LSU President William F. Tate IV Accepts Presidency at Rutgers University
BATON ROUGE – LSU 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.
“This was a distinctly difficult decision, and one I did not take lightly. LSU, its students, faculty, staff, and supporters are all incredible and inspirational. You will forever stay in my heart. This is a very special place, and I am honored to have been a part of it for four incredible years,” said President Tate. “There’s no other place like it in the world, and I will forever cherish the memories we created together.”
Tate served as president of the eight-campus LSU enterprise and head of the flagship campus in Baton Rouge since July 1, 2021. Under his leadership, LSU has soared in research. In the 2023-2024 academic year, LSU’s campuses in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Shreveport achieved a record-breaking $543 million in combined research activity. He introduced the Pentagon Priority areas—five research focus areas of agriculture, biomedical, coast, energy, and defense/cybersecurity—where LSU could have a significant impact on the state and nation. He also initiated LSU’s goal of becoming a Top 50 research university and ramping up the university’s drive toward national prominence through life-changing discoveries.
“We are saddened by President Tate’s departure but grateful for the deep and meaningful impact his leadership left on the LSU enterprise over the last four years,” said LSU Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott Ballard. “We wish him well on his journey and will always consider him a Tiger.”
Highlights of Tate’s time as President include:
· Historic fundraising capped by the largest gift in LSU history—$245 million for health initiatives;
· Record enrollment of over 55,000 students across the LSU enterprise and record-breaking graduate rates;
· Record research growth, including consecutive double-digit increases and the $160 million National Science Foundation FUEL grant;
· Increased state support, especially in the Pentagon Priority areas;
· And the meteoric rise of LSU’s cybersecurity programs to one of the best in the nation.
He takes the helm of Rutgers on July 1, 2025. An interim will be announced shortly, with a national search for a permanent president to begin afterward.
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