Dr. David A. Byrd completed his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University in 2011. He presently serves as the Executive Director of Innovation and Learning and Title III Grant Director at Coastal Bend College. Previously, he was the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at Texas State University.
Dr. Byrd has contributed to the creation of three student success centers and was the Principal Investigator on a $2.5 Million US Department of Education Title V Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions grant while serving in the role of Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Services and Associate Professor / Research in the School of Nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. While working at Texas A&M University as the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the College of Education and Human Development, he earned the Executive Vice President and Provost Award for Diversity and in 2015 and was awarded a crystal apple as an outstanding educator by the College. His research on underrepresented student success in higher education and innovative recruitment practices to attract students of color into high-need career fields has been published in multiple top-tier peer-reviewed research journals, chapters in edited books, international conference proceedings, professional white papers, and he has presented at over 30 national conferences.
In his personal life, David serves on the Vestry as Junior Warden at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Goliad and is the treasurer of the La Bahía Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas. Throughout his career he has served on the board of directors for I Care San Antonio, a nonprofit organization that provides free eye care for low-income neighbors in Bexar County and South Texas, Vestry member at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in San Antonio, and is a past president of the St. Thomas Early Learning Center in College Station. He and his wife, Amanda, own Pájaro Cattle Company – a brangus cattle ranch in Goliad County – and are proud parents of three enthusiastic children – Kyle, Katherine, and MacKenzie.