Tomikia LeGrande, President, Prairie View A&M University

Invest: spoke with Tomikia LeGrande, president of Prairie View A&M University, about enrollment growth, research, investment, and preparing students for the future. “The greatest opportunities exist where our faculty expertise, student talent, and national needs intersect,” LeGrande said.

Prairie View A&M is celebrating its 150th anniversary. What are your main priorities as the University enters its next chapter? 

Our 150th anniversary gives us an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary distance Prairie View A&M has traveled, but we are equally focused on where we are going. That direction is clearly defined in our strategic plan, PVAMU 2035: Journey to Eminence, and our vision to become a premier, public, research-intensive HBCU that serves as a national model for student success. Journey to Eminence establishes five priorities for the decade ahead: investing in our people and institutional performance; advancing teaching excellence and academic relevance; enriching student success and holistic development; accelerating the strategic advancement of research; and strengthening our social responsibility within Prairie View and beyond.

Those priorities are interconnected because the institution we are building requires excellence across all of them. As we enter our next 150 years, we are particularly focused on ensuring that our academic programs remain relevant to a rapidly changing economy, that more students persist through graduation and leave Prairie View prepared to compete and succeed, and that we continue expanding our research capacity and graduate education.

Just as important, Journey to Eminence calls upon us to deepen our impact beyond the campus, including developing alongside the city of Prairie View and strengthening partnerships throughout Waller County and the Greater Houston region. For me, that is what this next chapter is about. We are not commemorating 150 years simply to celebrate how far Prairie View has come. We are using this moment to be intentional about what Prairie View A&M must become and the impact we intend to have over the next 150. 

PVAMU has seen strong enrollment growth. What is driving that momentum, and what could continued growth mean for the city of Prairie View? 

While many HBCUs nationwide have seen unprecedented growth, that is not consistent for all.  Students and families are recognizing the value proposition of a Prairie View A&M education. We are offering a high-quality experience at an institution with increasing national visibility, expanding research opportunities, and strong connections to some of the most important industries in Texas. We have also been intentional about improving the student experience and creating clearer pathways from enrollment to graduation to career.

That progress is showing in our enrollment growth, and for the city of Prairie View, that growth has broader implications. More students, faculty, researchers, employees, and visitors create greater demand for housing, restaurants, retail, healthcare services, transportation, and other amenities. The opportunity is to think about University growth and community growth in ways that complement one another.

Prairie View A&M existed 93 years before the city of Prairie View was established in 1969. So while the University has gotten a head start on infrastructure to support growth, the city of Prairie View must expand its infrastructure and visionary foresight to capitalize on the momentum of the University.  Together we can contribute to a stronger local economy and an even more vibrant community.

Research is becoming a larger part of PVAMU’s strategy. Where do you see the greatest opportunities for research growth and industry partnerships? 

The greatest opportunities exist where our faculty expertise, student talent, and national needs intersect. Prairie View A&M’s research enterprise has grown significantly, and that progress gives us a strong platform from which to expand. Artificial intelligence is one particularly important area because it crosses disciplines and industries. Our work in AI, advanced manufacturing, communications, and cybersecurity is creating opportunities to address real-world challenges while preparing students to participate in rapidly evolving fields.

We are also expanding our semiconductor capabilities and strengthening the infrastructure and workforce preparation necessary to compete in that space. What excites me is that these are not isolated research interests. Collectively, our research strength creates opportunities for companies and government agencies to work with our faculty, engage our students, help shape curricula, provide internships, and ultimately recruit talent. That is where university research can become especially powerful: when discovery, workforce development, and economic opportunity begin reinforcing one another. 

What are employers asking for today, and how is PVAMU preparing students to meet the workforce needs of the region? 

Employers want strong technical preparation, certainly, but they are also asking for adaptability, problem-solving, communication skills, and graduates who can continue learning as technology changes. The pace of change means that preparing students for one job is no longer enough. We have to prepare them for careers that will evolve repeatedly over their lifetimes. That is why we are strengthening experiential learning, research opportunities, internships, and relationships with employers while also expanding opportunities for students to develop additional competencies in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analytics, supply chain, and project management.

We are also paying close attention to where Texas and the nation are investing. Areas such as advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, aerospace, and defense present significant workforce opportunities. Prairie View should be positioned not merely to respond to that demand, but to help shape the workforce that enables those industries to grow. 

PVAMU is a major economic and educational anchor. How can the University’s growth create more opportunities for local businesses, investment, and development? 

One of the most important things to understand about a university is that its economic impact extends well beyond its payroll. Prairie View A&M generates activity through our employees, students, visitors, procurement, construction, research, and the businesses that support a university community. Our most recent economic-impact study (2023) found that PVAMU contributed approximately $382 million to the Waller County economy and supported nearly 2,200 jobs locally. Statewide, our economic contribution reached approximately $1.2 billion.

As we grow, I believe there is an opportunity to make those connections even stronger. A larger University community creates demand that entrepreneurs and investors can respond to—from dining and professional services to technology, housing, and entertainment. But realizing that opportunity requires collaboration. The University, the city of Prairie View, economic-development organizations, business owners, and private investors each have distinct roles. PVAMU will continue strengthening the economic engine that positions our university as a destination, creating increased demand and collaboration opportunities with our partners to ensure that our growth becomes a catalyst for future advancement.  

As the University grows, what opportunities do you see for new housing, retail, infrastructure, and other investment around the campus? 

There is clearly opportunity because the demand for our university continues to grow. That demand comes not only from Prairie View A&M but from the tremendous growth occurring throughout Waller County. From the University’s perspective, I would like to see development that enhances the environment in which our community lives, learns, works, and plays: quality housing at different price points for young professionals and families, greater access to restaurants, retail, healthcare, and gathering spaces, improved connectivity and infrastructure, and businesses that serve the University community, longtime community members, and new residents.

The goal should not simply be development for development’s sake. The opportunity is to create an environment around Prairie View A&M that reflects the strength of the institution located here and makes this an increasingly attractive place for students, employees, families, businesses, and investment. 

Looking ahead, what do you want PVAMU’s next 150 years to mean for the economic future of Prairie View? 

Prairie View A&M is growing, and that growth creates both opportunity and demand. As we attract more students, faculty, researchers, investment, and industry partnerships, the community surrounding the University must have the capacity to support what that growth brings—from housing and retail to infrastructure, services, and quality-of-life amenities. I see Prairie View A&M as a catalyst for that next phase of development.

The University’s continued advancement can help create the conditions that attract private investment, encourage new businesses, and expand economic opportunity throughout the community. Our strategic plan calls for the University to develop alongside the city of Prairie View, and that becomes increasingly important as our trajectory accelerates. Over the next 150 years, I want the strength and growth of Prairie View A&M to be reflected in the community around us. A thriving research university creates tremendous economic energy. The opportunity before us is to translate that energy into a stronger, more vibrant Prairie View—one that grows alongside the University and is positioned to benefit fully from what is happening here.