Dr. Wade Rousse has been named president of the LSU System and Dr. James Dalton as executive vice president and chancellor of the flagship A&M campus in Baton Rouge.LSU
The appointments represent a strategic shift for the university system, which had previously combined the positions. The Board determined that splitting the roles would allow for more focused leadership across the system's multiple campuses and research facilities.
"It is rare during a national search to find not one but two candidates who align on the same vision and whose different backgrounds complement and benefit the entire university system," said Scott Ballard, chair of the LSU Board of Supervisors.
Rousse, currently president of McNeese State University, will oversee systemwide operations and strategic initiatives. Dalton, who serves as executive vice president and provost at the University of Alabama, will lead the Baton Rouge campus and coordinate LSU's research enterprise, including oversight of the AgCenter and health centers in New Orleans and Shreveport.
The new structure aims to position LSU for continued growth in research and academics, with a particular focus on achieving top 50 research university status and becoming eligible for membership in the Association of American Universities.
The leadership change follows a period of significant growth for LSU, including record enrollments across nearly every campus, the largest freshman class in the flagship's history, and more than $500 million in research funding.
Rousse becomes LSU's first permanent system president since Dr. William F. Tate IV, who served from 2021 to 2024 and became the first Black president in the university's history. Tate left LSU last year to become president of Rutgers University.
At McNeese, Rousse led the university to its first overall enrollment increase in 14 years, a 13% rise in first-time freshmen, and full housing occupancy for the first time in more than two decades. He also grew the McNeese Foundation's assets from approximately $95 million to $120 million.
A first-generation college graduate and Louisiana native, Rousse earned his doctorate in economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
"LSU is more than a university—it's a promise to the people of Louisiana," Rousse said. "It's where education, research, and innovation come together to strengthen our communities and our economy."
Dalton brings extensive experience in academic administration and pharmaceutical research to his new role. At Alabama, he has overseen 13 colleges and academic divisions with more than 2,000 faculty and 40,000 students, helping the university achieve a 60% increase in sponsored research awards.
As dean of the University of Michigan's College of Pharmacy, Dalton elevated the college's national ranking from seventh to third while doubling research expenditures. His earlier career included industry leadership at GTx, Inc., where his drug-discovery work generated over 100 U.S. patents and more than 21,000 citations.
"I was drawn to LSU by its clear academic mission and the pride this community takes in scholarship that impacts Louisiana and the world," Dalton said.
The new organizational structure places Dalton's office closer to academic operations, with direct oversight of the flagship campus while Rousse focuses on system-level priorities including relationships with state government, fundraising, and coordination among LSU's multiple campuses.
The Board has authorized General Counsel Trey Jones to develop changes to the system's bylaws and regulations to support the new structure. Additional organizational details will be announced as they are finalized.
