KINGSVILLE (Kiii News) — The Texas A&M University System Regents have named the sole finalist for the position of President of Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
Dr. Mark Hussey has served as Vice Chancellor and Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences from 2008 until 2018 and as the Director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research from 2004 until 2008. He was also the Interim President of Texas A&M University for 15 months during 2014-15.
“Dr. Hussey’s wealth of administrative experience in the A&M System will pay immediate dividends to Texas A&M-Kingsville,” said Charles W. Schwartz, chairman of the Board of Regents. “He is a perfect fit for Kingsville.”
Schwartz and Regent Phil Adams led a 12-member search committee to find a replacement for the retired President Steve Tallant.
“Mark’s breadth of experience spans the most prolific agriculture research in the country, the best agricultural academics in the country and 15 months running Texas A&M University,” said Chancellor John Sharp. “He did a great job in each of these and I predict he will oversee the rise of Texas A&M-Kingsville to a whole new level.”
Hussey obtained a bachelor's degree in biology at the University of Illinois and then finished his graduate work at Texas A&M with a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding in 1983. He then rose through the ranks of the faculty at A&M to become a professor and department head of Soil & Crops Sciences before he became an administrator with A&M System.
As the Vice Chancellor and Dean, Dr. Hussey oversaw the construction of the Agriculture Complex that consolidated the academic agriculture programs on the west campus. As the Interim President he identified funding to begin construction of the academic complex at Texas A&M at Galveston and helped initiate the planning for the Texas A&M campus in McAllen.
Under state law, university governing boards must name their finalists for president at least 21 days before making an appointment for the position. The Board of Regents will be meeting again to make that appointment.
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