Contact: Michael L. Warden or Anthony de Bruyn, (512) 499-4363

Date: August 22, 2005

UT System News Release

UT Austin Presidential Search Advisory Committee Members Named

AUSTIN – The appointment of several members of a presidential search advisory committee to advise The University of Texas System Board of Regents on the selection of a president for UT Austin was announced today (Aug. 22) by James R. Huffines, chairman of the board.

The committee will make recommendations on possible successors to President Larry R. Faulkner, who announced on June 30 that he plans to retire. The committee will be asked to present the names of no more than 10 candidates, unranked, to the board, which will make the final decision.

“UT Austin plays a vital role in teaching, research, and public service for the state and the entire nation," said Regents' Chairman James R. Huffines. “We are pleased that this distinguished group of advisers has agreed to assist the board in the process of finding the very best successor to continue the extraordinary accomplishments made at UT Austin under the presidency of Larry Faulkner. Presidential searches are always among the most important tasks of the Board of Regents, and we look forward to a rewarding process for UT Austin in the coming months.”

Greenwood & Associates, Inc., an executive search firm, is assisting the UT System in the search and advertisements for the position have been placed in national publications so the committee can carry out its search as expeditiously as possible. Chairman Huffines has set a goal of naming a new president of UT Austin by the end of 2005.

The committee membership is made in accordance with the Board of Regents' rules and regulations, which includes a provision for representation on such committees by various constituencies of a university.

The committee will be co-chaired by Dr. Teresa A. Sullivan, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs for the UT System, and Dr. Peter Flawn, president emeritus of UT Austin and former president of UT San Antonio.

Representing the Board of Regents on the committee will be Rita C. Clements of Dallas and H. Scott Caven, Jr., of Houston.

Representing presidents of other UT System institutions are Dr. Diana S. Natalicio, president of UT El Paso, and John D. Stobo, M.D., president of UT Medical Branch at Galveston.

Representing the UT Austin staff, as selected by the campus Staff Council, is Erin Waneck, senior administrative associate in the Office of the Registrar.

Kevin M. Robnett, a second year law student, was selected by the UT Austin Student Government to serve on the committee as the student representative.

John Adkins of Houston, a partner with Strasburger & Price LLP and president of The Texas Exes Board of Directors, will serve on the committee by virtue of his leadership of the alumni organization.

The community representatives are:

• Dr. Peter Flawn from Austin
• The Honorable Ricardo Hinojosa, district judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas from McAllen
• Jodie L. Jiles, a senior vice president with First Albany Capital from Houston. He is a former member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Three UT Austin faculty representatives selected by the UT Austin Faculty Senate, and a dean, selected for the committee by the UT Austin Deans' Council, will join the advisory committee when they have been named. "I look forward to the faculty representatives and dean joining this very important committee as their participation and input will be vital during the search for a new president," said Chairman Huffines. The first meeting of the committee is Sept. 6 in Austin.

The University of Texas at Austin is one of nine academic universities and six health institutions that comprise the UT System, the state's largest higher education system with an annual operating budget of $9.6 billion (FY 2006). The UT System confers one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates three-fourths of the state's health care professionals annually. With more than 76,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.

The University of Texas at Austin – the largest of the academic campuses of the UT System and a major research university – is home to 50,000 students, 2,700 faculty and 17,000 staff members. The campus operating budget for fiscal year 2006 is $1.65 billion.

The faculty at UT Austin is composed of outstanding scholars in a wide range of disciplines, including hundreds of members of prestigious academic and scientific organizations. The university has one of the largest graduate schools in the nation.

Colleges and Schools include Architecture, McCombs School of Business, Communication, Continuing Education Division, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Graduate Studies, School of Information , School of Law , LBJ School of Public Affairs, Liberal Arts, Natural Sciences, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work, and interdisciplinary units.

UT System: Background information on the presidential search process

UT Austin: Committee Members' Biographies

UT Austin: A President's Legacy

UT System Statement: Chairman James R. Huffines: UT Austin President
Larry R. Faulkner 's Retirement (06/30/05)

UT System Statement: Chancellor Mark G. Yudof: UT Austin President Larry R. Faulkner 's
Retirement (06/30/05)