Christian Hardigree

Christian E. Hardigree is an American academic administrator and lawyer who is the president of Texas A&M University–Victoria. She previously served as the regional chancellor for the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus from July 2022 to November 2025. An attorney by training with a background in hospitality, Hardigree has held leadership positions at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Kennesaw State University, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Early life and education Hardigree lived in Denton and Lake Dallas, Texas, during her childhood. Her father and both of her grandfathers served in the U.S. military, and she is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1996, she received a J.D. from the Mercer University School of Law, where she specialized in employment law and labor management relations. During this period, she became a presenter on legal topics related to the hospitality industry, particularly on liability issues concerning bed bugs. She was the Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives from 2007 to 2008 and served two separate terms as Department Chair of Hotel Management. Her appointment followed the 2020 consolidation of USF's three campuses, an effort she described as her "norm" to "take it to the next level". She is a registered Republican.