JuliAnn Mazachek officially appointed MSU Texas President
JuliAnn Mazachek, Ph.D., will begin her tenure as the 12th president of Midwestern State University (MSU Texas) effective May 23. The official appointment was made today (March 28) by Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., chancellor of the Texas Tech University System (TTU System), following the 21-day waiting period required by state law.
Mazachek, who was unanimously selected as sole finalist for the position earlier this month by the TTU System Board of Regents, will become the second woman in the 100-year history of the university to serve as president. She currently serves as vice president for academic affairs, chief academic officer and associate professor at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored to have been appointed to serve as the 12th president of MSU Texas,” said Mazachek. “I am thrilled to join the MSU Texas community in a few weeks and look forward to beginning our work together, building upon the university’s tremendous foundation of excellence and mapping our vision and plan for an outstanding future.”
As the university nears the completion of the spring semester, Mazachek is spending two days this week visiting with academic and governance groups on campus and will return in April to meet the community at large.
“It is an honor to appoint Dr. JuliAnn Mazachek as the 12th president of Midwestern State University,” said Mitchell. “MSU Texas is a university on the rise, and I am confident Dr. Mazachek matches this trajectory. She is a proven leader with an outstanding tenure in higher education and has achieved excellence at every level. There is a bright future ahead for MSU Texas, and I am excited to envision and achieve the potential for this remarkable institution and its surrounding communities under the leadership of Dr. Mazachek.”
As an accomplished leader in higher education with 30 years of
dedicated service to Washburn University, Mazachek’s contributions have been critical to the university’s central mission of providing an unrivaled liberal arts educational experience.
In addition to her tenure as vice president, she also served Washburn in leadership roles as foundation president and CEO, dean of the School of Business and as a tenured faculty member.
“I am excited to begin our work together. As we celebrate 100 years of providing high-quality education and making a meaningful impactfor our students, alumni, community, region and the State of Texas, we also will work together to ensure our aspirations for MSU Texas are realized,” said Mazachek.
Mazachek’s appointment is the culmination of a nationwide search that began in October 2021 and attracted more than 60 applicants.
“This is a historic moment in the 100-year history of this respected institution,” said J. Michael Lewis, chairman of the TTU System Board of Regents. “My family’s history in Olney, Texas, dates to 1888, and throughout my life I have held Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls and this community in high regard. Dr. Mazachek is a dynamic leader who will position this exceptional university for continued greatness both in and for this community and in our state. It is a pleasure to welcome Dr. Mazachek into the Texas Tech University System family as the next transformative leader of MSU Texas.”
Mazachek will be joined in Wichita Falls by her husband, Keith Mazachek, Ph.D. The couple has three adult children: Garrett, who is a captain in the U.S. Air Force; Kara, who is an economist in Washington, D.C.; and Stephanie, who is an accountant in Kansas City, Kansas.