R. Bowen Loftin
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Richard Bowen Loftin (born June 29, 1949), better known as R. Bowen Loftin, is an American academic and physicist who was the 22nd Chancellor of the
University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...
in
Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1821 as the county seat of Boone County, Missouri, Boone County and had a population of 126,254 as recorded in the 2020 United States census, making it the List of cities in Misso ...
. Prior to his appointment as chancellor, he served as the 24th president of
Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
. Loftin is a consultant in modeling and simulation, advanced training technologies, scientific and engineering data visualization. He is the author or co-author of more than 100 publications and has served as principal investigator of grants and contracts totaling millions of dollars.


Early life and education

Loftin was born in
Hearne, Texas Hearne ( ) is a city in Robertson County, Texas, Robertson County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 4,544. The city is named for a family that settled in the area in the 19th centur ...
. He graduated from Texas A&M University in three years, having been awarded a bachelor of science degree in physics (B.S. 1970) with highest honors, and was a staff member of the MSC Student Conference on National Affairs. He earned a master of science degree (M.S. 1973) and doctor of philosophy degree (Ph.D. 1975) in physics from
Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...
. His doctoral advisor was Harold E. Rorschach Jr.


Career


Professional career

After completing his graduate studies at
Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...
, Loftin began his academic career as an
assistant professor Assistant professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States, Canada, Japan, and South Korea. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doct ...
of physics at Texas A&M University at Galveston in September 1976 and left in August 1977. He then became an assistant professor at University of Houston-Downtown starting in 1977. He later was awarded
tenure Tenure is a type of academic appointment that protects its holder from being fired or laid off except for cause, or under extraordinary circumstances such as financial exigency or program discontinuation. Academic tenure originated in the United ...
at UH-D in September 1982. He remained teaching at UH-D until August 2000.
In May 1986, Loftin began working for the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the United States's civil space program, aeronautics research and space research. Established in 1958, it su ...
as the Principal Investigator for Advanced Training Technologies of the Space Flight Training Division. In August 1994, Loftin began teaching as a professor of computer science at the
University of Houston The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...
. He was the Chair of the Department of Computer Science from September 1999 until April 2000. Loftin also was director of the NASA Virtual Environments Research Institute at the University of Houston. In August of 2000, Loftin started working at
Old Dominion University Old Dominion University (ODU) is a Public university, public research university in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. Established in 1930 as the two-year Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, it began by educating people with fewer ...
where he was a professor of electrical engineering, professor of computer engineering, and a professor of computer science. He was a professor there until 2008. He also served as executive director of the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center from August 2000 until May 2005. Loftin was appointed as the vice president and CEO of Texas A&M University at Galveston in May 2005, where he also held the position of professor of maritime systems engineering. In fall 2008, when
Hurricane Ike Hurricane Ike () was a powerful tropical cyclone that swept through portions of the Greater Antilles and Northern America in September 2008, wreaking havoc on infrastructure and agriculture, particularly in Cuba and Texas. Ike took a sim ...
hit the Texas Gulf Coast, Loftin oversaw evacuation of the multi-site campus and relocation of almost all of the 1,500 students, along with many of the faculty and staff, to the main Texas A&M campus in College Station, approximately 150 miles inland. This is believed to be the first time that an entire institution of higher education was transposed onto another for an extended period of time. Loftin was appointed as interim president on June 15, 2009, and was named the 24th
President of Texas A&M University The president of Texas A&M University is the Chancellor (education)#University president, chief officer of the academic administration of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, College Station, Texas. Forty-one people—thirty-nine men ...
on February 12, 2010. He succeeded Elsa Murano, who was the previous president. In June 2013, Loftin notified Texas A&M leadership that he would step down from the presidency in January 2014, and return to his tenured professorship. However, in December 2013, Loftin announced that he had accepted the role of Chancellor of the University of Missouri flagship campus in Columbia, effective February 1, 2014, a similar role to his former job as president at Texas A&M.


2015 University of Missouri controversy

In 2015, University of Missouri Deans met with
University of Missouri System The University of Missouri System is an American state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, and ten research and technology parks. Over 61,500 students (Fall 202 ...
President Tim Wolfe on October 9 and October 13 to ask for Loftin's resignation. On October 21, the Curators met behind closed doors in what was speculated by some to be related to proceedings about Loftin's role in shutting down ties between
Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization
and the University. State Rep. Caleb Jones, R-Columbia, speculated on Twitter that Loftin would be fired for his role in shutting down MU's connections to Planned Parenthood. On November 3, The MU English department faculty voted unanimously in a
vote of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
against Loftin. Then on November 9, nine deans called on the UM System Board of Curators for Loftin's removal. Citing Loftin's handling of race and cultural issues, the firing of the dean of the School of Medicine, the abrupt cancellation of graduate student health insurance subsidies in August, and the elimination of the vice chancellor for health sciences, they wrote that Loftin had created a “toxic environment through threat, fear and intimidation." That same day, amid protests which culminated with the resignation of president Wolfe earlier that day, Loftin announced that he would resign at the end of 2015 and take a research role at the University. On November 11, the Curators voted to hasten his departure from January 1 to be effective immediately. Loftin's responsibilities were transferred to Interim Chancellor Hank Foley. In his not clearly defined role after his departure from the office of Chancellor, Loftin's annual salary was $337,500.


Awards and honors

*1982 University of Houston-Downtown Award for Excellence in Teaching *1984 & 1985 University of Houston-Downtown Awards for Excellence in Service *1992 NASA Space Act Award *1993 NASA Public Service Medal *1995 NASA Invention of the Year Award


References


External links


Texas A&M University - Office of the PresidentUniversity of Missouri - Office of the Chancellor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loftin, R. Bowen Living people Texas A&M University faculty Texas A&M University System Presidents of Texas A&M University Rice University alumni 1949 births Leaders of the University of Missouri Scientists from Columbia, Missouri University of Missouri physicists Computer graphics researchers Data and information visualization experts Virtual reality pioneers People from Hearne, Texas Texas A&M University alumni