SAN ANTONIO – The University of Texas at San Antonio President Ricardo Romo on Wednesday said that he will retire following 18 years at the university.
Romo said he plans to retire in August 2017.
At a news conference, Romo said his tenure as president "was an incredible time for me (and) an incredible opportunity for me. This is the best job in Texas ... even if I didn't get paid."
Romo is the fifth and longest serving president in UTSA's 47-year history and its first Hispanic president. More than half of UTSA's alumni have received their degrees since he began as president in 1999.
UTSA's faculty has grown from 400 to 1,400 faculty members under Romo's leadership.
UT System Chancellor Admiral William McRaven said the school's transformation has led to positive changes across San Antonio.
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement Wednesday about the UTSA President:
“Ricardo Romo transformed UTSA into an emerging research university that graduates more students and offers more degrees and more opportunities than it did the day he walked into the President’s office. He has made a profound difference.”