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A file photo of UT Arlington.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elias Valverde II\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Archie Holmes, the UT System\u2019s executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, was named UTA\u2019s acting president Monday, weeks after the university\u2019s previous leader announced she was stepping down<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n In his current role, Holmes works closely with school leaders to manage the system\u2019s nine academic institutions, including UTA, which is the second-largest. He will keep this job, while serving as acting president, said UT System Chancellor John Zerwas in a news release.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: UT Arlington President Jennifer Cowley to step down after four years<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n At the end of August, Jennifer Cowley<\/a>, the university\u2019s first female president, left the post after spending more than four years in the role. Cowley, a professor of public affairs and planning, will stay at UTA as a faculty member.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cowley will advise Holmes during the transition, Zerwas said. The two have worked \u201cextensively\u201d together before, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n As a UT System official, Holmes also advises presidents on enforcing the system\u2019s \u201ccontroversial topics<\/a>\u201d policy, which places restrictions on how professors can teach such material in the classroom. The policy doesn’t define what constitutes a \u201ccontroversial topic.\u201d<\/p>\n Holmes received a bachelor\u2019s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, according to the news release. He was a faculty member at UT Austin and at the University of Virginia. He also served as UVA\u2019s vice provost for academic affairs.<\/p>\n As Holmes steps into his new role, Zerwas gave kudos to his predecessor. He credited Cowley for \u201ctransformative initiatives\u201d in boosting research, opening buildings and developing a new campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Related: What to know about UTA’s outgoing President Jennifer Cowley<\/a><\/p>\n Cowley\u2019s strategic plan sought to boost research from $155 million to $300 million, hire 100 new faculty members and researchers and bring in 10,000 new students. UTA is also one of 16 Texas universities with a coveted R1 Carnegie designation, which is based on research spending and the number of research doctorates awarded annually.\u00a0<\/p>\n Under Cowley\u2019s leadership, new buildings and facilities were constructed, including Maverick Hall. She also oversaw plans to open UTA West, a new campus in Fort Worth, in fall 2028.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUTA is very well positioned for its best days ahead,\u201d Zerwas said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Still, UTA saw drops in international enrollment and research funding under Cowley\u2019s leadership. The school grappled with financial challenges, leading to program cuts<\/a>, buyouts and hiring freezes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n