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Student Life
Thinking outside the books
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Walk across the UT Arlington campus, and you’ll find thousands of students fully immersed in the college experience. A packed Texas Hall grooves to the sounds of Maroon 5. Basketball fans paint their faces for the big game. International students prepare native dishes at the annual International Week Food Fair. UT Arlington believes that a first-rate educational experience doesn’t end when class lets out. That’s why we offer a wide variety of engaging activities and 280 organizations to help students discover their passions.

Emily Townsend, nursing sophomore
A welcoming environment

Emily Townsend credits living in University housing with her successful transition to college student. The Sugar Land, Texas, native felt alone when she first came to UT Arlington. “I was so terrified,” she recalls. “There was a program that night, and it was a way to meet people. I met a lot of the friends I still have today.” A year later, Townsend became a resident assistant and now makes sure new arrivals at Kalpana Chawla Hall meet fellow students and learn about campus resources like the hall’s social programs, Freshman Interest Groups, and free activities. “I like living on campus because it’s close to class,” the nursing sophomore adds. “There are study groups you can meet with, and you don’t have to drive. It’s a convenient way to stay on top of things.” Townsend is one of approximately 4,300 Mavericks—about 13 percent of the student population—living in University residence halls and apartments. More than half of students living in residence halls are freshmen.

Vice President for Student Affairs Frank Lamas

LEADING CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT

Vice President for Student Affairs Frank Lamas is giving students more reasons to get involved on campus. “It’s well documented that students who engage in college life graduate at higher rates and have a better college experience,” he says. The Division of Student Affairs helps provide co-curricular opportunities that entertain (SpringFest, Campus Recreation), inform (Leadership Retreat, Multicultural Affairs), aid (Disability Services, UTA Volunteers), and more. “We try to provide an unparalleled college experience while students are here,” Dr. Lamas says. 

Miriam Zehaie

TREASURED TRADITIONS

Miriam Zehaie, the current Ms. UTA, is passionate about traditions, from rubbing E.H. Hereford’s bronze head at the University Center for good luck to the annual Bed Races, her favorite. “Traditions bring people here and are part of what students and alumni love about UT Arlington,” says the education major from Dallas. New students start the fall semester with the MavsMeet convocation and end it with the Late Night Breakfast before finals. In between, there’s Oozeball in the fall, Homecoming in the spring, and much more. 

Jeffrey Hazelrigs

FEELING THE PULSE OF STUDENT LIFE

Jeffrey Hazelrigs squeezes as much as possible out of his UT Arlington experience. “You get the most out of campus life by being engaged,” says the recipient of the 2010 Outstanding Freshman Leader award. “I walk away each day knowing I gained something.” During his freshman year, Hazelrigs served as president of Freshman Leaders on Campus, as a Student Congress senator, and as a summer orientation leader. He also pledged a fraternity. “I want to make my sophomore year even better,” he says.

Michael Choice

MAJOR LEAGUE TALENT

Even after his college career ended, UT Arlington outfielder Michael Choice continued to make history. In June 2010 the Oakland Athletics selected the 20-year-old slugger with the 10th overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft, making Choice the first Maverick to be taken in the first round. The 2010 Southland Conference Player of the Year and Hitter of the Year led the SLC with a .383 batting average and led the nation with 76 walks. Choice also was the first UT Arlington player to be named a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award.