Ronald L.
Vaughn
Education
1968 Indiana State University, B.S.
1970 Indiana State University, MBA
1975 University of Georgia, Ph.D.Career Specialties
Dr. Vaughn has specific expertise in the areas of marketing and
business. He gained substantial business experience while owning a
multi-office marketing research/consulting company where he served as a
business and marketing consultant on several hundred projects for a
broad clientele.Professional and Community Activities:
President Ronald L. Vaughn came to the University in August 1984 as the
coordinator of the Department of Marketing and as the holder of the Max
H. Hollingsworth Endowed Chair of American Enterprise. Since then, he
has served as director of the MBA program, dean of the College of
Business and Graduate Studies, and co-chief academic officer. He became
president of the University in January 1995.
Under his leadership, the University has entered a period of growth and
expansion unlike any in its previous history. Since 1995, the
University’s annual budget has grown from $28 million to $135 million.
The record growth has fueled dynamic improvements in both academics and
student life. Since 1997, approximately $210 million of construction
has been completed or is underway.
President Vaughn began his academic career at Bradley University as a
faculty member and chair of the marketing department. Continuing his
academic career at UT, he served more than 20 years as a faculty member
and in administrative leadership positions prior to becoming president.
President Vaughn has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and an MBA degree
from Indiana State University, along with a Ph.D. in marketing from the
University of Georgia. He has attended more than 30 workshops on
strategic planning, fund raising, corporate quality, marketing
research, multivariate statistics, various university management
topics, and international business. At Harvard University, he attended
the Institute for Educational Management (IEM) in 1994 and the New
President’s Seminar in 1995.
He has served on numerous boards including the Performing Arts Center,
the Gulf Ridge Council of Boy Scouts, the Greater Tampa Chamber of
Commerce, and the Florida Aquarium. Leadership positions have included
serving as president of the Florida West Coast Chapter of the American
Marketing Association, president of the Tampa Bay Chapter of The
Planning Forum, chair of the American Red Cross Tampa Bay Chapter,
president of the Sunshine State Athletic Conference, and chair of the
Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida.