Kansas State University president accepts appointment as Virginia Tech president

Kansas State University President Richard Linton, and colleague Valentina Trinetta, share signs of Wildcat loyalty while visiting the campus ice cream store on Feb. 23, 2023. Linton will leave K-State in December to serve as president of his alma mater Virginia Tech University. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA — Kansas State University president Richard Linton agreed Tuesday to take his academic career full circle by accepting an appointment to lead his alma mater, Virginia Tech University.

“My 40-year journey in the land-grant system began at Virginia Tech,” said Linton, who served as K-State’s president since 2022. “Having earned three degrees here, the opportunity to return home and serve as president of my alma mater is a true honor.”

Linton said he would complete the fall semester at K-State in Manhattan before assuming duties at Virginia Tech at start of the spring semester in Blacksburg, Virginia.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, master’s degree in food science and a doctorate in food science at Virginia Tech.

“Although my professional responsibilities will take me elsewhere, my appreciation for Kansas State University and the people of Kansas will endure for a lifetime,” Linton said.

He said he was leaving K-State after launching a strategic plan to make the university a “next-generation” land-grant institution. He said K-State achieved two consecutive years of enrollment growth, increased research expenditures, generated $1.2 billion in philanthropic support and secured more than $400 million in state and federal funding.

Previously, he was agriculture dean at North Carolina State University, food science department chairman at Ohio State University and a food science faculty member at Purdue University.

“Virginia Tech is poised to make a generational leap as a public research university, and Richard Linton is the right leader to guide us forward,” said Jim Miller, director of Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors. “As a Hokie, Richard has a deep appreciation for what makes this university and its community so special. His extensive leadership experience, a career dedicated to land-grant institutions and a strong commitment to fostering a culture of service uniquely position him to lead Virginia Tech into its next chapter.”

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, said Linton worked diligently to bring educational and research opportunities to K-State.

“Upon becoming president, he set an ambitious goal to expand K-State’s agriculture footprint,” Moran said. “Dr. Linton’s vision for K-State has helped drive enrollment and led to record-breaking investments for the university.”

He said Linton’s time at Kansas State wasn’t easy, given a cancer diagnosis he received in 2023.

“While supported by the Manhattan community, Dr. Linton continued serving the university while undergoing treatment, showing tremendous strength and commitment,” Moran said. “I’ve appreciated working alongside Dr. Linton and enjoyed our sunrise walks around campus as we discussed our shared goal of making certain Kansas is a place where students can get a quality education and build a meaningful career.”