Regents Professor Dr. Augustine ‘Chuck’ Arize Retiring After 37 Years of Service

After approaching four decades of teaching Lion students, Regents Professor Dr. Augustine “Chuck” Arize has announced his retirement from East Texas A&M University.

Arize arrived at what was then known as East Texas State University in 1987. He has touched the lives of countless students in the College of Business and the Department of Management and Economics. Some of the recent courses he taught focused on business statistics, quantitative analysis, and micro- and macroeconomics.

Arize's Impact

Arize's impact on the university has been recognized with the creation of the Augustine “Chuck” Arize Junior Faculty Awards, presented each year to East Texas A&M junior faculty who exhibit professional excellence. In addition, the East Texas A&M chapter of the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education presents the Chuck Arize Excellence in Research Award annually to a university faculty member.

Honors and Awards

His acumen as an educator was reflected in 2000 when he received The Texas A&M University System Regents Professor award, the highest honor given to faculty in the A&M System. Arize was just the second-ever East Texas A&M faculty member to receive this honor.

In 2024, the Review of Black Political Economy ranked Arize 15th out of the top 200 Black economists in academia. The journal bills itself as the leading outlet for research and examines issues related to the economic status of African Americans, the African diaspora and marginalized populations throughout the world. In the publication, Arize was also the highest-ranked Black economist at a Texas university.

Education and Research

Arize earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Central Arkansas and a doctorate from North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). His scholarly work has gained him notoriety, with his 300 published articles cited more than 6,000 times. He has received citations from the World Bank Publication and Working Papers, the European University Institute, and the Center for Economic Research on Africa. His research interests include international trade and finance, developing economies and monetary economics.

Four Decades of Dedicated Service

Dr. Alex Williams, department head and associate professor of economics, encouraged the university community to show their appreciation for Arize's decades of impactful service.

“We are immensely grateful for Dr. Arize’s years of dedicated service and the positive impact he has had on our campus,” Williams said. “His presence and wisdom will be deeply missed.”

Dr. LaVelle Hendricks, professor of counseling, had high praise for Arize and recognizes the mark he leaves behind at East Texas A&M.

“Dr. Chuck Arize is the most prolific researcher and writer to walk the halls of East Texas A&M University,” Hendricks said. “His outstanding contributions to the field of economics and business are unmatched. He consistently approaches challenges with a unique perspective, and his dedication to advancing knowledge is truly inspiring.”

Hendricks continued: “Dr. Arize's research not only enriches our academic community but also holds great potential for practical applications in the world.”

Senior Vice-Provost and acting Dean of the College of Business, Dr. Ricky Dobbs, echoed these sentiments, wishing Arize a joyful retirement after a fulfilling career.

“Warmth, collegiality and generosity characterized his work,” Dobbs said. “His research, teaching, and service were recognized repeatedly during his long career, both internally and by organizations and groups outside the university.”