Alan Sams Named Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

M. Katherine Banks
President

May 23, 2023

Aggie Community,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Alan Sams as the next provost and vice president for academic affairs effective June 1. The Provost Search Advisory Committee presented a slate of three highly qualified candidates for the position, including Dr. Sams. After careful consideration, I selected Dr. Sams to serve in this important role.

Dr. Sams brings a wealth of academic administration experience to the position. He received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Florida, majoring in poultry science and food and resource economics, poultry science, and food science and human nutrition, respectively. He joined the faculty of Texas A&M University in 1987 and rose to the rank of professor. He was head of the Department of Poultry Science and interim head of the Department of Nutrition and Food Science during its formation at Texas A&M.

He also served as dean, executive associate dean and dean of the agriculture colleges at Clemson University, Texas A&M and Oregon State University. At Oregon State, he was the statewide director of the Agriculture Experiment Station and directed the agricultural extension programs. He returned to Texas A&M in 2022 as vice president of operational innovation, and currently serves as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. As the chief academic officer, he leads the academic enterprise for over 70,000 students on our main campus in College Station, branch campuses in Galveston and Qatar, and educational sites across the state.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Sams to his new role.

M. Katherine Banks
President, Texas A&M University