Regents Select Michael Tidwell as Next President of UT Tyler

Michael Tidwell, dean of the business school at Eastern Michigan University, has been selected as the next president of the University of Texas at Tyler. 

He was chosen by the University of Texas System Board of Regents on Tuesday, but the selection won't become official for at least three weeks. State law requires that new university presidents be named as finalists for the job for at least 21 days. Tidwell, 43, will replace current president Rodney Mabry, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Tidwell currently oversees more than 100 faculty members and 3,500 students at the Eastern Michigan business school. That's about half the size of UT Tyler. Tidwell has previously worked at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania and Clayton State University in Georgia. 

“I am quite honored that the Board of Regents saw fit to make me the sole finalist. UT Tyler is a tremendous institution with a great future ahead of it and I am just excited to be a part of it,” he said in a press release. 

UT System Chancellor Bill McRaven said in a statement that Tidwell's charisma stood out in the interview process. 

"Dr. Tidwell is a visionary leader with a clear passion for student success,” he said.