2025
Messages &
Speeches

Dear UT Faculty and Staff, The Texas Legislature is on the verge of passing Senate Bill 37, so we will begin planning changes to be ready for the fall semester. SB 37 will enact several changes to the governance and academic operations of Texas public universities and colleges that go…

Dear UT Students, Faculty and Staff, I am excited to announce that John Dalton, who has served in numerous leadership roles over 25 years at our University, will become Vice President for Student Affairs on June 16. I am grateful that he has accepted this opportunity to serve, and I…

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…

Dear Students, Congratulations on reaching the end of spring classes. I want to wish you well with final exams and thank you for the insight and experiences you have shared with me during my first couple of months as Interim President. Talking with students across campus has quickly become one…

Dear Colleagues, I am extremely pleased to announce that Katie Brock will serve as our University’s Interim Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. As Deputy Vice President and COO, and as Associate Vice President for Strategic Advancement before that, Katie has been an outstanding leader and partner in…

Dear UT Community, The University of Texas at Austin is special. We are a flagship university in a great state with global reach, continuously delivering on our core mission to transform lives for the benefit of society. Each of us who serve and learn here has the rare opportunity…

Following the recommendation of Chairman Kevin P. Eltife and the UT System Board of Regents, Chancellor James B. Milliken named James E. Davis as interim president of The University of Texas at Austin, effective immediately. Davis currently serves as the university’s senior vice president and chief operating officer. Prior to…

Dear Longhorns, Our University strives to impact the world in ways that bring about fundamental, transformational change. As we all consider the impact we want to make, one of the greatest examples we could follow is the person our country will honor on Monday: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I…

Dear UT Community, When students ask for advice, I typically respond thematically: Follow your passions, take some chances, stretch outside your comfort zone, and think of how you would like to make an impact. Today, I am writing to let you know that I am following my own advice, which…

Dear UT Community, I am thrilled to announce that Professor Rachel Davis Mersey, who holds an appointment as the Everett D. Collier Centennial Chair in the School of Journalism and Media and has served as UT’s Interim Provost since the beginning of this academic year, will assume the permanent position…