Dr. Amy Tan joined CT State in 2025 with more than 20 years of experience in higher education leadership, teaching and innovation. She previously served as Dean for English and Communications at Houston Community College (HCC), overseeing programs in English, speech, communications and American Sign Language across seven colleges and sixteen campuses.
At HCC, Dr. Tan led initiatives to centralize instruction, streamline course scheduling and strengthen transfer and student success pathways. She contributed to institutional effectiveness, accreditation and public visibility as host of HCC’s Up to the Minute and occasional host of The Topic, which showcased college programs, community events and student achievements.
She has extensive experience in curriculum development, assessment and academic program review. Her leadership advanced open educational resources, co-remediation and dual enrollment partnerships. She also secured external funding and recognition for innovative programming while serving in statewide and national leadership roles supporting equity in education.
Committed to inclusive student success, Dr. Tan expanded initiatives in basic needs, instructional partnerships and co-curricular programming. She notably strengthened engagement with the Deaf community through the expansion of International Week of the Deaf.
A dedicated educator, Dr. Tan taught English Composition and Literature for more than two decades, serving as Program Coordinator, Department Chair and advisor to the Women and Gender Studies Club. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas, and her master’s and doctorate in English from the University of Houston and completed leadership training at UC Berkeley and the League for Innovation Executive Leadership Institute.
