F. King Alexander, a prominent national advocate for public higher education and the president and chancellor of Louisiana State University, has been appointed Oregon State University’s next president. Alexander will become OSU’s 15th president on July 1, 2020, replacing Ed Ray, who will step down as president on June 30 after 17 years of leading the university to return to teaching economics.
Oregon State’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously Friday morning to approve Alexander’s appointment and a five-year employment agreement. “Dr. King Alexander is the right person, educator and higher education leader to carry on the transformative impact that Oregon State University provides throughout our state, nation and world,” said Rani Borkar, chair of OSU’s Board of Trustees. “His leadership will carry forward the university’s significant momentum generated by President Ed Ray.
“Dr. Alexander’s leadership also will continue the university’s commitment to advancing inclusivity, student success, faculty excellence, research discovery, access to higher education for all, and community service throughout Oregon and globally.”
Alexander said he was attracted to OSU because of its record of achievement as a very important land grant university.
“My heart, soul and DNA are as a land grant researcher and educator,” said Alexander, who has experience at a number of nationally prominent land grant universities in addition to LSU, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“Oregon State University’s mission and destiny as an internationally recognized land, sea, space and sun grant university captured me,” Alexander said. “OSU is on the cutting edge of the many critical issues that the world is begging to understand. Alexander said he will work to advance OSU’s commitment to inclusive excellence among students, faculty and staff; focus on providing access to an affordable education for all learners; and strive to reduce the burden that students pay to fund their college education.
Information and photo provided by OSU