SAN ANTONIO – Dr. Louis J. Agnese Jr. will be named president emeritus of the University of the Incarnate Word at the fall class of 2016 commencement ceremony, university officials said.
Board of Trustees chair Charlie Lutz will present the honor at the ceremony, scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum at 3201 E. Houston St.
Recommended Videos
UIW said Agnese served as the eighth president of the university beginning from 1985 until his retirement this year. At the age of 33, he became one of the youngest college presidents in the U.S.
Agnese's was the second longest presidential tenure in the university's 135-year history, UIW said.
Some of the highlights during Agnese's presidency included enrollment rising from 1,296 students in 1985 to 11,422 in 2016 and the number of academic programs doubling. UIW said it also expanded its statewide and international presence. UIW had only one location in 1985; today there are nine in San Antonio, sites in Corpus Christi and Killeen, a European Study Center in Heidelberg, Germany, and two campuses in Mexico.
Agnese has received multiple honors and awards during his career, including being named one of Five Outstanding Young Americans and one of Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World in 1989, when the American Marketing Association also named him Marketing Person of the Year, UIW said.
Agnese has been an active member of the San Antonio community, serving on the boards of several organizations. The university said Agnese holds a Ph.D. in counselor education from the University of Pittsburgh; a master of education in counseling and an education specialist degree in supervision of counseling services, both from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania; and a bachelor of arts degree in history and psychology from St. Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City, Kansas.
Agnese and his wife, Mickey, have two children and four grandchildren, the university said.
For more information about the university, click here.