Texas A&M University-Kingsville President Dr. Steven H. Tallant has announced that he will retire at the end of December 2018.
“Steve Tallant is one of a kind. He has been an incredible asset to the Texas A&M System and to Texas A&M-Kingsville,” said Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp. “Finding another Steve Tallant will be a real needle-in-the-haystack challenge. We will all miss him greatly and wish him and his wife well in their retirement.”
TAMUK says Tallant became the university’s 19th president in 2008 and has led the university through years of unprecedented growth and development.
“When I came to Javelina Nation nearly 10 years ago, I felt that we were at a special moment in our institution’s history—a moment of opportunity,” Tallant said. “Now, looking back at all we have accomplished together, I am proud of the work we have done and know that the best is yet to come for our university.”
The third-longest serving president in university history, Tallant came to Texas A&M-Kingsville in October 2008 from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he previously served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. In his inaugural speech, Tallant harkened to the pioneer spirit that laid the foundation for the university and outlined several areas he planned to target, including enrollment, retention, and academic offerings.
Since then, the university says it has experienced a surge in enrollment, growing by nearly 30 percent. In 2015, the university was named the fastest-growing four-year doctoral institution in the nation. Student retention rates have also increased by more than 10 percent during Tallant’s presidency.
