3/22/07

Contact: Brian Keeter, 334/844-4650 (bkeeter@auburn.edu)
Mike Clardy, (334) 844-9999 (clardch@auburn.edu)

GOGUE NAMED 18th PRESIDENT OF AUBURN UNIVERSITY
Jay Gogue, president of the University of Houston and chancellor of the UH system, was named Thursday as the 18th president of Auburn University.

The AU Board of Trustees unanimously selected Gogue after a two-year national search. Gogue, who received two AU degrees in horticulture, spent the last two days on campus talking with faculty, staff, students and alumni.

"The Auburn family found the same exceptional qualities in Dr. Gogue that we discovered during an exhaustive and comprehensive search for Auburn's next leader," said Charles McCrary, chairman of the presidential search committee. "He is a visionary leader who is committed to academic excellence. We welcome him back to campus as Auburn's new president."

Gogue is expected to start in mid-July, replacing Ed Richardson, who has held AU's top position since 2004. Richardson was first selected on an interim basis and later named AU's 17th president in recognition of his service and performance.

"We cannot thank Dr. Richardson enough for his straight forward and steady leadership," said Earlon McWhorter, president pro tem of the AU Board. "He focused resources on academic progress, strengthened recruitment of Alabama's brightest students, reinvigorated Auburn's research mission, and set the stage for the new president to continue moving Auburn forward."

Gogue, a native of Waycross, Ga., received a doctorate in horticulture from Michigan State University in 1973. After working at the U.S. Department of Interior, Gogue served in a variety of research and agriculture positions at Clemson University.

Gogue became provost of Utah State University in 1995 and was selected president of New Mexico State University in 2000. In 2003, he was named to the top position at the University of Houston.

Auburn University is a top-50 ranked public university that has provided instruction, research and outreach to benefit the state and nation for more than 150 years. A more than $4 billion economic impact on the state - including more than $2.4 billion in providing jobs and people resources - demonstrates AU’s commitment to this mission. AU has more than 214,000 alumni, and provides 130 degree options to nearly 23,500 graduate and undergraduate students.

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