By Jasmin Parrado
After almost four years, Christian Hardigree will end her tenure as the regional chancellor at The University of South Florida St. Petersburg this fall.
Hardigree’s departure follows the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents announcing her as the sole finalist three weeks ago in its presidential search for its Victoria campus, which was newly established as its 12th institution on Sept. 1.
“When Texas A&M University-Victoria offered me this opportunity, I couldn’t pass it up,” Hardigree shared in an email Oct. 10 announcing her resignation. “But please know that this decision was not made lightly. You have become like family to me, and I will never forget the people I have met here.”
Effective Nov. 4, Thomas Smith, USF’s vice provost of academic affairs, will be interim regional chancellor, according to an email announcement from USF President Rhea Law to faculty and staff on Oct. 16. Smith will also keep his role as vice provost.
“I am grateful to Dr. Smith for his willingness to serve in this role and look forward to his many additional contributions to the St. Petersburg campus, our university and the broader community,” Law said in the email.
Smith has been at USF St. Petersburg for 25 years. In addition to his role as vice provost, he is a member of the university’s leadership council. He has also served as campus dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at USF St. Petersburg since 2022. Before that, he was associate dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College from 2020 to 2022.
Smith is also a human rights educator and researcher, with published articles in various foreign policy and international relations journals. In 2013, he co-founded the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs, and he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Holocaust Museum from 2019 to this year.
In her message, Hardigree recounted USF St. Petersburg’s accomplishments, reflecting on the campus’s developments in research efforts and the expansion of academic programs that marked her time as the second regional chancellor since 2022.
USF President Rhea Law touted Hardigree’s contributions in a consecutive university-wide email the same day, announcing the leadership update and noting that efforts to find an interim regional chancellor for USF St. Petersburg would shortly commence.
“Since joining USF St. Petersburg in 2022, Chancellor Hardigree has been a steady leader, quickly forming connections with the local community and serving as an advocate for our students, faculty and staff,” Law said.
Hardigree’s aspiration for university presidency became apparent last spring after Murray State University declared her one of four finalists for its 15th presidential search, alerting USF students to her potential resignation.
Texas A&M outlined Hardigree’s accolades, noting her previous tenures as both founding dean of the School of Hospitality at Metropolitan State University and founding director at Kennesaw State University’s School of Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality.
As “a seasoned higher-education leader and attorney” with a juris doctorate and a bachelor’s degree in hotel administration, Hardigree was touted as a highly capable and promising future president.
“With [Hardigree]’s experience and vision, A&M–Victoria will become an even stronger engine of opportunity for South Texas,” said Glenn Hegar, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System in its press release.
During her time as regional chancellor, Hardigree oversaw various investments in research initiatives such as the Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences Research and Teaching Facility and the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Risk to Resilience Lab.
Additionally, Hardigree navigated hurricane seasons on the waterside campus, leading cleanup and repair efforts after USFSP weather effects from six hurricanes.
Hardigree will remain at USF St. Petersburg until Nov. 3.
