Jan 04, 2008, 08:02 PM
Houston & Texas News
Jan. 3, 2008, 7:08PM
Murano becomes first Hispanic to lead A&M
By MATTHEW TRESAUGUE
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
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The Texas A&M University System's regents officially named Elsa Murano today as the next president of the College Station flagship.
Murano, A&M's dean of agriculture and a noted food safety expert, is the first female and first Hispanic to hold the president's post.
She started her new job immediately, replacing Robert Gates, who left the university in December 2006 to become U.S. secretary of defense.
The regents named Murano as the only finalist for the presidency in December after a yearlong search. State law requires the board to wait 21 days before confirming the appointment.
The board voted 8-1 in favor of Murano, with regent Gene Stallings dissenting. Stallings has said that he thought another candidate would be better, but he has not named that person.
Regents approved a $525,000 annual salary package for Murano, the same amount that Gates received.
"I am grateful to live in a country that has provided so many opportunities, including the great honor to serve as president of Texas A&M University," said Murano, 48. "I pledge to build upon the legacy and strong foundation established by my predecessors as we continue moving forward in establishing Texas A&M as one of the top public academic institutions in the world."
Before serving as vice chancellor and dean of A&M's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Murano was the first Hispanic to serve as undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a position she held from 2001-2004.
"Dr. Murano understands the Aggie culture, embodies the Aggie spirit and offers a modern vision of leadership that invites the best and brightest to serve by her side in fulfilling Texas A&M's unlimited potential," said board chairman Bill Jones.
Murano fled Cuba with her family as a child in the early 1960s. Born in Havana, she and her family lived in several Latin American countries before moving to Miami.
She earned a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from Florida International University, then a master's degree in anaerobic microbiology and a Ph.D. in food science and technology from Virginia Tech University.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
matthew.tresaugue@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metr...24958.html
Jan. 3, 2008, 7:08PM
Murano becomes first Hispanic to lead A&M
By MATTHEW TRESAUGUE
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Comments (48)
Recommend (2)
The Texas A&M University System's regents officially named Elsa Murano today as the next president of the College Station flagship.
Murano, A&M's dean of agriculture and a noted food safety expert, is the first female and first Hispanic to hold the president's post.
She started her new job immediately, replacing Robert Gates, who left the university in December 2006 to become U.S. secretary of defense.
The regents named Murano as the only finalist for the presidency in December after a yearlong search. State law requires the board to wait 21 days before confirming the appointment.
The board voted 8-1 in favor of Murano, with regent Gene Stallings dissenting. Stallings has said that he thought another candidate would be better, but he has not named that person.
Regents approved a $525,000 annual salary package for Murano, the same amount that Gates received.
"I am grateful to live in a country that has provided so many opportunities, including the great honor to serve as president of Texas A&M University," said Murano, 48. "I pledge to build upon the legacy and strong foundation established by my predecessors as we continue moving forward in establishing Texas A&M as one of the top public academic institutions in the world."
Before serving as vice chancellor and dean of A&M's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Murano was the first Hispanic to serve as undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a position she held from 2001-2004.
"Dr. Murano understands the Aggie culture, embodies the Aggie spirit and offers a modern vision of leadership that invites the best and brightest to serve by her side in fulfilling Texas A&M's unlimited potential," said board chairman Bill Jones.
Murano fled Cuba with her family as a child in the early 1960s. Born in Havana, she and her family lived in several Latin American countries before moving to Miami.
She earned a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from Florida International University, then a master's degree in anaerobic microbiology and a Ph.D. in food science and technology from Virginia Tech University.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
matthew.tresaugue@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metr...24958.html