Editor’s note: Welcome to On Campus: A roundup of what’s new and notable across Tarrant County’s colleges and universities.
The University of Texas at Arlington is the recipient of an $86 million contract from the United States Navy to conduct research on powering ships.
The university also launched its Power and Energy Innovative Research Laboratory, or PEIR Lab, last week. The research will be led by electrical engineering professor David Wetz, who is also the lab’s director.
“UTA is proud to contribute our expertise, facilities and talent to support next generation innovation while helping prepare the engineers who will continue to advance these technologies and the service members who will depend on them,” Wetz said in a news release.
The university held a ribbon cutting for the lab last week. Attendees included Arlington Mayor Jim Ross and UTA President Jennifer Cowley.
“We’re honored that the Navy chose UT Arlington for this work,” Cowley said in the release. “At our core, we have always been a practical‑minded institution dedicated to making an impact. At the same time, we are a top‑tier R‑1 research university committed to exploring the world’s most pressing challenges. This lab reflects both of those truths.”
The PEIR Lab will be administered by UTA’s Pulsed Power and Energy Laboratory.
TCC to open Alliance Employer Hub at airport
Tarrant County College trustees approved a collaboration with Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County at their April meeting to allow the employment resource organization to set up shop at the Erma C. Johnson Hadley Northwest Center of Excellence for Aviation, Transportation and Logistics at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport.
Through the Alliance Employer Hub, Workforce Solutions will connect students with local internships, apprenticeships and jobs in high-wage, in-demand fields.
“This partnership establishes a centralized on campus presence that strengthens alignment between education and workforce systems,” TCC Northwest President Zarina Blankenbaker said at the April work session.
The renewable collaboration will begin May 1 and last one year.
UTA names new College of Business dean
Brian Klaas, dean of the management school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, will be the new dean of UTA’s College of Business, the university announced in a news release Monday.
He previously led the Riegel & Emory Human Resource Center at the University of South Carolina. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and Illinois State University, and his research interests include dispute resolution and labor relations.
Klaas will replace Harry Dombroski, who is retiring. Klaas begins on July 1.
“Dr. Klaas is an experienced dean who will advance the College of Business’s strategic initiatives through curriculum innovation, research excellence, community engagement and fundraising,” Provost Tamara Brown said in the release. “His energy and forward focused perspective will build on the college’s remarkable foundation, strengthen our student success initiatives and inspire new opportunities for growth and community impact.”
TCC South Campus president to depart for Pennsylvania
Dan Lufkin is departing Tarrant County College’s South Campus at the end of this school year to become president of the Harrisburg Area Community College, as first reported by The Collegian, TCC’s student newspaper.
Lufkin first came to TCC in 2021 from Paul D. Camp Community College in Virginia, where he served as president. Located in central Pennsylvania, Harrisburg Area Community College is the largest in the state.
“This is an exciting new chapter for my family and me, and we are truly looking forward to becoming part of the community,” Lufkin wrote in a LinkedIn post. “I also want to express my sincere gratitude to my friends and colleagues at TCC South Campus and across the District. I will miss you tremendously.”
McKinnon Rice is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org.
The Fort Worth Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.
The Report’s higher education coverage is supported in part by major higher education institutions in Tarrant County, including Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M-Fort Worth, Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University of Texas at Arlington and UNT Health Science Center. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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