USF St. Petersburg Chancellor Christian Hardigree named President of Texas A&M University-Victoria

USF St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Christian Hardigree has accepted a position as the next president of Texas A&M University-Victoria. Hardigree has led the campus as Regional Chancellor since July 2022.

"Serving as Regional Chancellor has been one of the greatest honors of my career and being part of the USF St. Petersburg community has been a true privilege," Hardigree said in a message to the USF St. Petersburg campus community today. "This is an extraordinary place - one where people care about each other, lift each other up and, most importantly, always put our students first. The passion I have witnessed has been inspiring, and it is because of you that this campus continues its amazing upward trajectory."

Under Hardigree's leadership, the campus spearheaded new initiatives that supported student success, introduced and enhanced academic programs, and built even stronger connections with elected officials and the surrounding community.

Chancellor Hardigree was also a resilient leader during some difficult moments, helping guide the campus safely through six hurricanes as well as recovery efforts from several storms that greatly impacted the campus community.

"Since joining USF St. Petersburg, Chancellor Hardigree has demonstrated a deep commitment to academic excellence and student success, and she has helped strengthen our community partnerships," USF President Rhea Law said. "Her steady leadership and collaborative spirit have enhanced the campus experience for students, faculty and staff, and we appreciate everything she has done for our university. We wish her all the best in this exciting new opportunity."

During her tenure, USF St. Petersburg expanded research opportunities for students - especially over the summer - and established a campus comfort dog program. Several new academic programs were developed, and others were strengthened, to address critical needs in the community, such as a nursing bachelor's degree program that will kick off in fall 2026 and an expansion of public health and hospitality education. Large-scale events continued to flourish and grow, creating community through the St. Petersburg Science Festival, Halloween Fest and numerous camps that introduced many youths to a college experience for the first time.

The campus also saw a vast amount of investment in recent years, including:

• $34.3 million for the Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences Research and Teaching Facility, further positioning St. Petersburg as a world-class center of marine and environmental science, education and community engagement
• $7.5 million for a new facility and greater resources for the Office of Veterans Success, that will further expand academic, career and health services for students transitioning from military to civilian life.
• More than $3.5 million towards the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Risk to Resilience Lab, a research center dedicated to studying the myriad impacts of human trafficking in Florida, with the goal of eradicating trafficking locally and beyond
• $1 million to support the Eileen Hoffman Hafer UMatter program, which provides young adults with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to experience higher education and campus life, learning social skills and career training along the way.

Chancellor Hardigree played a key role in continuing to align USF St. Petersburg with the broader university, ensuring the campus contributes to USF's success as a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and many other initiatives.

"Chancellor Hardigree made a meaningful impact on the USF students and staff of the St. Petersburg campus. Her strategic and operational leadership ensured a successful path for our campus community for years to come," said Melissa Seixas, the chair of the USF St. Petersburg Campus Board and a member of the USF Board of Trustees. "We wish her the very best as she embarks in her new role as President of Texas A&M University-Victoria."

Hardigree's final day with USF will be Nov. 3. USF will begin the process of identifying an interim regional chancellor for USF St. Petersburg soon and share more details in the coming weeks.