Office of the President
Dr. John C. Hayek
Dr. John C. Hayek serves as Interim President of Lamar State College Port Arthur,
effective January 2026, providing leadership and continuity during a period of institutional
transition. In this role, he is focused on supporting students, faculty, and staff;
strengthening workforce and community partnerships across Southeast Texas; and engaging
campus and external stakeholders to inform the college’s next chapter.
Dr. Hayek also serves as Vice Chancellor for Academic and Health Affairs and Chief Academic Officer for the Texas State University System (TSUS), where he provides academic leadership across four universities and three state colleges, advancing excellence in teaching, research, and service. In this systemwide role, he oversees academic planning and program review, data analytics and accountability, online learning, research, and strategic partnerships.
With more than 30 years of experience at the university, system, and state levels, Dr. Hayek has led major initiatives in academic and health affairs, student engagement, finance, policy development, strategic planning, and industry partnerships. Dr. Hayek serves as the Chair of the National Advisory Board for the National Survey of Student Engagement and is a member of the Texas Local Board of the American Lung Association.
Before joining TSUS in 2015, he served as Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas System, directing projects in academic planning, policy, student success, and data analytics. From 2005 to 2012, he was Senior Vice President for Budget, Policy, and Planning at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, where he oversaw statewide funding and educational attainment initiatives designed to strengthen workforce quality and support economic development.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Hayek served as Senior Associate Director and Assistant Research Scientist at Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research, where he helped launch the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), now widely regarded as the national benchmark for promoting effective educational practices and institutional quality.
Before entering higher education, he held positions with IBM and the Northern Trust Company and worked with public–private economic development organizations that hosted major events, including the Super Bowl and an Olympic soccer competition in South Florida.
A social scientist by training, Dr. Hayek earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education from Indiana University Bloomington, a master’s degree in Sports Administration from St. Thomas University in Miami, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Chicago, where he lettered in varsity baseball and football and was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
Dr. Hayek and his wife, Laura, reside in Southeast Texas, with Rain, their Standard Poodle, and are the proud parents of four adult children who live and work in Central Texas.
Dr. Hayek also serves as Vice Chancellor for Academic and Health Affairs and Chief Academic Officer for the Texas State University System (TSUS), where he provides academic leadership across four universities and three state colleges, advancing excellence in teaching, research, and service. In this systemwide role, he oversees academic planning and program review, data analytics and accountability, online learning, research, and strategic partnerships.
With more than 30 years of experience at the university, system, and state levels, Dr. Hayek has led major initiatives in academic and health affairs, student engagement, finance, policy development, strategic planning, and industry partnerships. Dr. Hayek serves as the Chair of the National Advisory Board for the National Survey of Student Engagement and is a member of the Texas Local Board of the American Lung Association.
Before joining TSUS in 2015, he served as Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas System, directing projects in academic planning, policy, student success, and data analytics. From 2005 to 2012, he was Senior Vice President for Budget, Policy, and Planning at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, where he oversaw statewide funding and educational attainment initiatives designed to strengthen workforce quality and support economic development.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Hayek served as Senior Associate Director and Assistant Research Scientist at Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research, where he helped launch the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), now widely regarded as the national benchmark for promoting effective educational practices and institutional quality.
Before entering higher education, he held positions with IBM and the Northern Trust Company and worked with public–private economic development organizations that hosted major events, including the Super Bowl and an Olympic soccer competition in South Florida.
A social scientist by training, Dr. Hayek earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education from Indiana University Bloomington, a master’s degree in Sports Administration from St. Thomas University in Miami, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Chicago, where he lettered in varsity baseball and football and was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
Dr. Hayek and his wife, Laura, reside in Southeast Texas, with Rain, their Standard Poodle, and are the proud parents of four adult children who live and work in Central Texas.