Prairie View A&M University presidential search committee named

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The Texas A&M University System News Release image header. Office of Marketing Communications. 979-458-6023

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A 14-member committee has been created to conduct a national search to find a successor to Prairie View A&M University President Ruth J. Simmons.

Dr. Simmons informed the campus community in March she planned to retire when her successor was selected.

“Selecting a university president worthy of leading Prairie View, which has been resurgent under the leadership of President Simmons, is of paramount importance,” said John Sharp, Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. “I want to thank this committee for volunteering their time to this critical task. We want a president with superb academic credentials who recognizes and will maintain the special culture and traditions that make Prairie View A&M University Texas’ top HBCU.”

The search advisory committee is charged with delivering a minimum of three candidates to Chancellor Sharp who will refer one of them to the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. The committee includes two Texas A&M System regents: Bill Mahomes, who will serve as chairman, and Elaine Mendoza.

University members of the committee are:

  • William Batson – Associate Professor, School of Architecture
  • Farrah Gafford Cambrice – Assistant Professor of Sociology
  • Lijun Quan – Endowed Professor of Electrical Engineering
  • Natara McNary – Graduate Assistant, Electrical Engineering
  • Sarina Willis – Vice President for Enrollment Management
  • Maria Herrera – HR Manager, Employee Relations

Community members of the committee are:

  • Kendrick Jones ‘18 – Waller County Commissioner Pct. 3
  • Ronald Walker II ‘83 – Interim Area Development Director of United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Boston
  • Mark Falls ‘82- President, PVAMU National Alumni Association
  • Roy Perry ’78 – PVAM Foundation Trustee Emeritus

The new president of the Faculty Senate and the new president of the student body will serve on this committee after their election this spring.

The committee will convene in April to begin the search process. They will work with an executive search firm over the coming months to identify outstanding candidates. The new president will begin leading the university no later than summer 2023.

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