Texas Southern University in Houston Names Lesia L. Crumpton as Its Next President

Lesia L. Crumpton-Young was selected as the sole finalist for the presidency of Texas Southern University in Houston. Under Texas law, appointments must go through a 21-day public vetting period before they can become official.

Texas Southern University enrolls just over 7,000 undergraduate students and just under 2,000 graduate students, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 59 percent of the undergraduate student body.

“I’m honored to be considered by the full Texas Southern University Board of Regents as the sole finalist for the next president,” said Dr. Crumpton-Young. “TSU is a vibrant and treasured institution filled with legacy, excellence, and promise. It will be an honor and privilege to serve.”

Since 2019, Dr. Crumpton-Young has served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. She also was a tenured full professor inf the department of industrial and systems engineering in the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. School of Engineering.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Crumpton-Young was vice president for research and institutional advancement and chief research officer at Tennessee State University. She has previously held leadership roles at the University of Central Florida, Texas A&M University, Mississippi State University, and the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Crumpton-Young earned a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and a Ph.D. in industrial engineering, all from Texas A&M University. She holds the distinction of being the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in engineering at Texas A&M.