UTA President Jennifer Cowley speaks during the State of the University address Sept. 10 at Texas Hall. Cowley gave updates on construction, achievements and expanding research.
Students, faculty, staff and stakeholders gathered for UTA President Jennifer Cowley’s annual State of the University address Thursday at Texas Hall.
Cowley provided updates to the university on topics like campus construction, research and enrollment.
The address will be Cowley’s last as the university’s president.
In August, she announced in a university-wide email plans to step down and return to the faculty, according to previous Shorthorn reporting.
Cowley was named president in 2022, serving as the first woman and 10th person overall to hold the position. In her tenure as president, she oversaw the progression of UTA West, the opening of Maverick Hall and ongoing construction projects at the university.
Campus construction
Major renovation and demolition projects are currently underway at the university.
The University Center has undergone demolition since July. The west side of the building, including the Plaza food court, Palo Duro Lounge, the Intercultural Student Engagement Center and the basement area, has been demolished.
The opening of the new center is set for 2029 and will include a centerpiece atrium where students can gather, Cowley said during the address.
In April 2025, UTA West officially broke ground. Cowley said officials have started mapping out plans for the campus’s first degree program offerings.
The extended campus, led by Wayne Atchley, is expected to serve over 10,000 students and will welcome graduate and undergraduate students in fall 2028.
Cowley said the campus reflects the university’s belief that opportunities should expand as the region grows.
Another major renovation project on campus is the Life Science Building. Upon completion, the building will house state-of-the-art classrooms, teaching labs, research space, a fermentation lab and more, she said.
The building is set to be complete in 2027.
A part of the Campus Master Plan envisions a more connected, welcoming campus, Cowley said.
Part of the plan is creating more green space. The Central Library mall is in its planning phase and has two design concepts being voted on by students, faculty and staff.
UTA President Jennifer Cowley stands as the crowd applauds her during the State of the University address Sept. 10 at Texas Hall. Cowley will be stepping down from the presidency to return to the faculty.
Research
UTA Libraries has been invited to apply for membership in the Association of Research Libraries. Cowley said the invitation is a sign of the university’s growing strength as a major research institute.
Cowley also highlighted UTA’s role in the Genesis Mission, a national initiative that is uniting Department of Energy national labs, industry, academia and others to use artificial intelligence to create breakthroughs in national security, discovery science and energy dominance, according to the Department of Energy website.
Habeeb Olufowobi, computer science and engineering assistant professor, is leading the university’s team for the Genesis Mission, developing AI systems, Cowley said.
Other research she highlighted included a grant from NASA to develop innovative materials for electric air taxis to be more resilient and safer. Biology junior Nishi Modi was one of five fellows selected out of more than 250 applicants for a prestigious cardiovascular research program in Houston.
“Many of our students are benefiting from programs in the Office of Undergraduate Research, and this year, we’ve expanded funding available to allow more of our undergraduates to take part in the experiences our faculty have to offer,” Cowley said.
Enrollment
For nine out of the last 10 years, the university has seen record-setting first-year classes, Cowley said.
She said this year’s class grew 4%, and sophomore-to-junior year retention grew 5.4 percentage points this year.
The retention rate of first-generation freshmen going into their sophomore year has also seen an increase. Cowley said that number has jumped 7 percentage points over the past two years.
She said the statistic is a key one, as more than half of students attending the university are first-generation students.
“I hope we never lose sight of what a privilege it is to help shape the lives of our 43,000 students,” Cowley said. “Every one of them arrived with a different story. They come to us ready to blaze their path, and we are here to help them build their future.”
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