About the Speaker
Interim President
Texas A&M University
Dr. Ed Davis, interim president of Texas A&M University, has long made an impact on the university. From his undergraduate days when he served as Corps Commander to his most recent position serving as President of the Texas A&M Foundation, he has worked to improve the nation's seventh largest institution through a variety of increasingly responsible positions.
As president of the Foundation since 1993, he led the fundraising effort that supports the academic excellence at Texas A&M. The current seven-year One Spirit One Vision campaign, which ends December 31, 2006, has raised more than $1.4 billion (more than 40% above the campaign goal) to improve Texas A&M by creating student, faculty, and facilities support. More than 1,700 student scholarships, 117 graduate fellowships, 69 faculty chairs and 62 professorships have been created during this campaign. He also directed the conclusion of the previous campaign, which raised $637 million.
Prior to his time with the Foundation, Dr. Davis held every key financial position at the university and The Texas A&M University System, ultimately serving as executive deputy chancellor of the Texas A&M system. In that position he was the chief operating officer for The Texas A&M University System and managed the financial operations of TAMUS, including financial planning, conduct of financial analyses and provisions of appropriate reports and controls. He also directed operating budgets of more than $1.1 billion, capital construction of $180 million, management of 15,000 employees, plus the legislative and state affairs program of the system.
Since 1993 he has served as a tenured professor on the Educational Administration Graduate Faculty. In this role, he is responsible for teaching Educational Administration 611 - Higher Education Business and Finance, a doctoral level course focused on planning, budgeting, controlling, organizing, and directing operations in institutions of higher education. The course emphasizes the relationship between financial support and decision-making in the academic setting.
Dr. Davis earned his B.S., M.E. and Ph.D. from Texas A&M. After four years in the Army, including a tour with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam, Dr. Davis returned to work at Texas A&M in 1972.
