Texas State names Arkansas State Chancellor as new university president

For the first time in two decades, Texas State University at San Marcos has a new president.

The Texas State University System Board of Trustees unanimously approved the hiring of Kelly R. Damphousse, PhD., as the 10th President of the State of Texas. He will succeed Dr Denise Truth, who is retiring on July 1.

Before being confirmed as Texas State President, Dr Damphousse said being able to build on “the tremendous trajectory that President Trauth has established would be a great honor”.

Dr. Damphousse has served as Chancellor of Arkansas State University since 2017. He previously served as Associate Dean, Acting Dean, and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oklahoma. Before that, he was an assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, about 70 miles north of Houston.

Dr. Damphousse holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Sam Houston State and master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from Texas A&M University. Sam Houston State is part of the Texas State University System.

In March, when Dr. Damphousse was named the sole finalist for the Texas State position, Brian McCall, Chancellor of the Texas State University System, describe Dr. Damphousse as a “respected academic and community leader who has the knowledge, experience, and passion to lead the State of Texas to new levels of success and achievement.”

Dr Trauth announced his resignation last August. She became Texas State President in 2002. Dr. Trauth made the decision to retire before being diagnosed with breast cancer.

During Dr. Trauth’s tenure, the university grew in enrollment, stature, and physical presence. For example, Texas State’s 2021-2022 freshman class set an enrollment record, with 6,600 new students. To help cope with the growth, the university launched a $250 million capital campaign last year.

The main Texas State campus is in San Marcos, which was recently ranked #28 among the 30 best college towns in the United States, according to financial news and opinion website 24/7 Wall St.
The State of Texas also operates a satellite campus in Round Rock.