UT Tyler Honors Student Appointed to State Learning Technology Advisory Committee

May 12, 2026 | Hannah Buchanan

John Schnell of Tyler, a junior biochemistry major and Honors student at The University of Texas at Tyler, was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to serve a one-year term as the student representative on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Learning Technology Advisory Committee, effective June 1.

LTAC engages in policy research and discussion on technology use in higher education, making recommendations to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Student representative selection is based on academics, interests and leadership skills.

“We’re so proud of John and the great work he will do representing students across the state,” said UT Tyler President Julie V. Philley, MD.

Schnell will graduate from UT Tyler in May 2028, with a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry.

LTAC membership currently includes representatives from public community and technical colleges, universities and health-related institutions, as well as one student member. Visit highered.texas.gov to learn more.

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 11,500 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.