What an exciting honor it is to be reaching out to our Maverick alumni in the pages of UTA Magazine! As someone who grew up in Arlington and attended summer camps and classes here on campus, I have kept a close eye on the University’s tremendous growth and impact. In my early days of looking for a career in academia, I always hoped I’d be able to join the faculty. I never imagined that I would one day return to my hometown to lead UTA as its president.
For anyone who has spent any time at all on our campus, one thing becomes readily apparent: UT Arlington is a special place. For me, that realization happened when I was still in elementary school. While attending orchestra camp at the University, I was able to walk the grounds, sleep in a dorm, and hang out at the student center. It was the first time I really knew that college is definitely for me. From the researcher who has that “aha” moment in the lab to the second-grader who takes in a show at the Planetarium and starts asking questions about the universe to the freshman who takes a class that leads to their lifelong passion, UTA enables us to find what inspires us and achieve our dreams.
This issue of the UTA Magazine is filled with stories that detail those moments. You’ll read about students whose lives were changed thanks to this University, faculty making important discoveries, and alumni who are pursuing successful and fulfilling careers. You’ll see that traditions like Bed Races and Homecoming are still around and remain much loved today. You’ll get a closer look at all the ways the University has grown and changed, and you’ll find insight into the major impact Mavericks continue to have on the world around them.
I’m so excited to become part of UTA, to join the Maverick family and help this amazing University on its path to becoming one of the nation’s most inclusive and impactful research universities. You may follow what I am up to on my Twitter account @UTAPrezCowley and by visiting my website, uta.edu/president, where you may also provide me your feedback and comments.
It is now time to chart where we will go next—what future we will imagine and how we, as a community, will come together to realize our collective vision!
Mav Up!
—Jennifer Evans-Cowley
President
Jennifer Evans-Cowley is the first female president of UTA and the 10th overall. She is also a professor of public affairs and planning in the College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs.
Learn more about Dr. Cowley.
