Garrett Hughey knew very little about the University of Houston when UH track and field coach Leroy Burrell recruited him in 2008. After his recruiting visit, however, the North Texas native says he immediately knew it was the place he wanted to be. Seven years later, after earning All-American honors in track and a bachelor’s degree in history, the third-year UH Law Center student has been appointed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to serve as the newest Student Regent on the UH System Board of Regents. After he is officially sworn in to the post in August, Hughey will represent students systemwide by serving as Student Regent during the 2015–16 academic year. He replaces Asit Shah, whose term recently expired.
“I want to thank Gov. Abbott for his faith in my ability to be a productive conduit for the UH System students and for this tremendous opportunity to serve this great institution,” said Hughey, who grew up in Argyle, Texas. “My goal is to be a useful resource for the voting Regents by effectively conveying the student experience. I plan on working closely with the student government associations and other student organizations across the UH System to garner insight into what students think about issues pending before the Board.”
As an undergraduate student, Hughey was a member of the Cougar track team and competed on the 4x400m relay team. In 2012 and 2013, he was named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll. He earned NCAA All-American honors in 2013. Hughey graduated magna cum laude from UH with a Bachelor of Arts in history and is pursuing a J.D. at the UH Law Center. He has served as a tutor for student athletes and is an articles editor for the Houston Law Review. His law school accolades include membership in the Order of Barons, a judicial internship with the Honorable Gray Miller in the Southern District of Texas, and working as a summer associate for two Houston law firms, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP and Andrews Kurth LLP.
“I believe being the Student Regent gives me the best platform to give back to the UH System, which has provided me with so many great opportunities,” Hughey said. “Law school has taught me how to advocate and how to analyze problems. I plan on utilizing that training to advocate persuasively and analyze rigorously on behalf of the student body.”
Hughey is the 10th Student Regent appointed to the UHS Board. In 2005, then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed legislation directing each public university’s board of regents to include one non-voting student member. In 2007, Perry also signed legislation creating a student representative position on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
For more details on the UH System and the UH System Board of Regents, visit http://www.uhsa.uh.edu/.