Bost Named Vice President For Global Initiatives
Eric M. Bost, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, was named vice president for global initiatives at Texas A&M University after a unanimous vote by the nine-member A&M System Board of Regents.
In this newly established position, Ambassador Bost will provide leadership for the university’s international programs, including formal research agreements with more than 125 institutions in 45 countries; centers in Mexico, Italy and Costa Rica; study abroad programs that send more than 1,900 students to about 40 countries each year; and more than 4,400 international students enrolled at the College Station campus.
“Increasing our global presence is one my top priorities, and I am confident that Ambassador Bost is up to the challenge,” said Texas A&M President Elsa A. Murano. “Elevating this position to the vice presidential level will be important to our success in our increasingly interconnected global society.”
As U.S. Ambassador to South Africa since 2006, Ambassador Bost led one of the largest U.S. embassies in the world, with a staff of more than 1,000 representing 26 government agencies. In this position, he also managed Former President George W. Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in South Africa, the largest U.S. funded health program worldwide. More than 2 million South Africans suffering from HIV/AIDS have received these services.
Bost said, “I am very pleased and excited to join the staff, faculty and students at Texas A&M University. It is truly an honor for me to become a part of such a world class university and I look forward to assisting President Murano and Dr. Vitter in achieving their goal of increasing the global scope and presence of Texas A&M.”
Ambassador Bost previously was Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that had an annual budget of over $58 billion and was responsible for providing needy families with improved access to food and a healthy diet. He was also commissioner and chief executive officer of the Texas Department of Human Services.
“Ambassador Bost brings a level of knowledge and expertise that will help us establish a cohesive and comprehensive approach to our international efforts,” said Jeffrey Vitter, provost and executive vice president for academics at Texas A&M. “His dynamic leadership will help us infuse a global dimension into the teaching, research and service aspects of our academic enterprise.”
A native of Concord, N.C., Ambassador Bost holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in special education from the University of South Florida. He will assume his new duties on Jan. 26.
Dr. Emily Ashworth, who previously directed Texas A&M’s International Programs Office, will assume a new role as associate executive vice president for international programs, reporting directly to Ambassador Bost.
