Del Mar College Board of Regents selects Dr. Anantha Babbili for At-large Seat
Dr. Babbili also sworn-in today, term runs through 2024
Article by DMC College Relations Office
During a called meeting today, Feb. 14, the Del Mar College (DMC) Board of Regents interviewed three candidates and unanimously selected Anantha Babbili, Ph.D., to fill the At-large seat vacated with the Jan. 1 resignation of Dr. Linda P. Villarreal, who accepted a full-time position with Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Candidates were given the opportunity to interview in-person.
Dr. Babbili was also sworn-in after the announcement so he could officially take his seat before the regular February meeting began. He will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term, which runs through 2024.
Now retired from academia, Dr. Babbili joined the administration of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in 2007. He also served as Special Assistant to the University President as a member of the President’s Cabinet, and he taught as a Professor of Media and Communication through 2022.
Prior to joining TAMU-CC, Dr. Babbili’s career in higher education included teaching as a professor and serving as Dean of the College of Mass Communication at Middle Tennessee State University. He also served as the Rogers Chair of Studies in Journalism and New Information Technology at The University of Western Ontario in London, Canada, and was the Journalism Department Chair, Head of International Communication and a Graduate Research Professor with the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University.
Overall, he brings nearly 35 years of teaching, research, service, administrative, managerial and leadership experience to the DMC Board of Regents.
Dr. Babbili now serves as President and Chief Executive Officer as well as Chairperson of the Board for the World Affairs Council of South Texas here in Corpus Christi. The organization focuses on eliminating human and labor trafficking as well as opening trade between the region and Mexico and Latin American countries. Dr. Babbili has worked with the Port of Corpus Christi Authority, the Nueces County Commissioners Court and the U.S. State Department to address the needs among South Texas’ communities and the council’s mission of bringing international links to the region.
His own education includes completing Bachelor of Science degrees in botany, zoology and chemistry as well as a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Osmania University in India, his master’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and his doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in mass communication from the University of Iowa. He also completed the Management & Leadership in Education Program at Harvard University.
The Del Mar College Board of Regents includes nine regents in a modified single-member district configuration. The Del Mar College District boundaries can be found on the map using the following link: https://www.delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/_resources/election/dmc-single-member-district-map-2012.pdf
DMC Board of Regents web pages are available at https://www.delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/index.html.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.