UT Tyler Alum Named 2023 Texas Outstanding School Psychologist of the Year
TYLER (December 4, 2023) – Rene Hernandez, an alum of The University of Texas at Tyler, was named Outstanding School Psychologist of the Year by the Texas Association of School Psychologists for his work at Strickland Middle School in Denton Independent School District.
TASP annually recognizes school psychologists, graduate students and school districts that exemplify the practice of school psychology and work tirelessly to ensure students receive comprehensive mental health services in Texas schools. Nominees are suggested by active members of TASP, and finalists are selected via committee vote.
“I want to congratulate Rene on his recent accomplishment,” said Dr. Pradeep “Max” Dass, dean of the UT Tyler College of Education and Psychology. “We in the college are so proud when we see and hear one of our very own doing great things for students across the state and beyond.”
A native of El Paso, Hernandez has served Strickland Middle School in Denton for nine years. He has been in practice for 10 years, providing counseling, testing and consultation services to K-12 students and educators as well as professional training for psychology practicum students and interns.
He has led educational courses on topics such as multicultural considerations of bilingual evaluation, the ABCs of behavior and special education basics. He has also provided training to a statewide audience of professionals in the education and medical/mental health fields through the Child Psychiatry Access Network, hosted by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-El Paso.
Hernandez holds adjunct faculty appointments at both UT Tyler and North Central Texas College, where he teaches introduction to psychology, lifespan development and abnormal psychology, with a focus on the use of practice-based models in the classroom setting. He currently serves as vice president of the DFW-Regional Association of School Psychologists.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology as well as a Master of Science in clinical psychology from UT Tyler.
A state affiliate of the National Association of School Psychologists, the Texas Association of School Psychologists is a professional organization that supports and advocates for school psychologists having a positive impact on school systems to improve academic skills, social-emotional functioning and mental-behavioral health for all students. For more information, visit txasp.org.
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 nearly 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.