Kevin W. Badgett, Ed.D., has been appointed as the new Dean of Education for Sul Ross State University and Sul Ross State University International, effective July 1.
Dr. Badgett received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Pepperdine University in Malibu in 2000. He received a Master of Science in Counseling in 2004, a Master of Science in Education Management in 2006, and his Doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2011, all from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
“I am excited to be a part of Sul Ross State University and I look forward to partnering with great people from within the university and within its broader communities to strengthen programs, products and services in a way that advances the impact of SRSU and is responsive to the values, perspectives and priorities of those we serve,” said Badgett.
A career educator with six areas of active Texas educator certification, Badgett has served students in the pre-k through doctoral levels since 1998, when he served as a substitute teacher at the middle school level in Southeast Texas. His first classroom teaching assignment was in Fall 1999 when he served as a middle school and high school choir teacher at Malibu High School in California.
He moved back home to the Houston area in 2000 and taught elementary music in grades K-5 in Pasadena ISD before moving to serve as a school counselor in Dayton ISD in 2004. In 2006, Badgett returned to Pasadena where he served as an assistant principal for six years.
During that time, he completed his educational doctorate and having served as an adjunct professor in teacher preparation during and after the doctoral program, felt the call to move to higher education full-time. He started his work as a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership in 2012 at the University of Texas Permian Basin in Odessa.
In 2018, he promoted to associate professor with tenure, and to professor in 2022. During 13 years at UTPB, Badgett held a number of important roles including professor, program coordinator, chair and assistant dean, and in roles as an interim assistant superintendent and superintendent of a charter school affiliated with the university.
Badgett has also served in appointed and elected positions of service both to the institution and in support of cross-institutional and/or statewide efforts to strengthen educator preparation. He was elected by his faculty peers to the role of Faculty Senate President in 2023-2024 and provided significant support during the last accreditation review. He is a member of the Texas Association of School Administrators Higher Education Committee, a leader for the Principal Program Resource Group, a statewide professional learning community, a past member of the Texas Quality Measures Program Improvement Network Steering Committee in association with the Education Development Center, a co-leader for development of an annual writing workshop and conference, and an executive board member with the Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administration.
Badgett’s work includes almost 30 peer-reviewed publications and approximately 40 local, state, national and international peer-reviewed presentations that cover a range of topics including educator retention, purposeful programming, leadership perceptions and practical considerations related to educational technology.
Among his experiences as a researcher and scholar, he interviewed business leaders across Texas to learn their perspectives concerning what makes school-business partnerships sustainable and mutually beneficial, garnering national interest from groups like the Magnet School Assistant Program, the Education Alliance in West Virginia, AdvanceCTE and from business leaders in Pennsylvania and South Texas.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Badgett to Sul Ross. He brings a rich and diverse background in both K–12 and higher education, along with a strong record of commitment to educator preparation and student success,” said Provost Bernie Cantens. “His leadership experience will be vital in strengthening and expanding our programs and enhancing our impact across the region and beyond. We look forward to the meaningful contributions he will make to our academic community.”
Badgett is married to wife Melissa, and they have two grown children, one grandchild and another on the way.