Dear UT Students, Faculty and Staff,

Dr. David Vanden Bout has been a steady, trusted presence during his time as Interim Executive Vice President and Provost, and I am grateful for his service and partnership. David has chosen to return to his role as Dean of the College of Natural Sciences by September 1. He will also remain a key part of our University-wide leadership team.

As Dean of Natural Sciences, David will return to lead one of our largest and most research-intensive colleges. In addition, he will serve as an advisor to the President. In that capacity, he will sit on the Promotion and Tenure Committee and the University Budget Council.

David has repeatedly earned the confidence of his peers — not only for his academic credentials and steadfast leadership, but also for his intuitive grasp of what makes UT distinctive. Among his many attributes, David is highly respected for his deep knowledge and command of research and the frontiers of science. Like so many students and colleagues through the years, I have learned a great deal from him and look forward to continuing to learn from him over time.

As a result of this transition, we will soon begin a process for selecting a new Executive Vice President and Provost. We will provide more details about that process early next week.

Please join me in thanking David for his continued service to The University of Texas.

Sincerely,

Jim Davis
Interim President