Susan Ballabina is sole finalist for president of Texas A&M University.
Courtesy of Texas A&M University System
The Haynes Ring Plaza, featuring a Aggie ring replica, is seen on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Kyle Field is seen on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Texas A&M has named longtime administrator Susan Ballabina as the sole finalist for president of the flagship, setting her up to lead one of the largest universities in the country and take on one of the most politically embattled jobs in Texas higher education.
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents unanimously selected Ballabina on Monday, prompting a mandatory 21-day waiting period. If approved in a final vote, Ballabina will be the flagship’s 28th permanent president and its third in five years.
“On behalf of the Board, we are confident Dr. Ballabina is the right leader for Texas A&M University,” Board Chairman Robert L. Albritton said in a statement. “She brings unparalleled knowledge of Texas A&M, a collaborative leadership style and the experience and know-how to guide the university with vision and purpose. Equally importantly, she cares deeply about the people and communities this university serves.”
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Many faculty and staff expected the system to follow national trends in higher education and choose a business executive or a politician. But Ballabina is neither, making her selection a surprise for some at Texas A&M.
She would take office during a tense, fast-changing moment for the university, which enrolls more than 81,000 students, most at its College Station campus.
While the university will celebrate its 150th anniversary this year, faculty, staff and alumni are looking for stability after repeated turnover in the president’s office. Ballabina will also have to mend relationships with professors who say that GOP lawmakers and administrators have chipped away at their academic freedom in culture wars on college campuses.
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Track record
Ballabina has worked for the Texas A&M System or its member institutions for more than 30 years, most recently as a trusted hand for two top leaders — a former Republican lawmaker-turned chancellor and a former university president who resigned under pressure from right-wing media and lawmakers.
Ballabina currently serves as executive vice chancellor for the A&M System, where she manages strategic initiatives for an expansive network of 12 universities and eight state agencies.
Chancellor Glenn Hegar, the former Texas comptroller, hired her from the flagship last July, shortly after he began his role. Ballabina was previously chief of staff for former A&M President Mark A Welsh III. A retired four-star general, Welsh was immensely popular with students but consistently fought allegations that he was pushing diversity, equity and inclusion.
System leaders conducted a national search for the next leader of Texas A&M. Ballabina was initially on the search committee but recused herself before she submitted her application, according to A&M System officials. She did not evaluate any of her fellow candidates and was considered through the same process, they said.
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Ballabina emerged as the top choice because of her leadership, understanding of the A&M system and her past success in advancing key priorities, system officials said. Some of those include leading the public health initiative known as Healthy Texas; forming the new Aplin Center, which will house a visitor’s center and food development labs; and coordinating statewide disaster recovery efforts, such as after Hurricane Harvey.
“Having worked alongside so many dedicated members of this university for the past 30 years, I’ve seen firsthand the remarkable impact Texas A&M has on students, communities and our state,” Ballabina said in a statement. “I am honored by the trust and confidence of the Board of Regents and Chancellor Hegar, and if given the opportunity, I look forward to building on the incredible work already underway and leading Texas A&M into its next chapter.”
Ballabina earned her bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences from Tarleton State University in 1994, a master’s in communications from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1998 and a doctorate in public affairs from University of Texas at Dallas in 2007.
She began her career as a county agent with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, where she became deputy vice chancellor and chief operating officer in 2018.
She moved to the main university in 2021 as external affairs officer and senior vice president for academic and strategic collaborations, before becoming the president’s chief of staff in 2023. Ballabina was previously named a Regents Fellow for the A&M System, a distinguished alumni of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Tarleton State, and a four-time recipient of the Superior Service Award from AgriLife Extension.
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Predecessors
If approved next month, Ballabina will take over for interim president Tommy Williams, a Republican who spent six years as a state representative and 10 years as state senator. He has served in the university’s top office since October, after Welsh resigned in the fallout of a social-media fueled controversy over the teaching of gender identity in a children’s literature course.
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Welsh also entered the presidency in a tough spot as some faculty and staff said that his own predecessor bowed to political interference and weakened shared governance at A&M. In 2023, M. Katherine Banks resigned after the botched hiring of Kathleen McElroy, a prominent Black journalist who said her contract to lead the new journalism program was watered down because of concerns about her past experience in DEI.
But Welsh won over many in the Aggie ranks by including faculty and staff in his decision-making process. With their input, he conducted large studies that led him to change parts of an unpopular structural reorganization that was underway when he took office. He also paused enrollment to allow the university’s facilities and staffing to catch up with rapid student growth.
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Early support
On Monday, Ballabina received some early support from some prominent Aggies, including state lawmakers. The university released several statements on their behalf, from Aggie Caucus chairman and state Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado; former head football coach R.C. Slocum; and Buc’ee’s founder and Distinguished Alumnus Arch Aplin III.
Many of them highlighted her knowledge of the university, and Slocum added that he expects Ballabina to lead with integrity. Hegar also issued his confidence in the choice.
“Dr. Ballabina is a proven leader who understands this institution, the people it serves and the responsibility it carries for the State of Texas,” Hegar said in a statement. “As Texas A&M celebrates its 150th year, it is critical that we have leadership focused on results, accountability and preparing the university for continued success in the years ahead. She is prepared to lead Texas A&M forward.”
The system’s Board of Regents spent about 30 minutes in closed session before voting 8-0 to name Ballabina as their sole finalist. Only Regent David C. Baggett was absent.
This is the third consecutive time that the A&M board has chosen an internal hire for permanent president. Prior to being selected, Welsh and Banks were both deans of colleges at the A&M flagship.