Greetings,

While the spring semester has officially concluded, we continue to feel the buzz of excitement generated by the first in-person commencement ceremonies held for UTA graduates since December of 2019! In mid-May, we celebrated graduates from every semester of 2020 as well as the spring semester of 2021 in eight in-person exercises. It felt great to gather with family, friends and colleagues to honor Maverick students who persevered through never-before-seen circumstances as they completed their degrees.

Nearly 7,000 graduates participated in the ceremonies held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers, and about 1,000 Mavericks participated in a virtual ceremony. I encourage you to read the fascinating stories of some of our featured graduates in this edition of UTA Impact like Steve Kennedy who was awarded a bachelor’s degree in history that he earned 54 years ago prior to leaving then Arlington State College to serve with the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War. The challenges many faced and their accomplishments while pursuing their education are inspiring. These Mavericks, and all who earned their degrees during the 15 months of the pandemic, are true demonstrations of UTA spirit and determination.

Pride for our newest alumni extends across campus as the University continues to be recognized by ranking services. Our most recent accolades involve acknowledgment of UTA programs for their value, sustainability and diversity—all extremely important measures to help us attract the next class of students. Following in the footsteps of our most recent graduates, I have no doubt the next generation of Mavericks will achieve great things, too!

Sincerely,

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