Kelly Damphousse

Kelly R. Damphousse
10th President of Texas State University
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 1, 2022
Preceded byDenise Trauth
13th Chancellor of Arkansas State University
In office
July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2022
Succeeded byTodd Shields
Personal details
Born1962 or 1963 (age 63–64)
SpouseBeth Damphousse
Children2
EducationSam Houston State University
Texas A&M University

Kelly R. Damphousse (born 1962 or 1963) is a Canadian-born American academic administrator and sociologist who is the 10th president of Texas State University. Previously, Damphousse was chancellor at Arkansas State University.

Early life and education

Damphousse grew up in Northern Canada, the first of two adopted children. In 1985, Damphousse left Canada to attend Sam Houston State University, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He also holds a doctorate in sociology from Texas A&M University.

Academic career

Damphousse began his academic career at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and later taught at Sam Houston State. Damphousse held several dean-level positions at the University of Oklahoma from 2004 to 2017, including as NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative. In July 2017, Damphousse became the third appointed chancellor of Arkansas State University. While serving in that position, he was also elected president of the Sun Belt Conference. From January 2022 to August 2025, he represented Division I on the NCAA Board of Governors.

Texas State University

On March 31, 2022, Damphousse was announced as the sole finalist for president of Texas State University, and resigned from Arkansas State. Following a statutory 21-day waiting period, the Texas State University System Board of Regents confirmed his appointment as Texas State's 10th president, succeeding Denise Trauth.

In November 2023, Texas State was announced by the Commission on Presidential Debates to be the host for a 2024 United States presidential election debate. However, the commission called off its debate schedule in June 2024 when president Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump agreed to a separate debate plan. Damphousse quoted Texas State alumnus and former president Lyndon Baines Johnson as saying, "Let no one ever think for a moment that national debate means national division."

In September 2025, Damphousse fired associate history professor Thomas Alter over comments made at an online socialism conference. Alter filed a lawsuit against the university, and following a court-ordered review, the university upheld the firing in October 2025.

Enrollment and expansion

Enrollment grew from about 38,000 students at the start of Damphousse's term to a record 47,500 in fall 2026.

In 2024, Texas State and Austin Community College announced a guaranteed transfer program, called Bats to Cats, with a $1,000 scholarship for transfer students.

In May 2025, the Texas State University System approved a new campus master plan, plus seven new degree programs. The plan includes 30 new construction projects, and a goal of 50,000 enrolled students across Texas State campuses, including an expansion of the Round Rock campus.

Following two years of planning, in 2025 Texas State opened a campus in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico. Damphousse called it Texas State's "first entry into international locations", with other locations in planning stages, including Costa Rica, Scotland, and Italy.

Athletics

Under Damphousse, Texas State signed a $23 million, 15-year naming rights deal with University Federal Credit Union to rename Bobcat Stadium to UFCU Stadium. The university described it as the largest corporate sponsorship for a Sun Belt football stadium.

On June 30, 2025, Texas State accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12 Conference. The Texas State board of regents approved a $5 million payment to exit the Sun Belt Conference, and the university remained in the conference for the duration of the 2025–26 season. Damphousse called the move a "declaration of our rising national profile" and "readiness to compete and collaborate" with other major research universities. Texas State officially became a full Pac-12 member in all sports on July 1, 2026. In September 2026, Damphousse was named chair of the Pac-12's executive committee.

In June 2026, Damphousse announced that Texas State would add women's gymnastics, the first NCAA Division I program in the sport in Texas, with competition set to begin in 2028.

Personal life

Damphousse has been married to Beth Damphousse since 1988. They have two daughters, Kayleigh and Kristen. The Damphousses fund a Foster Educational Support Endowment at Texas State, providing financial assistance to students who spent time in the foster care system. The Damphousses gifted a sculpture by Nathan Mabry, "States Up", to Texas State University. It was unveiled in a public ceremony in April 2026.

Damphousse was named 2024 Citizen of the Year by the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce.

References

  1. 1 2 3 West, Shannon (February 5, 2025). "Damphousses get support from Rotary for foster students". San Marcos Daily Record.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Beeferman, Jason (March 31, 2022). "Texas State University names sole finalist in new president search". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Seidel, Sydney (February 11, 2025). "Damphousses reflect on 37 years of love". The University Star. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  4. ↑ Hicks, Maya (August 24, 2022). "Meet Kelly Damphousse". The University Star. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "A-State Chancellor appointed to NCAA governing board". KASU. December 3, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "A-State chancellor resigning". KAIT. March 31, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  7. 1 2 Guo, Kayla (June 24, 2024). "Texas State released from contract to host debate, as Biden and Trump sidestep tradition". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Texas State University will no longer host 2024 Presidential Debate". FOX 7 Austin. June 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  9. ↑ Menchaca, Megan (September 10, 2025). "Texas State University fires associate professor for 'controversial statements,' inciting violence". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  10. ↑ Clark, John (October 17, 2025). "TXST confirms Alter firing after due process hearing". San Marcos Daily Record.
  11. ↑ Milliorn, Michael (September 8, 2026). "Texas State University sets new records with 7% enrollment increase". Community Impact. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  12. ↑ Manno, Melissa (April 21, 2024). "New 'Bats to Cats' program to make it easier for students to transfer to Texas State". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  13. ↑ DiChristina, Arabella (May 4, 2025). "TXST Campus Master Plan approved". The University Star. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  14. ↑ Crawford, Grant (August 6, 2025). "10K enrollment in sight: Texas State University Round Rock sets plan to accommodate student growth". Community Impact. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  15. ↑ Martin, Sierra (September 23, 2024). "Texas State University establishes campus in Mexico". Community Impact. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  16. 1 2 Van Leeuwen, Amira (May 21, 2024). "Texas State University announces $23M stadium naming rights deal with UFCU". Community Impact. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Pac-12 welcomes Texas State ahead of 2026 relaunch". ESPN. June 30, 2025. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  18. ↑ Yum, Caleb (July 1, 2026). "'Now is our opportunity': Texas State officially joins Pac-12, eyeing loftier heights". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  19. ↑ Wilner, Jon (September 3, 2026). "Pac-12 reveals new bowl lineup, plus other developments". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  20. ↑ Associated Press (June 2, 2026). "Texas State to become first Division I school in the Lone Star State to offer women's gymnastics". Spectrum News. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  21. ↑ "'States Up' statue unveiled on Texas State campus". San Marcos Daily Record. May 10, 2026.
  22. ↑ Kulchytska, Elizabeth (December 1, 2024). "Kelly Damphousse honored as Citizen of the Year". San Marcos Daily Record.