Dr. Gary Bigham of Lockney has been named the new dean of the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences at West Texas A&M University (courtesy photo)
CANYON, TX – A 1984 graduate of Lockney High School has been named the new dean of the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences at West Texas A&M University (WT).
Dr. Gary Bigham, a 15-year veteran of WT who spent 20 years in teaching and administration in the public school system, officially will begin his duties on August 1 following approval from The Texas A&M University System.
The Floyd County native said, “I am honored and humbled by the trust that WT’s top administration has placed in me.”
Bigham, a Lockney native, was inspired to enter education because he admired a high school agriculture teacher.
He began his teaching career in Amherst, then moved to Springlake-Earth, serving as an elementary and junior high principal before being elevated to superintendent. Though he started at WT, Bigham earned his bachelor’s and master’s in agricultural education and a doctorate in educational leadership at Texas Tech.
After two decades in public schools, Bigham joined the WT faculty, where he has served as director of the University’s educational leadership doctorate program and superintendent certification.
“At the core, I want this college to be the place where anybody seeking a degree in any of our fields — whether it’s education, psychology, criminal justice, political science, public administration, emergency management, or the like — that we’re their first choice,” Bigham said. “I want us to have an active presence in the field, not only the place schools turn to for guidance and assistance, but for any of the social science disciplines that fall within our fields of study.”
However, his roots remain deep in Floyd County, as his mother, Anita Bigham, and two brothers, Troy and Clint, reside in the Lockney area.
“The experience that Dr. Bigham brings with him from his time in rural school districts will significantly impact our students and service to the region,” said WT President Walter V. Wendler. “I am confident that the disciplines in the College will flourish under Dr. Bigham’s leadership.”
(Chip Chandler with West Texas A&M University contributed to this article)
