Dr. Ray M. Keck Position: University President

Dr. Ray M. Keck is the fifth president of Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). He took office Sept. 1, 2001.

Keck, who was raised in Cotulla, Texas, was previously the University's provost and vice president for academic affairs. Prior to that, he served as associate professor of Spanish and chair of the Department of Language, Literature and Art at the University's College ofArts and Humanities.

He originally joined Laredo State University, TAMIU, in 1979. He worked at the University until 1983 serving as assistant professor of Spanish and assistant to the president. He returned in 1994 as associate professor of Spanish.

Before returning to the University, Keck held several teaching and administrative positions with secondary schools including St. Anne's Belfield School (Charlottesville, Virginia), Potomac School (McLean, Virginia), and Episcopal High School in (Alexandria, Virginia).

He holds his Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures from Princeton University. His A.B. was also earned at Princeton. He was a Rockefeller Brothers Fellow at the Harvard Divinity School. In addition, hehas participated in summer programs at Bryn Mawr College in Madrid and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

He is the author of numerous publications including a book, Love's Dialectic: Mimesis and Allegory in the Romances of Lope de Vega.

His publications also include "Bach's Legacy: A Musical Offering," in American Music Teacher; "Cide Hamete, Melquíades, Alba Trueba: Marco narrativo y tema en Cervantes, García Márquez y Allende" (Cide Hamete, Melquíades, Alba Trueba: Narrative Framework and Theme in Cervantes, García Márquez and Allende) in Crítica Hispánica ; and "Playing for Apollo: the Technical and Aesthetic Legacy of Carl Weinrich" in The Diapason.

Keck is also an accomplished organist, with a specialty in J.S. Bach. He has performed as a guest artist across the State and nation and on numerous occasions with the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra.

He is married to the former Patricia Cigarroa. The couple has three adult daughters: Teresa, Joyce and Lacey. Daughter Joyce and husband Danny Rafati recently presented the Kecks with their first grandchild, Adam Salah Rafati, born Aug. 10, 2007. The parents are completing medical residencies at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

For further information, please contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 326-2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu or click on tamiu.edu

University office hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.