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Mark Hussey named as sole finalist for Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Posted at 4:54 PM, Oct 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-16 17:54:09-04

The Texas A&M University System Regents today named Dr. Mark Hussey as the sole finalist for the position of president of Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

Hussey, a former interim president of Texas A&M during 2014-15, is a long-time leader in the A&M University System. He also served as vice chancellor and dean of the school’s college of agriculture and life sciences from 2008-18. He also was the director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research from 2004 until 2008.

“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 President Steve Tallant, who is retiring at the end of January.

“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,” Chancellor John Sharp said. “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.”

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Illinois, Hussey finished his graduate work at Texas A&M with a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding in 1983. He rose through the faculty ranks at Texas A&M, becoming professor and department head of Soil & Crops Sciences before becoming an administrator with the A&M System.

As vice chancellor and dean, Hussey oversaw the construction of the agriculture complex that consolidated agriculture’s academic programs on the west campus. As A&M’s interim president, Hussey found funding to begin construction of the academic complex at Texas A&M at Galveston and helped initiate planning for A&M’s campus in McAllen.

Under state law, university governing boards must name finalists for president at least 21 days before making an appointment. The Board of Regents will meet again to make the appointment.