It’s Official: UT System Board of Regents Confirms Appointment of John M. Zerwas, MD, as UT System Chancellor and James E. Davis as UT Austin President
AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas System Board of Regents has officially appointed John M. Zerwas, MD, as chancellor of The University of Texas System, and James E. Davis as president of The University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Zerwas has served as interim chancellor since June 1 and was named the sole finalist for the position on July 21. He has served as the UT System’s executive vice chancellor for health affairs since 2019.
“Dr. Zerwas is a dedicated public servant and proven leader at the highest levels of university academic and health administration. He is uniquely equipped to lead the UT System as we continue to serve our students and patients across this great state,” said Board Chairman Kevin P. Eltife.
Prior to joining the UT System, Dr. Zerwas served in the Texas House of Representatives for seven terms, including leadership roles on the House Appropriations Committee and House Higher Education Committee. Among other medical posts, he served as chief medical officer of the Memorial Hermann Hospital System and as a physician for more than four decades.
“I’m grateful to each member of the Board of Regents for the trust they’ve placed in me to lead this extraordinary public university system,” said Zerwas. “I take great pride in serving our leadership across all UT institutions as we work together to advance education, research, innovation and health care across Texas.”
Davis has served as interim president of UT Austin since February 19, 2025, and was named as sole finalist for the presidency on July 21. An accomplished higher education administrator, Davis has previously served as UT Austin’s senior vice president and chief operating officer, and vice president for legal affairs.
“Jim Davis has a remarkable track record of getting monumental things done on the Forty Acres,” Chairman Eltife said. “We have no doubt that under his leadership, working with the Board of Regents, UT Austin will achieve even higher levels as one of the world’s great public universities.”
“I’m grateful for the trust of Chairman Eltife and the Board of Regents and am honored to serve as our university’s president,” said Davis.
“The Board of Regents will conclude its meeting tomorrow with new leaders, a new budget and a tremendous sense of energy and momentum across the UT System,” said Eltife. “We have an incredible set of leaders in place across our institutions, and we are eager to support their vision,” he added.
About The University of Texas System
With 13 institutions that enroll more than 260,000 students overall, the UT System is the largest university system in Texas and one of the largest public university systems in the United States. UT institutions produced over 66,000 graduates last year and awarded more than one-third of the undergraduate degrees in Texas. They also educate more than one-half of the state’s health care professionals with a four-year degree or above and award 56% of the state's medical degrees annually. The combined efforts of UT-owned and -affiliated hospitals and clinics resulted in nearly 11.7 million outpatient visits and more than 2 million hospital days in the last year reported. UT’s $4.8 billion research enterprise is one of the nation’s most innovative, ranking No. 1 in Texas and No. 2 in the U.S. for total research expenditures and No. 3 in the U.S. for federal research expenditures. With an operating budget of $33.3 billion for fiscal year 2026, UT institutions collectively employ more than 160,000 faculty, health care professionals, support staff and students.
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