Kim McCuistion to lead A&M System’s Downtown Fort Worth Campus
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas — One of Fort Worth’s most dynamic young leaders is set to direct one of The Texas A&M University System’s most ambitious new efforts.
Kim McCuistion has been named the Associate Vice Chancellor and inaugural Director for the Texas A&M System’s downtown Fort Worth research and academic campus. McCuistion, currently dean of Tarleton’s Fort Worth campus on Chisholm Trail Parkway. She has been hailed by the Fort Worth Business Press as one of the Great Women of Texas and as one of 400 Most Influential Leaders in Fort Worth by Fort Worth Inc.
“Dr. McCuistion has the leadership and vision to grow our Fort Worth research and academic campus into something great,” said Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp. “We made a Texas-sized commitment to Fort Worth, and we will keep that promise.”
McCuistion will now take on the task of turning the new campus into a hub for collaboration between key Fort Worth industries and top research, education and workforce training assets of the Texas A&M System. Her goal in the new role is to spur business and job growth across North Texas.
“Working with city and county leaders, industry partners and Texas A&M System universities and agencies, we will create an ecosystem of research excellence and robust entrepreneurship — I have no doubt,” McCuistion said.
McCuistion holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in animal science from Kansas State University and a doctorate in agriculture from West Texas A&M University. She joined Tarleton in 2018 as chief of staff after 11 years with Texas A&M University-Kingsville. She had a split appointment there with the Department of Animal, Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences and the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management. She served three years as Interim Dean of Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Honors College.
The new campus will include The Texas A&M System Research and Innovation Center, as well as an Education Alliance Building, which will host conferences and house professional, technical and university courses offered by the Texas A&M School of Law, Tarleton State University, Texas A&M University, the Texas A&M Health Science Center and other alliance members.
The innovation center and new education building will form the nucleus of the new, urban campus along with a new, state-of-the-art Texas A&M Law School. The campus will be constructed in phases beginning with the Research and Innovation Center. To download an artist’s renderings of the proposed buildings, please go to https://fort-worth.tamus.edu/ .
The campus will house a wide range of initiatives involving the A&M System’s network of state agencies. Discussions so far include programs in emergency response communication, medical technologies, advanced manufacturing, nutrition, biotechnology, medical laboratory science and nursing.
Six notable Fort Worth employers — Alcon, AT&T, Bell, Elbit Systems of America, Lockheed Martin, and Philips — are interested in collaborating in particular research areas. An incubator for business startups might relocate to the center.
The A&M System agencies involved include the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
About The Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $9.6 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities, a comprehensive health science center, eight state agencies, and the RELLIS Campus, the Texas A&M System educates more than 152,000 students and makes more than 24 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceed $1 billion and help drive the state’s economy.
Contact: Laylan Copelin
Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications
(979) 458-6425
(512) 289-2782 cell
lcopelin@tamus.edu
