Kansas Board of Regents taps North Carolina State administrator as new K-State president

A former dean of agricultural and life sciences at North Carolina State University will take over as president of Kansas State University, the Kansas Board of Regents announced Thursday.

At a special meeting the Board voted to appoint Richard Linton as the 15th president of K-State. He will step into the role vacated by President Richard Myers who announced his retirement in May.

“Richard Linton has proven himself as a forward-thinking leader who knows how to seize opportunities in higher education’s rapidly evolving landscape,” Board President Cheryl Harrison-Lee said in a statement.

Linton spent nine years leading the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University. Prior to that, he was a department chair at Ohio State University and professor at Purdue University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, and a master’s and doctorate degree in food science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Speaking at Thursday’s Board meeting Linton said he was excited to lead Kansas’ land grant university and “believed in the land grant and what it stands for.”

“The university is on an exciting trajectory, and its community has a contagious passion, culture and connectivity. I’m energized to help lead K-State forward and build on this positive momentum,” Linton said in a statement.