to think of following his tenure in the position. Dr. Gibson's vision for our university has brought a new level of excitement to the campus, and all of our academic units are eager to join her in pursuing that vision. I am humbled by the thought of leading such an extraordinary faculty and staff in this endeavor.”

Under Hebert’s direction as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the university established a nursing program and a Department of Nursing; an Office of Medical and Allied Health Professions; a graduate program in applied geographic information systems; an online master’s degree in quality and information assurance; a master’s degree in music therapy; and an aquatics research facility, among other programs.

Prior to his service as dean, Hebert was chair of the Department of Mathematics at SHSU. He secured funding and official status for the Reeves Center for Mathematics Education; restructured the developmental mathematics program; established a self-sufficient mathematics tutoring lab available to students throughout campus; established a master’s degree in digital forensics; grew the number of teaching assistantships from six to over 20; and proposed a doctorate in mathematics education to the Texas State Board of Regents and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which resulted in a joint program with Texas State University-San Marcos.

His university-related service and professional activities include chairing the faculty evaluation committee; the faculty grievance committee; and the athletic advisory council.  He has also been a member of the Academic Affairs Council; Council of Academic Deans; Academic Policy Council; Banner/ERP steering committee; core curriculum assessment committee; standing faculty tenure committee; Texas Success Initiative committee; and Faculty Senate.

Hebert has served as secretary-treasurer of the Mathematical Association of America, Texas Section; senior research editor of the Journal of Developmental Education; and adviser of the SHSU Rotaract Club and SHSU Statistics Club.

He has served as president, vice president, treasurer and director of the Huntsville Rotary Club; board member of the Huntsville Girls Softball Association; and member of Walker County Quail Unlimited.

In 2008, Rotary International named Hebert a Paul Harris Fellow, and in 2006 he was given the SHSU Faculty Senate Outstanding Administrator Award.

Hebert is the father of two daughters – Emily, a student at Texas Woman’s University, and Sarah, a junior at Huntsville High School.