BROOKINGS (KELO AM) - David L. Chicoine, Ph.D., president of South Dakota State University since 2007, will leave the position of president on or around July 1, 2016, or as soon as a new president is hired and assumes office, the South Dakota Board of Regents said. Chicoine, the third alumnus to serve as South Dakota State president, will continue as a faculty member within the university’s Department of Economics.“Under David Chicoine’s strong leadership, South Dakota State University has flourished as the state’s oldest land-grant institution and a nationally-recognized institution of excellence in academics, research, and service to its state and community,” said Regents President Randy Schaefer. “President Chicoine has set SDSU on a strong path going forward. We thank him for his dedication as president and look forward to his continuing service to our state as a member of the SDSU academic community.”Schaefer said the Board of Regents will announce soon a presidential search process and timeline for securing Chicoine’s successor.Accomplishments during Chicoine’s tenure as president include strategic planning, strengthening academic programs, developing new degree programs, growth in research capabilities and expenditures, transformation of the main campus in Brookings, notable success in NCAA Division I athletics, and completion of the largest fund-raising campaign for education in South Dakota history.Chicoine, in a letter to the South Dakota Board of Regents, noted the direction of the university and its continued role as a gateway to the future for students.“The opportunity to serve as president of the state’s 1862 land-grant university has been extremely rewarding,” Chicoine said. “Through the efforts of many individuals, we have achieved milestones and celebrated success. But the time is right for my wife, Marcia, and me to enjoy the next stage of our lives. The university is in a good place and moving in a good direction with a core of experienced leaders in place. Together, we will continue to make progress, provide a quality academic setting where students come to realize their dreams, and provide a seamless transition for the next president to implement a shared vision and new aspirations moving forward.”Atop the list of Chicoine’s accomplishments as president is IMPACT 2018, the current university strategic plan. The plan was implemented in 2013 after a 14-month collaborative process that shaped the direction of the university as a comprehensive teaching and research public institution of higher education.Key indicators of the plan are the number of nationally accredited programs—a mark of academic excellence—and number of graduates. Accredited programs, targeted to reach 42 by the conclusion of IMPACT 2018, increased the first two years of the plan from 32 to 37. Included are 20 programs seeking first-time accreditation. Last spring marked the fourth consecutive year that more than 1,800 students received their undergraduate degree from SDSU—an increase of more than 125 students annually from previous years. Students receiving their Ph.D. awards increased as well, registering a record 47 in 2014, up from 21 in 2008.South Dakota State also has enjoyed tremendous growth in research activity under Chicoine’s leadership. Total research expenditures increased by about $30 million annually and intellectual property disclosures grew from less than 10 in 2007 to an average of 46 in the last five years.With university leadership, Chicoine spearheaded the development of a residential life and dining services master plan, an athletic facilities master plan, and the 2025 Design and Master Plan that resulted in seven new residence halls, allowing for expansion of living-learning communities across campus. A new Architecture, Mathematics and Engineering Building, the Avera Health and Science Center, Daktronics Engineering Hall, Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex, a comprehensive classroom enhancement project, and improvements to the Alfred Dairy Science Hall and Davis Dairy Plant mark some of the physical transformation under Chicoine’s tenure. In addition, the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium is set to open for the 2016 football season. Altogether, more than $400 million in capital projects have been implemented.Chicoine was a champion in the record-setting $255 million comprehensive fundraising campaign, “It Starts with State: A Campaign for South Dakota State University.” The campaign eclipsed its $200 million goal, raising money to strengthen student opportunities, faculty, athletics, 15 new capital projects, and other university programs.Athletic success has flourished in the past several years as well. Jackrabbit student-athletes have posted a cumulative GPA above 3.0 each year since the university completed its transition to full NCAA Division I membership in 2008. During that time, 18 teams have qualified for NCAA national competitions, led by six tournament appearances in women’s basketball.Prior to his appointment as SDSU president, Chicoine served the University of Illinois for more than 30 years, first as a professor of agricultural economics and on the Institute of Government and Public Affairs faculty, then as a department head and dean, and finally as vice president for technology and economic development.A native of Elk Point, Chicoine is a policy economist in state and local public finance and regional economics. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness from South Dakota State University in 1969, master’s degrees in economics from the University of Delaware and agricultural economics from Western Illinois University, and a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is an accomplished scholar, with more than 100 publications and has earned numerous awards and recognitions.Chicoine has been active in the larger community, serving on the board of directors of Growth Partnership Ltd., a public-private partnership to develop the Research Park at South Dakota State University, and on the board of managers of South Dakota Innovation Partners LLC, a company that provides pre-seed/seed capital and business development services to launch research-derived, technology-based startups. He is an independent director on the Monsanto Co. board, an external director on the First Bank and Trust board, and a trustee on the Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center board.