First Lady Audrey M. Sorrells, B.S., M.Ed., Ph.D.

 

Dr. Audrey Sorrells is an award-winning professor of education in the College of Education and associate dean of students for research in the Office of the Dean of Students, Division of Student Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. She is also Senior Ford Fellow of the Ford Foundation and National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and past Fellow in the Lee Hage Jamail Regents Chair in Education and Dean’s Fellow at UT Austin. Dr. Sorrells has been in the field of education for over 30 years, from 1987 to 1997 at Southeastern Louisiana University, and since 1997 at UT Austin.

 

For the first five years of her career, Dr. Sorrells taught in K-12 settings, teaching at risk students and in high poverty rural and urban schools, including students with learning and behavioral disabilities. She is an author of more than 60 articles, including the co-author of the long-selling book, Critical Issues in Special Education: Access, Diversity and Accountability. Dr. Sorrells, a concerned member of her church and community, also founded and directed for ten years, Read to the Top!, a very successful community-based literacy and STEM camp for preschool and school-aged children, in partnership with Mt. Calvary church family and the Taylor Independent School District. As a result of Mt. Calvary’s commitment to the Youth of the Taylor community, more than 500 children have benefited, and many of Mt. Calvary’s youth have gone on to college. To God Be All the Glory!

 

The recipient of many honors, including a Doctoral Leadership Award from the University of Florida, and listed in Who's Who Among Educators in America. Dr. Sorrells earned a Bachelor of Arts in business administration and education and Master of Education degree in special education from Southeastern Louisiana University. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in education from the University of Florida.

Audrey is married to Pastor Tony Sorrells, Sr. and they have six adult children, Elder Whittney, Iris, Chris, Kendra, Tony, Jr., and Tonya. They have seven grandchildren: Kenyon, Faith, Toni Michelle, Tony, Jr., Toné Mylik, Tremale, and Torii. She is a proud Nanna of her grand-dog Boxer, a Shih-Tzu/Yorkie.