Khator Inducted into Texas Women’s Hall of Fame

renu-in-2

At the ceremony inducting her into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in Denton on October 21, Dr. Renu Khator, the Chancellor and President of the University of Houston System, with her husband Suresh to her right and other well-wishers (from left) members of the University of Houston Board of Regents: Dr. Durga Das Agrawal and his wife Shushila; Welcome W. Wilson Jr, Vice Chair of the Board and his wife Anita and Welcome Wilson Sr., former Chair of the Board.

By Jawahar Malhotra

DENTON: Dr. Renu Khator, the Chancellor and President of the University of Houston System received another feather in her cap recently on Friday, October 21 when she was one of five Texans inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall Of Fame by Gov. Greg Abbott.  The five women represented business, the arts, science, public service and aviation.

The TWHF was established in 1984 by the Governor’s Commission on Women and the honorees of native Texans or Texas residents are selected biennially from submissions from the public. The museum is located inside Hubbard Hall at the Texas Women’s University at Denton and houses a permanent exhibit featuring the accomplishments of each honoree. Since it began, there have been over 1501 women inducted, including two other Indo-Americans: Nandita Berry, attorney and former Secretary of State in 2014 and Nina Godiwala, author and journalist, in 2012.

renu-in-1

The ceremony featured Abbott and his wife Cecilia who presented each woman with a gift. Abbott spoke about how important it as to recognize women as role models for young people. “We celebrate today’s five honorees not only for their individual achievements but also for their unique contributions in making Texas a more superior state,” he told the crowd of guests at the Hubbard Hall ballroom.

In addition to Khator, this year’s other inductees are Selena Quintanilla, the legendary Latina singer popularly known only as “Selena” who died in 1995; Emma Carter Browning, a female pilot and former president of Browning Aerial Services who died in 2010; Susie Hitchcock-Hall, founder of Susie’s South Forty Confections in Midland and Ginger Kerrick, a division chief at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Selena drew the largest applause from the crowd as one of the most recognizable artists in Texas.

There to see Khator receive her award were her husband Suresh and other members of the University of Houston Board of Regents: Dr. Durga Das Agrawal and his wife Shushila; Welcome W. Wilson Jr, Vice Chair of the Board and his wife Anita and Welcome Wilson Sr., former Chair of the Board.