UTA President Jennifer Cowley speaks during a Higher Education Leadership Panel on Nov. 3, 2025, at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth.
File photo / The Shorthorn staff
UTA President Jennifer Cowley announced Monday that she will step down from the presidency to return as faculty.
The email did not specify when Cowley would be stepping down. However, she shared her intentions to return to a teaching role and engage directly in mentoring students.
UT System Chancellor John Zerwas said in an email that he will provide updates on succession plans.
“I remain fully engaged in the work ahead and committed to supporting our students, faculty, staff, and community as Chancellor Zerwas appoints an interim president and UTA moves through this transition,” Cowley said.
She was named UTA president in February 2022, becoming the university’s first female president and the 10th to hold the position overall. Cowley joined UTA after serving as the provost and vice president for academic affairs for five years at the University of North Texas and 16 years in various positions at The Ohio State University, according to the Office of the President.
“After much reflection, I feel this is the right time to return to the work that first drew me to higher education,” she said in the email.
Cowley currently co-teaches an Honors College course alongside Sean Kelly, the college’s dean. The course focuses on looking at the life stories of successful leaders to allow students to develop a plan on how to use their time in college to prepare to become a future leader, according to the Honors College course listing.
She noted some of her administration’s accomplishments in the email, including progress on the building of UTA West, the opening of Maverick Hall, and the ongoing renovations and construction of the University Center and Life Science Building.
The move follows more than 200 employees leaving the university in May as part of a buyout program after Cowley announced that the offerings were a cost-saving measure as UTA faces “significant shifts in federal funding and policy,” according to previous Shorthorn reporting.
“I look forward to rejoining the faculty and returning to teaching and research, where I will get to engage directly in mentoring our students,” she said. “I am grateful to remain part of the Maverick community.”
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