Andrés Tijerina, a native of Ozona, earned his Bachelor's degree from Texas A & M University, Master's from Texas Tech, and Doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. Following teaching stints at Tech, UT Austin, UT San Antonio, and Texas A & M - Kingsville, Dr. Tijerina joined the faculty of Austin Community College and serves with distinction as Professor of History at the Pinnacle Campus.

Dr. Tijerina is the author of the award winning Tejanos and Texas Under the Mexican Flag and Tejano Empire: Life on the South Texas Ranchos. He edited Andrés Saenz's Early Tejano Ranching in Duval County and co-edited Elena Zamora O'Shea's novel entitled El Mesquite. All four works are available through A & M University Press. Organizations such as the Sons of the Republic of Texas, the Texas State Historical Association, and the Texas Historical Commission have officially recognized the significance of such works with the Presidio La Bahía Award, the Kate Broocks Bates Award, and the T. R. Fehrenbach Award.

Dr. Tijerina is a Fellow of the Texas State Historical Association and an active presenter to gatherings of historians throughout the state. His writings have appeared as chapters, articles, and book reviews in journals ranging from the Southwestern Historical Quarterly to the American Historical Review.