Sergio Medina
Editor in Chief
Dr. Salvador Hector Ochoa has been selected as sole finalist for president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
The A&M Board of Regents unanimously approved Ochoa during their regular meeting May 18.
According to a May 18 press release by the A&M System, Ochoa was recommended by Chancellor John Sharp.
An alumnus of Texas A&M University, Ochoa earned his Ph.D. in school psychology in 1989. He served as dean of the College of Education at the University of New Mexico and The University of Texas-Pan American. He presently serves as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at San Diego State University.
Ochoa is taking over roughly five months since Dr. Linda Schott was appointed as interim president. Schott acted as interim after the departure of former president Cynthia Teniente-Matson in January.
In a May 18 email, Dr. Mary Kay Cooper, director of alumni engagement and member of the A&M-San Antonio presidential search committee, wrote, “The response to the job posting was positive, and I am thrilled that Dr. Ochoa is our sole finalist.”
The Mesquite reached out to San Diego State but did not receive a response by time of publication.
Update: 10:19 a.m. May 19, 2023
In a May 19 statement provided by Marketing and Communications via email, Dr. Mohamed Abdelrahman, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, wrote, “We are very enthusiastic about the naming of Dr. Ochoa as the sole finalist for the presidency at A&M-San Antonio. His record of achievement as a faculty member, an accomplished scholar, and an academic leader reflects a deep understanding of the issues facing higher education and Hispanic Serving Institutions.”
