Beth Merfish, Ph.D.

Beth Matusoff Merfish, Ph.D., is an associate professor of art history and the chair of the Department of Liberal Arts in the College of Human Sciences and Humanities. Her research and teaching interests include museum studies and public arts and science presentations, including past partnerships with Space Center Houston and the UHCL Art Gallery. She earned her doctorate and Master of Arts from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and her Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College. 

 

In 2021, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner appointed Dr. Merfish the inaugural chair of the Houston Women's Commission. In that role, she leads a team of diverse commission members whose charge is to advance equality and equity for women in the City of Houston by identifying and addressing disparities in healthcare, employment, safety and security across communities and industries, both in Houston’s public and private sector.