Sul Ross State University and the Museum of the Big Bend are pleased to welcome John Klingemann, Ph.D. back to Alpine as the new Director and Assistant Vice President of Advancement, and as a professor in the Department of History.

A Brewster County native, Dr. Klingemann is a graduate of Alpine High School and received his bachelor’s degree in Spanish and master’s degree in history from SRSU.

He worked with the Center for Big Bend Studies and as the Curator of Public Programs and Exhibits at MOBB before enrolling at the University of Arizona to pursue his doctoral degree in Latin American History, later receiving a Fulbright Fellowship for research in Mexico.

He returned as a professor of Latin American History at Angelo State University in 2007 and was promoted to Chair of the History Department in 2014.

“John has an impressive resume, as do many of those who work up here on ‘the hill,’ but it would be disingenuous if I didn’t acknowledge that his connection to Sul Ross and the Big Bend area didn’t play a factor in our choice,” said SRSU President Carlos Hernandez. “The Museum of the Big Bend is representative of West Texas and our border culture – from history to the natural sciences to art. John knows this place and he knows the people. We are excited about where the MOBB is headed and we’re looking forward to big things.”

For the last five years, he has served as the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at ASU, and as the Director of the Mayer Museum, a 32,000-square-foot science and culture museum that immerses visitors of all ages in the history of the Concho Valley of Texas.

“I thank the good folks at Sul Ross State University for providing me the opportunity to return home and continue the legacy of the Museum of the Big Bend and the university,” said Dr. Klingemann. “I look forward to working with everyone on campus and in the community to provide folks in West Texas and beyond a great experience when they visit the museum and campus. I am blessed and humbled to be back in Alpine, Brewster County, and West Texas.”

For more information, visit museumofthebigbend.com.

Photo: John Klingemann, Ph.D.