Crystal Wise
Daniel Pullin, left, who stands out as an administrator and academic, as well as for the distinctive purple Converse he wears as part of his daily wardrobe, and Chancellor Victor Boschini.
TCU announced on Monday that school President Daniel Pullin will succeed Victor J. Boschini as chancellor in June, pending a ratification of the succession plan by the school’s Board of Trustees.
Boschini will take the title of chancellor emeritus, maintaining a presence on campus to focus on fundraising and enrollment, as well as continuing to teach in the classroom, according to a press release.
Pullin will become the 11th chancellor in the university’s history.
“It is almost impossible to find an aspect of campus that has not been positively impacted by Chancellor Boschini’s leadership, vision and heart,” TCU Board of Trustees Chair Kit Moncrief said in a statement. “He has helmed TCU’s emergence as one of best universities in the country and has done so with a focus on people.
“I speak for the board and for Horned Frogs everywhere when I say we are indebted to Victor Boschini’s transformative impact, and we are committed to building upon his legacy to ensure an even greater TCU for the future.”
According to the university, the board is set to ratify the succession plan at its spring meeting.
Boschini’s 21 years as chancellor have been impactful.
He oversaw the establishment of the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine and the construction of the building that houses the school in the Medical Innovation District, Arnold Hall, dedicated this fall.
Under his leadership the university’s endowment has grown to more than $2.6 billion. He also oversaw the school’s $1 billion Lead On: A Campaign, the university’s most ambitious fundraising effort whose successful completion coincided with the school’s 150th birthday in 2023.
Moreover, over the past decade, TCU’s physical campus has transformed its footprint with the completion of more than 35 new building and renovation projects, including the Van Cliburn Concert Hall that opened in 2022.
During his tenure, enrollment doubled. The athletic program moved into one of the now four power conferences, increasing the school’s financial viability and visibility to worldwide audiences.
Previously, Boschini served as president of Illinois State University. He also held administrative and teaching positions at DePauw, Butler, and Indiana universities. At TCU, Boschini had taught a class called The American University Experience each fall in the College of Education.
“TCU is an incredible place and deserves an incredible leader to take us into the next years of student-centered growth, academic excellence and impact,” Boschini said. “After working closely with him for the past two years, Daniel is uniquely poised to build on the positive momentum we have created here at TCU. He is an inspiring leader with a big vision and his unbounded energy makes him a force of nature. His care for our community, our values and our students is evident and informs his every decision.”
Pullin was formally installed as president in November, though he had been on the job since 2022.
University officials said in a press release that the discussion of a chancellor-president leadership paradigm succession plan began in 2020. Pullin’s appointment as president in 2022 set it in motion.
“From the very first moment I stepped onto campus seven years ago, I thought, ‘This place is special,’” Pullin said. “As dean of Neeley and now as president, I’ve said that same thing every day. I’ve been inspired by the thoughtful and intelligent students in my classes, by my generous and bright colleagues as we collaborate on projects large and small, and by our community coming together and collaborating on our shared vision for what comes next. It’s a daily honor to work alongside Chancellor Boschini and watch his joyful, kind and respectful brand of leadership that has taken TCU to unprecedented heights."
Pullin joined TCU as the John V. Roach Dean of the Neeley School of Business in 2019. Under his four-year leadership, Neeley’s reputation soared, as evidenced through increased national rankings, through faculty and staff growth, as well as curriculum innovation.
Prior to joining TCU, Pullin was the dean of the Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma, where he also served as university vice president. Before transitioning to higher education, Pullin worked for global consultancy McKinsey & Company and the private equity firm Hicks Muse Tate & Furst and its portfolio companies.
Over the past year, Pullin spearheaded the collaborative development of TCU’s new strategic plan Lead On: Values in Action.
“As TCU grows into this next frontier, I’m indebted to what Victor has built and inspired and by what I know is possible for this great university,” Pullin said. “Our goals are to compete on the highest levels of academics, athletics and research, all while maintaining the very aspects of the TCU community and student experience that drew me to this campus years ago.”
Said Moncrief: “We are excited about what TCU’s future holds with Daniel as our next chancellor. He is the very rare leader who is both wildly optimistic and optimally prepared when faced with the complex issues we are seeing in higher education. I saw his leadership in action as he led the university’s strategic planning efforts this last year. His innovative and collaborative approach has helped craft a vision for TCU we can all support.”