UNT Insider

Dear UNT Supporter,

We recently wrapped up a busy spring semester, and the heat of summer is upon us in Texas! Our students are focused on summer sessions on campus, while others are taking a much-needed rest for summer break. Now that we have a moment to catch our breath, let's recap some of the highlights of this past semester!

• Thousands of people in DFW, including on campus in Denton and Frisco, witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse.
• Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett came to campus to visit the College of Music and perform with our famous One O'Clock Lab Band.
• Texas' largest unmanned vehicle research facility was unveiled at Discovery Park.
• UNT One Stop opened, a place where students can go to navigate the administrative processes of their UNT journey — from admission to graduation.
• The UNT Debate team delivered an impressive performance at this year's International Forensics Association tournament in Dublin, Ireland — their first international competition.
• Spring 2024 Commencement weekend successfully conferred nearly 7,000 students for the completion of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

As you may have heard, a sole finalist for the next UNT president was announced at the June 7 UNT System Board of Regents session. Dr. Harrison Keller is set to become the 17th president in the university's history and has served most recently as commissioner and chief executive officer of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Dr. Keller has spent his career committed to improving higher education in Texas, and I am excited and confident he will propel UNT to even greater prominence and continue serving our students and shaping them to become the leaders of tomorrow.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Insider. Check out our first episode of UNT Works, where we meet Mark Followill, UNT alum and voice of the Dallas Mavericks. Learn about how we're treating bees as VIPs with bee boxes on campus and meet three of UNT's latest recipients of National Science Foundation Career Awards. Read about how photojournalism alum and Pulitzer Prize winner, Eric Gay, tells stories through the lens of his camera, and be sure to visit the Dallas Arboretum to see works from the Texas Fashion Collection through August 1. Of course, there's always Mean Green Sports excitement.

I hope you all are enjoying your summer and have a chance to rest and unwind before the hustle of a new school year begins. Share your summer plans with me by tagging me on X at @UNTPrez! I, myself, am looking forward to some time with my family and friends.

Thank you for your commitment to this university.

UNT Proud,
Neal Smatresk
President