Carlos Vargas-Aburto

Dr. Carlos Vargas became the 18th president of Southeast Missouri State University on July 1, 2015, after having served as acting president at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.

Since becoming president, Dr. Vargas has launched initiatives to marshal the resources, leverage opportunities, and address a variety of challenges and needs of Southeast Missouri State University. He has set as primary goals for the institution the support for student persistence and retention.

He has encouraged and supported the identification and development of innovative academic programs, including bachelor's degrees in Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Geographic Information Science, and industrial and systems engineering. He has continued to support the globalization of the campus through expansion of study-abroad experiences, extensive engagement of international students, and encouragement of students on campus and abroad to explore cultural interaction. He has championed the work of the President's Task Force on Diversity Education and continued emphasizing the expectations for enhancement of the teacher-scholar model. Under President Vargas' leadership, regional partnerships and collaborations have been solidified, including several joint initiatives with Three Rivers, Mineral Area, and other community colleges.