Dooley to retire after distinguished teaching and leadership career

Kim Dooley ’84 ’87 ’95, Ph.D., Regents Professor and associate dean for faculty affairs in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will retire at the end of August after more than 35 years of service.

Dooley, also a longtime faculty member in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications, is internationally recognized for her expertise in distance education, technology and teaching, qualitative research methods and international program development.

Champion for faculty and students

Throughout her career, Dooley has shaped both student and faculty success through a deep commitment to mentoring and leadership development. Her administrative service has included roles as associate dean for academic operations and, most recently, as associate dean for faculty affairs.

“Dr. Dooley has a talent for recognizing the potential in others and helping them succeed,” said Patricia Klein, Ph.D., executive associate dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “She’s made a lasting difference in how we support our faculty and graduate students. We will certainly miss her in the Dean’s office.”

A career grounded in impact and innovation

In her early career, Dooley focused on distance education, and this passion expanded to include international education. She has taught study abroad courses in Costa Rica and Greece, where her courses focused on change facilitation and innovation. Her work with the American Farm School in Greece spanned teaching leadership theory and serving on multiple leadership committees. She now serves as an honorary trustee on its board.

During more than 25 years as a faculty member at Texas A&M, Dooley has taught more than 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students and served on 158 graduate research committees, 36 as chair.

Her research interests include experiential learning, technology in teaching, curriculum development, community engagement and qualitative methods. Particularly well-known for her seminal work with qualitative research, her students and colleagues in professional associations often seek her guidance on advanced qualitative methods in their research projects.

Honors and accolades

Dooley’s contributions and impact have earned her some of the highest honors in her field.

She is a recipient of the Texas A&M Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award for Graduate Mentoring, the Association of Former Students College-Level Teaching Award and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Faculty Mentoring. 

“In my career, everything I’ve learned has prepared me for the next role,” said Dooley. “But mentoring is the theme that is consistent throughout my experiences. I love the faculty and graduate student mentoring the most.”

In 2023, Dooley was named a Regents Professor by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. She is also a Senior Fellow of the Association for International Agricultural Extension Education, a Fellow of the Food Systems Leadership Institute of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, and a Fellow of the American Association for Agricultural Education.

Looking ahead

Dooley said she is excited about her future plans, which will keep her quite busy.

“I will always be proud of the accomplishments and the community of friends and colleagues here at Texas A&M,” Dooley said. “But I’m ready to move forward to the adventures in the next stage in my life.”

She will continue to work with the graduate students she currently advises until they complete their degrees. Her bucket list includes writing a book that will be “a series of short stories about my adventures around the world and crazy things that have happened to me,” traveling, volunteering with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, beginning a new leadership role in her church, continuing to perform with a rock band and spending time with her grandson.