Greetings,

Everyone at The University of Texas at Arlington—from the faculty and staff to community partners like you—commit themselves to ensuring the success of our students.

Those efforts culminated in two significant events for UTA last week:

• Commencement ceremonies in which more than 5,000 students crossed the stage at Globe Life Field as graduates of the newest Tier One university in Texas.
• UTA’s reaffirmation as an R‑1: Doctoral University—Very High Research Activity, the top designation possible, by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

I am confident our newest alumni are ready to be productive members of our community and leaders in Texas and beyond. They are gaining access to jobs at 22 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the North Texas region—the fourth most in the U.S. In addition, our students earn the highest first-year salaries of graduates from non-medical UT System institutions, according to the University of Texas System Smartbook 2020.

The Carnegie R‑1 designation is yet another validation of our research and academic excellence. UTA first achieved this designation in 2015; this is the second time the University has been reaffirmed as a Carnegie R‑1 institution. It is further proof of the key role our University plays as a leading institution of higher education that reflects the talent, research capabilities and diversity of Texas.

UTA made significant strides in 2021, driven by our talented students and our pioneering, world-class research. Our faculty are shoring up our national defense through cutting-edge hypersonics research and making Texas safer through innovative projects involving infrastructure and climate change. We have mechanical engineers collaborating with bioengineers on stem cell research that has applications in tissue repair and regeneration as well as wound healing.

UT Arlington is often recognized as one of the top universities for military veterans and their families. One reason: a new program that assists veterans and their spouses in entrepreneurship.

These initiatives—and the recent sight of so many Mavericks earning their diplomas and joining our alumni family—make me immensely gratified to lead this proud, R‑1 university. I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season and look forward to a new year full of promise and progress.

Sincerely,

Teik C. Lim, Ph.D. UTA President ad interim