COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - Texas A&M University System regents opened the first Board of Regents meeting of the 2026-27 academic year Wednesday, with leaders naming the search for a new chief research security officer as a top priority.

The search comes after a year of leadership turnover across the system, including a new Texas A&M University president and a newly named interim provost.

System Vice Chancellor for Research Joe Elabd said current Chief Research Security Officer Kevin Gamache is retiring this year, and finding his replacement is a priority for the system's flagship research university."As you know, that's a critical, important piece for us, making sure that all of our research is secure from our adversaries," Elabd said.