UT Tyler Announces New University Academy – Palestine Director

June 30, 2025 | Hannah Buchanan

Shelly Parsons has been named campus director of The University of Texas at Tyler University Academy in Palestine, effective Aug. 1. She has served as interim director for nearly two years.

With more than 17 years of experience in education, Parsons joined UT Tyler University Academy in 2017, where she has served in various instructional and leadership roles.

“Ms. Parsons has always had a strong connection to the Palestine community and surrounding areas. Her success reflects not just her dedication to education, but also her deep roots in the community she serves,” said Dr. Jo Ann Simmons, UA superintendent.

As campus director, Parsons oversees daily operations of UA–Palestine, including personnel on campus, activities planning, budgeting, and campus recruitment and retention.

“I’m excited to foster collaboration, strengthen relationships, and build a community rooted in trust and shared leadership,” said Parsons, a Palestine native. “Most importantly, I’m eager to cultivate an environment where curiosity thrives, resilience is embraced, and a lifelong love for learning is nurtured.”

Parsons holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi, a master's degree in teaching from the University of Memphis and will soon complete a second master's degree in educational leadership from UT Tyler.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.