The LSU Board of Supervisors voted Thursday, May 6, to hire Dr. William Tate as the LSU system president. The board voted 15-0 in favor of Tate.
Following the board vote, a press conference immediately followed introducing Dr. Tate as the new LSU president.
“I was very happy in South Carolina, but I’m going to be much, much, much, much happier in this context. This position is all about what can we do to help students and give people access, opportunity and higher education. How do we help people, regardless of their background?” Tate said.
“I’m excited about being a part of the system. We have amazing opportunities, in my opinion, from a developmental perspective (from two year colleges all the way through medical education). And, I hope that we can support it and make it really good, I know it’s good now. But, I know your expectation is we’re going to be better in some years and so I promise you, that’s where we’re headed,” he added.
Dr. Tate concluded by saying, “I would be remiss if I didn’t say we are experiencing some challenges at this institution. I am ready to work with each of you to make sure that those are dealt with directly. And, to make sure that students are taken care of in this community and it feels like a safe place with them studying to be the best they can be as a part of their community.”
Dr. Tate was one of three finalists for the position. The two other finalists for the position were Dr. Jim Henderson and Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier.
Dr. William Tate is the Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of South Carolina. He holds the USC Education Foundation Distinguished Professorship with appointments in Sociology and Family and Preventive Medicine (secondary appointment). Prior to that, he served as Dean and Vice Provost for graduate education at Washington University in St. Louis. Before working at Washington University in St. Louis, Tate served on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He completed a second post-doctoral training program in the Department of Psychiatry—Epidemiology and Prevention Group at the Washington University School of Medicine, where he earned a master’s degree in psychiatric epidemiology.
