A calling, not a job: Dean of Tarleton Fort Worth wants to expand the university's influence

Rachael Capua often tells the story of how she got her first job in higher education.

While studying at Texas Christian University, she came up with some ideas in the Dean of Transfer's office about how to improve the transfer student experience and left the office with a job helping her fellow students.

“Sometimes I feel like higher education has found me rather than me finding higher education,” said Capua, dean of Tarleton State University Fort Worth and vice president of external operations for the university system.

A lesser-known story about Capua's career path is her introduction to the concept of service work. Her mother, a community college graduate and trained occupational therapist, started a managed care business in the family's dining room when Capua was four years old.

Throughout her youth and college years, Capua worked at her mother's company. She connects her desire to serve with the impact she had witnessing her mother's hard work as a business owner.

“I observed this relentless drive for service and work ethic,” Capua said. “I think it's an identity built on resilience, tenacity, determination and perseverance that you can only truly understand when you experience it on a daily basis. And that was my mother to me.”

Perseverance was the driving force behind her educational journey. From 2005 to 2019, the Carrollton native attended four colleges and earned her associate degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree and doctorate.

During this time, Capua continued her higher education as a professional, working for TCU and Tarrant County College.

She later served as the founding director of college and career success at Tarrant To & Through (T3) Partnership. In 2020, Capua was the second person hired for the program, which was led by then-CEO and now Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker.

The program currently partners with eight colleges to provide Tarrant County students with post-secondary qualifications.

Capua first learned about Tarleton through its partnership with T3 and calls her time with the nonprofit one of her greatest accomplishments.

“It took so many different entities, partners, stakeholders and connections to build this organization, and they continue to do incredible work,” Capua said. “It will always be one of the things I'm most grateful to have been a part of from the beginning.”

Capua began her position at Tarleton Fort Worth in March 2023. In addition to her role as dean, her primary responsibility as vice president for external activities is to foster a sense of community and belonging for students at Tarleton's four campuses.

Capua focuses on access, affordability and opportunity when supporting students, priorities that apply not only in her role as dean but also in her interactions with leaders at satellite campuses.

Tiffany Carey started as associate dean for online learning and innovation earlier this year. She said Capua works tirelessly with staff at other locations to ensure there are no silos in external operations.

“She hired people and made sure we all felt connected at all times,” Carey said. “That goes not only for the leadership team, but for our student assistants, our assistant professors, our professors, anyone she comes into contact with that she puts us in contact with.”

Carlo Capua, Rachael's husband and current Director of Strategy and Innovation for the City of Fort Worth, has witnessed her professional development firsthand and attests to her love of working with students.

“It's a perfect fit. I think her skills and network here in Fort Worth have been a real asset to Tarleton, and the experience at Tarleton has been very beneficial to her personal and professional development as well,” he said.

This strong network in Fort Worth is valued by her peers in the higher education community. Capua moderated a panel of women leaders at colleges and universities earlier this summer. Deans, presidents and chancellors spoke about their commitment to higher education and their career trajectories.

“I consider it a great gift to observe, learn, listen and be part of this growing higher education landscape,” Capua said.

Her appointment as dean comes at a time of growth on campus. Capua said the campus is currently updating its master plan and expects to complete it in the fall.

The Fort Worth location will also welcome its first class of freshmen and sophomores this year. Coinciding with this milestone, the Interprofessional Education Building, a $66 million project, will open this semester.

In this time of radical changes for the university, she feels nothing but anticipation for the new students.

“It's going to be a really beautiful process. I'm also thinking about them, how they're putting their stamp on the institution and our city in a way that I think is very special,” Capua said.

Ismael M. Belkoura is a reporter for the Fort Worth Report. You can reach him at [email protected]. At The Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy Here.

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