President Richard M. Rhodes Announces Retirement
by Karen Clos,
Director of Communications and Media Relations –
The Texas A&M University System today announced that Richard M. Rhodes, president of Texas A&M University–Central Texas, will retire effective June 1, 2027, or upon the selection of a successor.
Since arriving at A&M-Central Texas in 2023, Rhodes has led the university through a period of significant growth while remaining focused on the mission that has defined the institution since its founding: serving students whose paths to a degree are rarely traditional.
During Rhodes’ presidency, many of the university’s long-discussed plans became visible realities. New academic programs were launched, doctoral education moved from vision to implementation, campus expansion accelerated, regional partnerships deepened, and the groundwork was laid for the university’s next phase of growth. Together, those changes helped position A&M-Central Texas for a future that would have been difficult to imagine just a few years earlier.
But Rhodes has often measured the university’s success in more personal terms.
A&M-Central Texas serves students who balance coursework with full-time jobs, military service, raising children and caring for families. Nearly half of the university’s graduates are the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree, and nearly half have military connections. It is a university built around the belief that higher education should remain within reach of people whose lives do not pause while they pursue it.
“Serving the students of A&M-Central Texas has been one of the great privileges of my career,” Rhodes said. “The progress we celebrate belongs to the students, faculty, staff and community partners who believe in the mission of this university every day.”
Colleagues credit Rhodes with positioning the university for expansion while preserving its commitment to accessibility, affordability, and educational opportunity at the undergraduate and graduate levels and beyond.
“Under Dr. Rhodes’ leadership, A&M-Central Texas continued to grow in ways that will shape this institution for years to come,” said university spokesperson Dr. Karen Clos. “But his lasting impact now joins that of President Emeritus Marc Nigliazzo. Both leaders will be remembered for expanding opportunities for students and guiding the university through significant moments in its history.”
