Timothy P. Scott, Ph.D. ’89
Dr. Timothy P. Scott was appointed Chief of Staff for the Office of the President in the Summer of 2025. Prior to that, he held numerous leadership positions, including vice provost for academic affairs, interim provost and executive vice president, associate provost for academic affairs and student success, and associate dean for undergraduate programs in the College of Science.
Dr. Scott joined the faculty of Biology in 1990. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Louisiana College, and a master’s in biology and Ph.D. in zoology from Texas A&M University. His original research focused on the American alligator, but he expanded his portfolio to K16 STEM education and student success. Dr. Scott co-directs the Center for Mathematics and Science Education, which has received more than $30 million dollars in funding under his leadership.
Dr. Scott oversees the undergraduate enterprise at the university. During his tenure, Texas A&M has seen unprecedented increases in retention and graduation rates. He has also led course redesign efforts as well as efforts to increase low- and no-cost textbooks on campus. Dr. Scott’s passion is working with undergraduate students. Over the years he has built and directed many different learning communities, including those for first-generation students, pre-service math and science teachers, and transfer students. Dr. Scott serves as the institutional lead for American Talent Initiative and the Posse Program.
Julie Kopycinski ’04
Julie Kopycinski was named chief government relations officer of Texas A&M University in December 2023. In this role, she oversees the development and implementation of government relations strategies for Texas A&M University, engaging with elected officials, government agencies and higher education organization groups to build support for and tell the story of the great work happening at Texas A&M. Julie works to establish relationships and strengthen ties with elected officials and their staff to elevate Texas A&M University and facilitate conversation around the funding and policy priorities of the University.
Prior to joining Texas A&M University, Julie spent over two years as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Government Relations and External Affairs for the Texas A&M Engineering Enterprise. In this capacity, Julie represented the Texas A&M University System’s three engineering state agencies working on issues related to workforce development, transportation, environment, energy, technology, homeland security and emergency response.
Prior to joining the Texas A&M University System team, Julie worked for nine years at the Texas Education Agency, which oversees the K-12 public education of over 5.4 million students. While there, Julie served as the Chief of Staff for the Commissioner of Education leading teams focused on strategic planning and implementation, marketing, emergency response, and business process improvements. During her tenure at the agency, she also served as Director of Government Relations working with state elected officials and their staff on public education funding and policy issues.
Julie began her career In the Office of the Governor in the Office of Military Preparedness working to highlight, preserve and protect the military installations across the state. She then served as a policy and budget advisor for Governor Rick Perry on education related issues.
Julie is a native Texan, growing up in Needville, Texas. She earned a BA in Speech Communication from Texas A&M University in 2004 and her Master’s in Public Administration from Texas State University in 2006.
Michael Johnson, Ph.D.
Dr. Michael D. Johnson is serving as the Associate Provost for Academic Enhancement. He is a professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution (ETID). He previously served as the associate dean for inclusion and faculty success in the College of Engineering. He has also held the role of associate department head for undergraduate studies in ETID and was program coordinator for the Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology program. Prior to joining the faculty of Texas A&M as an assistant professor, he was a senior product development engineer at the 3M Corporate Research Laboratory in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Dr. Johnson’s research focuses on engineering education, production economics and design tools. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and industry partners.
Dr. Johnson received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University. He earned both his master’s degree in engineering and his doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.