Like many college students, Lee Ann Nutt said she was once unsure of what she wanted to be when she grew up. About 25 years ago, Nutt was encouraged to respond to a job advertisement in the Chronicle of Higher Education. That one moment led her on a path to graduate school, which helped her find her life’s passion through a career as a community college administrator, Nutt said.

“I think I’m called to be a college president,” Nutt said. “I’m in my sweet spot, and I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. I just feel there’s a lot of peace that comes with that. To get to be able to do that in Tomball in this community at this time is beyond anything I could’ve ever hoped or imagined.”

In February, Nutt was named president of Lone Star College-Tomball after serving as the acting president since August 2014. She joined LSC-Tomball in June 2011 as vice president of instruction.

Bond update
With the passage of a $485 million bond referendum last November, LSC-Tomball is set to receive $35.4 million to carry out three phases of construction projects during the next five years.

As part of Phase 1, the LSC-Tomball officials are gearing up for a 18,000- to 20,000-square-foot third floor build-out of the Health and Science Building, which is in the early architectural phase and slated to open in fall 2016, Nutt said.

The campus plans to relocate and expand the pharmacy technician program on the new third floor and expand the surgical technician program into the space it vacates, Nutt said. In addition, the build-out will include constructing a multipurpose room, a large computer lab, a biology lab and general classroom space, she said.

Additionally, campus officials have held internal meetings and toured training rigs this spring to prepare for the construction of its new 18-acre oil and gas Drilling Rig Training Center on Humble Road near Hwy. 249, Nutt said.

The training center will serve as an oil and gas teaching tool for students throughout the system. The project could possibly break ground this fall after the design phase is complete, she said.

“The goal of that is to provide a realistic learning environment but in a safe and controlled environment, too,” Nutt said. “It’s one thing to look at a rig on a PowerPoint and talk about it, but to be out on it with the physical nature and realistic experience—that is different.”

No bond projects are scheduled for Phase 2. The Phase 3 bond projects, including a new student services building, are expected to begin construction in January 2018, Nutt said.

Future vision
In addition to forming partnerships with the various campuses and centers throughout the system, Nutt said her heart is set on helping students graduate and overcome challenges to succeed in life. Nutt said she plans to continue expanding campus outreach efforts with the empowerment message outlined in Paul G. Stoltz’s book, “GRIT: The New Science of What it Takes to Persevere, Flourish, Succeed.”

“We’ll be one of the first colleges in the country to partner with Paul to infuse ‘GRIT’ into our curriculum,” Nutt said. “I just really see us becoming recognized nationally as a leader in the ‘GRIT’ mindset.”