Meet the President
Guy Bailey, Ph.D., is the President of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Since taking the helm in May 2014, President Bailey has been dedicated to establishing UTRGV as one of the country’s best and most affordable institutions of higher learning. Under his leadership, total enrollment, student retention, research expenditures, and philanthropic gifts to the institution have all increased dramatically.
“UTRGV’s success is attributed to our university community’s extraordinary work and commitment,” Bailey said. "I've done a lot of things that I’m proud of, but I’ve never done anything as significant as what is happening at UTRGV.”
UTRGV’s Latest Rankings and Milestones
- Seal of Excelencia certification — Excelencia in Education, 2024-2027
- #1 University in Texas Washington Monthly, 2024
- #1 University in Texas for Performance of Pell Grant Students Washington Monthly, 2024
- #1 University in Texas for Net Price of Attendance Washington Monthly, 2024
- #1 University in Texas for Best Social Mobility Washington Monthly, 2024
- #1 University in Texas (60 th Nationally) — Washington Monthly, 2023
- #1 University in Texas for Social Mobility — Washington Monthly, 2023
- #1 University in Texas (2 nd Nationally) for Performance of Pell Grant Students — Washington Monthly, 2023
- #1 Lowest Net Price of Attendance — Washington Monthly, 2023
- #1 Public University in Texas (7 th Nationally) — Degree Choices, 2023
- #1 Large University in Texas (6 th Nationally) — Third Way, 2023
- #1 University in Texas for Social Mobility — U.S. News and World Report, 2023
- #1 Public University in Texas (3 rd Nationally) for lowest student debt upon graduation — U.S. News and World Report, 2023
- #1 Fastest-Growing Doctoral Public University in Texas (3 rd Nationally) between 2011-2021 — Chronicle of Higher Education
- Seal of Excelencia certification — Excelencia in Education, 2021
- UTRGV has awarded more than 50,000 degrees to graduating Vaqueros since 2015.
Current Honors
- Bailey named Border Texan of the Year in 2019
- Friends of Quinta Mazatlan Honors Guy Bailey in 2023
- UTRGV named Institutional Catalyst of the Year by Teach for America Rio Grande Valley in 2024
UTRGV Student Support Initiatives
“American higher education needs to restructure itself, understanding that its past is not going to be its future,” Bailey said. “We have to rethink what we do, and I think you start with students and what they need.”
Below are some of the most impactful initiatives UTRGV has implemented during Bailey’s tenure:- UTRGV Tuition Advantage : Established in 2019 and expanded in 2020, 2021, and 2022, provides free tuition and fees for qualifying students from families with an adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less.
- Vaqueros MD Early Assurance Program: Established in 2019, this program helps qualifying Freshmen who graduate from high schools across South Texas create a direct four-year admission path into the UTRGV School of Medicine.
- UTRGV Luminary Scholars: Established in 2021 and made possible, in part, by a historic $40 million gift from philanthropists MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett, this unique scholarship provides students the opportunity to obtain a bachelor's degree and a subsequent master's or medical degree without paying any tuition or mandatory fees.
- Student Debt Discharge: In 2021, UTRGV used monies from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to discharge approximately $9.1 million in debt owed by 8, 876 students who were enrolled between March 13, 2020 and March 16, 2021, and still had outstanding debt to UTRGV.
- Pandemic Relief: Since Summer 2020, UTRGV has distributed more than $100 million of additional financial support to students through Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) and university funds.
“At UTRGV, we want to ensure that our students can obtain a degree and a world-class education — without having to mortgage their futures.”
Pre-UTRGV Career
Prior to being named President of UTRGV in May 2014, Bailey served as President of the University of Alabama and of Texas Tech University; Chancellor of the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC); and Provost and Executive Vice President of The University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA).
While serving as President of Texas Tech, the university met the criteria established by the Texas State Legislature for participation in the National Research University Fund; enrollment grew by 3,905 students (14%); research expenditures grew by $89.9 million (170%); and graduation rates increased by five percentage points.
Under Bailey’s guidance, UMKC completed a $200 million capital campaign and oversaw $175 million in new construction. From 2010 to 2012, Bailey served on the Board of Directors of the NCAA and on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Big 12 athletic conference. He has also served on the Board of Trustees of Midwest Research Institute since 2007.
During his tenure at UTSA, the university was named an emerging research university by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; 16 new doctoral programs were added; external funding for research more than doubled; enrollment grew by more than 40%; and graduate enrollment grew by nearly 50%.
Early in his career, Bailey served as Dean of Liberal Arts at the University of Nevada Las Vegas; Chair of the English Department at Oklahoma State University and the University of Memphis; and as a faculty member at Texas A&M University and Emory University.
Research
Bailey continues to do research on language change and variation. His research with his late wife, Jan, has been featured in a front-page article in the New York Times, on National Public Radio, on CNN Headline News, on BBC Radio, in Texas Monthly, and in the San Antonio Express News. Since 1984, Bailey has brought in over $1 million in external funding for his research.