Dear UTA faculty, staff and students,

Welcome to a new academic year at The University of Texas at Arlington! It is an exciting time, with many new Mavericks arriving on campus while long-time members of the UTA family return after 18 months of working and learning predominantly online. It is great to sense the vibrancy of our Maverick family on campus again!

With the start of a new school year, you will find countless engagement and learning opportunities at UTA. I encourage you to take advantage of UTA resources as you embrace the Maverick experience academically, professionally, socially and culturally. The UTA Mobile App can help you navigate the campus and stay informed of the latest UTA news, events, and resources.

Our commitment to academic and research excellence always guides our efforts, and UTA is continuously evolving to meet the needs of students, employers and society. In the most recent cycle, we hired 70 new tenured, tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty for the upcoming academic year, plus our inaugural vice president for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion arrived to accelerate our progress in this important area. Construction of the new building that will house the School of Social Work and the College of Nursing and Health Innovation’s Smart Hospital is on schedule, with completion projected for November 2022. The Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Innovation will have a new space in the College Park District this month where students, faculty and external partners can collaborate to commercialize new technologies and pioneer new companies. Most importantly, UTA earned the Texas Tier One designation recently, securing our status as a preeminent institution for education, research and innovation. We are just the fourth university in Texas to achieve this milestone, which reflects the stature and dedication of UTA’s faculty, researchers, staff and students. Our progress is impressive, and it is a great time to be a Mav!

While we hoped and planned for a return to campus largely unhampered by the pandemic, we continue to closely monitor COVID‑19 cases and will respond with the tools that are available to us. I am optimistic the 2021‑22 academic year will remain in person and on campus; however, with the highly transmissible delta variant, we must continue to work together to sustain our safe return. All members of the Maverick community, regardless of vaccination status, are asked to get a viral test by Sept. 8 to help us provide the safest campus environment possible as we return.

Health experts cite widespread vaccinations as the best method to defeat COVID‑19, so I urge everyone who is able to get the vaccine. Based on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) masking guidance, we strongly encourage everyone to wear face coverings indoors or in crowded spaces, regardless of vaccination status.

Please continue to utilize the safety protocols that help keep Mavericks healthy and safe, like daily self-screening for symptoms, COVID‑19 testing and completing the Close Contact and Personal Diagnosis Form when appropriate. As the fall semester unfolds, we will adhere to our Campus Operation Plan while monitoring conditions and guidance from the CDC and the state of Texas.

While the COVID‑19 experience is not yet behind us, we are resuming many Maverick academic and social activities. As we enthusiastically embrace a new school year and aspire to our former routines, I ask everyone to support a return to normalcy by getting vaccinated and practicing health and safety protocols. Let’s join together, protecting ourselves and those around us.

UTA is an outstanding place to explore your academic and professional purpose as you learn, research, work, and serve others. The opportunities are abundant, and there is no limit to what you can achieve here. I am looking forward to hearing about your journey, and I invite you to email me or follow me on Twitter to help us stay connected as the academic year progresses.

Have a fantastic UTA experience. Mav Up!