photo by: Kansas State University

Kansas State University President Richard Linton is pictured.

Kansas State University President Richard Linton on Wednesday announced he is leaving his role as head of the school to accept a new position as president of Virginia Tech University.

Linton is a three-time graduate of Virginia Tech, having earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from the Blacksburg school. He said he will complete the fall semester at Kansas State before taking on the new role in January before the start of the spring semester there.

“Returning to the university that helped shape who I am and gave me the foundation for my career makes this next chapter especially meaningful,” Linton said in a letter addressed to the K-State community. “Serving as president of Kansas State University has been one of the greatest honors and joys of my professional life.”

Linton began his tenure as president of Kansas State in February 2022 after being appointed by the Kansas Board of Regents, becoming its 15th leader. Under his watch, enrollment stabilized and then slowly grew after several years of decline. In his letter on Wednesday, Linton said he is proud of the work the university accomplished, including generating nearly $1.2 billion in philanthropic support and securing $428 million in state and federal funding.

Before joining Kansas State, Linton served as dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University and was a department chair at The Ohio State University before that. He spent several years as a faculty member at Purdue University.

Linton said he will work with the Board of Regents to “ensure a smooth leadership transition, maintain continuity in our priorities, and provide the next leader with a strong foundation on which to build.”

Board of Regents Chair Alysia Johnston thanked Linton for his service in a brief message on Wednesday.

“We are grateful for his efforts and leadership in advancing K-State’s land grant mission and our system’s strategic goals,” she said. “The Regents wish him all the best in his new role.”