STEPHENVILLE — Tarleton State University has named Dr. Tom Faulkenberry Dean of the College of Graduate Studies, effective Sept. 1.
A key member of the Tarleton State family since arriving on campus in 2013, Dr. Faulkenberry has held multiple leadership roles. Most recently, he has served as Associate Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. In this position, he assisted the Dean in administering the operations and initiatives of the college, including overseeing graduate education programs such as student support services, compliance and program assessment. Previously, he was a Department Head (2021-24) and Assistant Department Head (2019-21) within the Department of Psychological Sciences.
“With more than two decades of experience in higher ed, Dr. Faulkenberry brings a wealth of knowledge to this role,” said Dr. Diane Stearns, Tarleton State Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. “He is an internationally recognized scholar with impressive leadership and research expertise, and he will excel in this new opportunity.”
A Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, Dr. Faulkenberry has over two decades of experience across higher education between his time at Tarleton State and what is now known as East Texas A&M University.
“Graduate education plays a central role at Tarleton State,” said Dr. Faulkenberry. “Our graduate students advance knowledge through their research, which strengthens our institutional profile and impact. As Dean, I am honored to lead our efforts to build high-quality programs and recruit strong students who will define their fields and contribute to the economic and community development of Texas and beyond.”
Tarleton State currently offers 40 master’s degree programs to pair with six doctoral degree offerings. A seventh approved doctoral program — a Doctor of Physical Therapy — is slated to begin in Summer 2026. Following the addition of newly developed and approved doctoral programs this year, the university was elevated to the highest level of classification an institution can receive by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Preliminary enrollment numbers for fall 2025 project more than 200 students in doctoral programs at Tarleton State for the first time.
Dr. Faulkenberry earned his Ph.D. in psychology from East Texas A&M. He holds a master’s degree in mathematics from Oklahoma State University and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
He currently serves as chair of the Psychonomic Society Finance Committee and as treasurer for the Society for Mathematical Psychology. He is also an Associate Editor for the Journal of Numerical Cognition, Behavior Research Methods and the Journal of Psychological Inquiry. Additionally, he is the author of the books “Psychological Statistics: The Basics,” published in 2022 by Routledge, and “Bayesian Statistics: The Basics,” published in 2025.
Tarleton State recognized Dr. Faulkenberry with the Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award in 2024.
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