Appointment of Karim A. Meijer of Katy as Student Regent

AUSTIN – James R. Huffines, chairman of The University of Texas System Board of Regents, issued the following statement today (May 29) regarding the appointment of Karim A. Meijer, a fourth-year medical student at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, as the next student regent on the Board. Meijer is vice president of the class of 2010, director of Healthcare Finance Elective and president of the Orthopaedic Student Interest Group. He is also a volunteer with UT Southwestern’s United to Serve. Meijer received a bachelor’s degree from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, where he played on the 2005 National Champion Longhorn Football Team.

Gov. Rick Perry today appointed Meijer and 10 other students to higher education governing boards across the state. The one-year term as student regent will expire May 31, 2010.

Statement from Chairman Huffines:

“On behalf of the Board of Regents, I want to congratulate Karim on his appointment to the UT System Board of Regents. His academic background and leadership abilities will serve him well in this important role, and I am confident students across the System will benefit from his service on the Board. He has proven himself in the classroom, on the playing field, as a student leader – and will do so again one day as a doctor. The Board looks forward to serving with him as we continue to advance excellence at our 15 institutions.

“I also would like to take this opportunity to thank Regent Benjamin Dower for his time, energy and extraordinary service to the UT System during his tenure as student regent. He has been a remarkable colleague and student ambassador and we wish him well in his future endeavors as he enters the UT Austin School of Law.”

About The University of Texas System

The University of Texas System is one of the nation’s largest higher education systems, with nine academic campuses and six health institutions. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $11.5 billion (FY 2009) including $2.5 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. Student enrollment exceeded 195,000 in the 2008 academic year. The UT System confers more than one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates nearly three-fourths of the state's healthcare professionals annually. With more than 84,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.