Michael K. Young, the sole finalist for the university president position, held a press conference Monday, fielding questions ranging from his policies, practices and beliefs to his reasoning for uprooting from his previous home in Seattle to re-plant in College Station.
Young, the former president of the University of Washington and the University of Utah, will bring with him experience in academic leadership to the office vacated by former president R. Bowen Loftin.
Young said he was happy on the shores of the Puget Sound, but the move to Aggieland represents a new and exciting venture for his career in academia.
“For me, A&M represents a unique opportunity and a different type of challenge than I’ve ever been involved with before,” Young said. “The areas at which the university works and the degree that it has penetrated the state are different, and I’m excited about that.”
Young said the the attitude of A&M leaders was especially appealing when he was first contacted with the job opportunity.
“I was fascinated by [Chancellor John Sharp’s] vision for this university,” Young said. “I’ve been preaching to deaf ears for quite some time how important to the future of the United States great public research universities are. These are the institutions that have transformed America, and at a fundamental level made it what it is.”
Young and Sharp announced Monday that Young will not live in the president’s residence if named president. The home will instead be used to host visiting dignitaries, former students and donors.
Young will be named president of the university pending a vote by the Board of Regents after a mandatory 21-day period after being named finalist.