STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS—The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents have selected Dr. F. Dominic Dottavio, currently president and professor of biology at Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, as the sole finalist to become the 15th president of Tarleton State University. The announcement was made Mon., March 31, by Bill Jones, chairman of the Texas A&M System Board of Regents.
Last year, Tarleton president Dr. Dennis P. McCabe announced his decision to leave the presidency and return to teaching; his last day in office is May 31. Dr. McCabe joined Tarleton in 1988 as vice president for university operations and was named Tarleton’s 14th president on July 27, 199l, following a six-month interim term in the role.
“We are very fortunate and excited to have someone of Dr. Dottavio’s experience and energy as our finalist at Tarleton State University,” Jones said. “He has a remarkable track record as an inspiring leader who brings together diverse groups to accomplish common goals.”
Dr. Dottavio has been president at Heidelberg, a 158-year-old private college in northwest Ohio, since 2003. There he led successful campaigns for student recruitment and retention, fund raising and expansion of academic programs. Dr. Dottavio previously served as the chief executive officer of The Ohio State University at Marion, one of five campuses in the Ohio State University System.
During his tenure, the Marion campus expanded to include a new site in an adjacent county and an enterprise center. A new library, technology center and childcare laboratory were constructed and the campus received a $10 million gift, which was one of the largest ever given to the Ohio State system.
“The Presidential Search Advisory Committee is very pleased with the selection of Dr. Dottavio as finalist,” said Dr. Denise Martinez, who chaired the search committee. “We had a large pool of very high-quality candidates. Selection from the final list of recommendations must have been a difficult task for the Board of Regents.”
Dr. Dottavio previously was chief scientist for the Southeast Region of the National Park Service. In that position, he led efforts to develop research programs in rural economic development, global climate change, conservation biology, feral animal and exotic plant control, cultural landscape management, and other areas.
As Tarleton’s chief executive officer, Dr. Dottavio will supervise more than 1,200 employees, manage a $112-million annual budget and provide vision for a comprehensive curriculum for 9,460 students located at campuses in Stephenville, Killeen, Fort Worth, Granbury and Thurber.
Dr. Dottavio is married to Dr. C. Lisette Dottavio, a CPA, senior tax accountant and assistant professor of accounting at Heidelberg. The Dottavios have two grown children, Aaron and Adrea.
The Board of Regents may consider the appointment of Dr. Dottavio to the position of president after the 21 days required by state law for public notice of the appointment with the Texas Secretary of State.
About the A&M System - The A&M System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $2.9 billion. Through a statewide network of nine universities, seven state agencies and a comprehensive health science center, the A&M System educates more than 106,000 students and makes more than 15 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. Externally funded research brings in almost $627 million every year and helps drive the state’s economy.