Matt Lee to Serve as Interim LSU President
BATON ROUGE –– Beginning July 1, Vice President for Agriculture and Dean Matt Lee will serve as LSU’s interim president. Lee’s visionary leadership for both the LSU AgCenter and College of Agriculture makes him an ideal fit to lead LSU while the search for a new president is underway.
Matt Lee
Prior to joining the LSU AgCenter and College of Agriculture, he served in several leadership capacities at LSU, including interim Executive Vice President and Provost, Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Support Services, and Senior Associate Vice President in the Office of Research and Economic Development. Prior to LSU, he was a tenure-track faculty member at Mississippi State University, where he was affiliated with the Rural Health, Safety, and Security Institute.
“Matt’s long-term commitment to LSU, paired with his research and leadership expertise, made him the obvious choice to lead the LSU enterprise through this transitional phase,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott Ballard. “Considering his exceptional performance as head of the LSU AgCenter, his service as interim provost, his time with the LSU Office of Research & Economic Development and his deep involvement in working to solve crime in Baton Rouge and Louisiana as a whole, I can’t imagine a better person to steer us through this time.”
Lee is a National Science Foundation CAREER award winner, social scientist, and community development scholar with extensive expertise in both rural and urban community dynamics. He earned both his master’s and Ph.D. from LSU and is widely published in both academic and popular press outlets and has been elected to several scholarly honor societies.
Latest LSU News
- Board of Supervisors Announces Presidential Search CommitteeLSU Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott Ballard announces the 2025 Presidential Search Committee.
- Krista Raney to Succeed Rob Stuart as President & CEO of the LSU Foundation Effective July 1, 2026The LSU Foundation Board of Directors has named Krista Raney to the role of president and CEO of the LSU Foundation effective July 1, 2026. Raney will succeed Robert M. Stuart Jr., who has served in the role since January 1, 2020.
- LSU President William F. Tate IV Accepts Presidency at Rutgers UniversityLSU President William F. Tate IV announced Monday that he has accepted the role of president at Rutgers University and will conclude his service at LSU on June 30, 2025.
- Trey Jones Named LSU Vice President of Legal Affairs and General CounselCarlton "Trey" Jones, III has been named Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel. A seasoned legal professional and proud LSU alumnus, Jones brings over two decades of experience in higher education law, litigation, and institutional governance to the university's executive leadership team.
- LSU Names Russell Crook Dean of the E. J. Ourso College of BusinessLSU has named Russell Crook the dean of the E. J. Ourso College of Business, effective July 28, pending approval by the LSU Board of Supervisors. A distinguished scholar and proven leader, Dr. Crook brings over two decades of experience in higher education and business to the role.
- LSU to Host 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African LeadersLSU is proud to announce its selection for the 2nd year as an Institute Partner for the 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Beginning in mid-June, LSU will host 25 of Africa's emerging Civic Engagement leaders for a six-week Leadership Institute, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
