Source reporting: Texas Scorecard
The Texas A&M University System’s chief research security officer plans to retire by the end of 2026, according to Texas Scorecard. Kevin Gamache informed senior system leaders that he would step down this year, and the system intends to name a replacement before year’s end. No specific departure date was reported.
The transition matters beyond one university office because state lawmakers assigned the Texas A&M position an initial leadership role in statewide research-security oversight. House Bill 127, enacted in 2025, created the Texas Research Security Council and designated the system’s chief research security officer as its first presiding officer. Texas Scorecard reported that the council had not announced plans to elect a new presiding officer.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation has criticized Gamache’s office over alleged security gaps involving China and Qatar. The group argues that the office failed to uncover certain risks and understated concerns related to Texas A&M’s Qatar operations. Those assertions are the foundation’s assessment, not an official finding presented in the article.
Texas A&M regents voted in 2024 to close the system’s Qatar campus. The foundation has argued that ending the university’s branding there did not necessarily end research relationships, infrastructure use or the movement of intellectual property. It also contends that House Bill 127 contains an exemption for affiliated entities conducting university research that could leave a gap in oversight.
The foundation separately raised transparency concerns because the law allows some information submitted to the Research Security Council to remain outside public disclosure. Research-security work may involve sensitive material, but broad confidentiality can make it harder for taxpayers and lawmakers to assess how state institutions respond to foreign-influence risks.
The A&M System oversees 12 academic institutions and eight state agencies. Its Board of Regents is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate, giving the system’s security policies statewide public-accountability significance.
Selecting Gamache’s successor will therefore shape both internal A&M controls and the early operation of a legislatively created oversight body. Clear disclosure of the replacement process, the council’s leadership plan and the standards used to review foreign partnerships would help distinguish confirmed security problems from advocacy claims while preserving legitimate confidentiality.