“Helping people is what life’s all about”: The Making of Dr. Jaime Taylor

Throughout its history, Nashville State has served as the foundation for countless success stories—graduates who have gone on to shape their communities through business, public service, innovation, and education.

Among those proud alumni is Dr. Jaime Taylor, now president of Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, whose journey began much the same way as many Nashville State students today: with a desire to learn, a strong work ethic, and people who believed in him.

Taylor was born in Spain while his father served in the U.S. Air Force. Though he was only a baby during his time there, Spain left its mark—his name, Jaime, pronounced “Hi‑me,” came from a bullfighter his mother admired during their stay.

After returning to the United States and several years of military-family moves, the Taylors settled in Clarksville, Tennessee. It’s still home for much of the family, and Taylor keeps a residence there today.

Service, hard work, and education run deep in the Taylor family. His brother, Brian—also a Nashville State graduate—received both the Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Outstanding Service Award and the national American Public Power Association’s Community Service Award, each given to just one individual a year.

His brother‑in‑law, another Nashville State alumnus, went on to serve the state of Tennessee as a civil engineer.  So, when Taylor finished high school, he naturally followed the same path, commuting from Clarksville to the White Bridge campus every day.

“Nashville Tech did a lot for me,” Taylor reflects.

While pursuing and eventually earning a degree in Industrial Engineering Technology, he found himself unexpectedly drawn to physics and mathematics. What sparked that interest wasn’t a single moment—it was the people.

“The faculty had a huge impact on me,” Taylor says. “They saw something in me before I saw it in myself.”

After earning his associate degree, Taylor entered the workforce doing quality control; however, he soon realized Nashville State had lit a fire that wouldn’t go out.

He continued his education at Austin Peay State University (APSU), earning a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics in 1990. From there, he completed a master’s and Ph.D. in Engineering Science at the University of Tennessee Space Institute.

His career came full circle when he returned to APSU as a faculty member and later became chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, a role he held from 2000 to 2008. Leadership opportunities followed: dean of the College of Science and Mathematics and, ultimately, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Through it all, Taylor continued to lean on lessons learned at Nashville State. He often cites Professor Jack Williams as particularly influential.

“A lot of the way I think about management came directly from him,” Taylor explains. “He taught me to keep things simple—to think about how people think. His stories and approach shaped how I lead today.”

Alongside his academic work, Taylor served four years as a NASA Faculty Fellow and collaborated with the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command in Huntsville, Alabama. After more than two decades at APSU, he became provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Marshall University before accepting the presidency at Lamar University.

Despite the titles, his heart has always remained with students—especially first‑generation students, whose journeys mirror his own.

“If you want someone to learn, you have to meet them where they are,” Taylor says. “You can’t teach from your perspective. You have to understand their experiences and connect the material to what they know.”

He often describes a professor’s role as that of a coach: someone who watches, guides, steps in when needed, and celebrates each breakthrough.

“The goal was never just to get through the textbook. It was to help students discover that they could use what they were learning—to give it meaning.”

Many of the students Taylor coached have gone on to extraordinary careers, from the U.S. Navy Nuclear Program to global leadership in advanced 3D printing. Seeing their success, he says, is the greatest reward.

“I’ve had students who were first-generation college students, and now they’re doing amazing things. That means the world to me. Getting to help people—that’s what life’s all about.”

And that, perhaps, is the essence of Taylor’s story: a journey shaped by family, grounded in community, guided by mentors, and fueled by a commitment to lift others along the way. Nashville State wasn’t just the start of his education—it was the place where he discovered who he could become.

**Photos courtesy of Lamar University.