Thank you, James, for that generous introduction.  I appreciate your kind words, and even more so I appreciate everything you, and of course Patty – my former classmate at UT Austin – have done for the University of Texas System, the state of Texas, and me personally.

As a former Chairman of the UT System Board of Regents, and one of a small handful of Regents in our 130 year history to serve consecutive terms, you have made an outsized contribution to the state of Texas.  And of course your impact is especially pronounced here in North Texas.

Many of the new facilities and the progress made at UT Southwestern, UT Arlington, and of course UT Dallas have James Huffines' fingerprints and vision all over them.  That goes for the wonderful new facility we're celebrating today, so in addition to my thanks, let me extend my congratulations.  I know you are proud, and rightly so.

Good morning, everyone.  It’s a pleasure to be here on what I consider a very momentous occasion for the University of Texas System, for UT Dallas, and for the ever-more-important field of brain health.

Of course, none of us would be here were it not for the vision, energy, and hard work of Dr. Sandi Chapman and her team, so let’s give them a round of applause.  (lead applause)

The appeal of a facility where everyone – sick, injured or completely healthy – can come to make their brains healthier is evident in the tremendous financial support Dr. Chapman has been able to generate.  And I want to take a moment and thank the individuals, foundations, and businesses who have given so generously.

One of the things that has really struck me – and frankly, surprised me – since I became Chancellor of the UT System is the number of people all over this state who support UT System institutions.  And I don’t just mean financial support – although the money is important.  I’m talking about people from Tyler to El Paso to Brownsville, Galveston and everywhere in-between, who – recognizing what we mean to Texas – give of their time, energy, and expertise.

It is downright inspiring.  And so I want to thank everyone who has gotten involved in turning Dr. Chapman’s vision for the Brain Performance Institute a reality. 

As some of you know, I’ve been in my new role now for about ten months.  And in thinking about, and laying out, my vision for the System, one of the things I’ve emphasized is that I want us to be in the middle of every important conversation taking place. 

Around the country and around the world.  Whether the topic is science, medicine, literature, engineering, law, national security, you name it, I want people to ask, “Where is Texas on this issue?  What does Texas think?”

That’s still the goal.  But, interestingly, as I have traveled around the state, visiting our 14 institutions, and seen the terrific work being done in the neurosciences, I’ve found myself increasingly focused on the question, “How does Texas think?”  How can we, as individuals, as a state, as a society, learn to think better – and in thinking better become happier, more productive, more competitive and ultimately more successful?

We are here today to break new ground, literally, as we commence the building of what will be a phenomenal new facility.  But more importantly, we are setting in motion something that is going to produce groundbreaking discoveries, treatments, and positive changes in the way we live.

And what better place to do it than here in Dallas?  For it was in Dallas, more than forty years ago, that Dr. Kenneth Cooper set in motion the physical fitness revolution.

In 1968, the year Dr. Cooper published his best seller, Aerobics, only 100,000 people in America were jogging.  Now there are more than 30 million Americans who run for fitness and good health.

The physical fitness revolution changed the way Americans thought about exercise.  No longer the sole province of athletes, the health benefits of exercise were readily available to everybody.

As a society, we now understand the link between cardiovascular fitness and health.  We now understand that it’s easier to maintain good health than it is regain it once it’s been lost.

Untold millions of lives have been saved or improved, thanks to the physical fitness revolution that started right here in Dallas.  And right here in Dallas, I believe we are on the cusp of the next great revolution, a revolution in brain health.

My hope, and my belief, is that forty years from now, we will have made improvements in brain health of the same order of magnitude that we made in physical fitness over the last forty years – although I think the brain health advances will come much faster. 

We’re going to know a lot more about how to take care of our brains.  And we’re going to need to, because thanks in part to the physical fitness revolution, we’re going to be living longer.  To make the most of the years we have, we need brain fitness to catch up to physical fitness.

I’m convinced it’s going to happen, and I’m here today is to state, in no uncertain terms, that the UT System intends to lead this new revolution, to the benefit of our state, our country, and the world.

By breaking this new ground today, we are moving Dr. Chapman’s vision a big step closer to reality. 

To those whose generosity has helped make it possible, once again I thank you.  You are going to be proud of the work that is done here.

To Dr. Chapman and her team, I hope I have made it clear that you can count on my support.  It should be just as clear that I expect big things from you.

Among other things, I expect you to be bold, to take risks, to challenge conventional wisdom and push through boundaries.  You cannot get to greatness by being timid.  And greatness is what we expect.

I want you to be – not just experts or scientists – but leaders in the field of brain health.

Most of all, I want you to be passionate.  If you’re not excited about the opportunity in front of you, then you ought to find a new line of work.

This challenge is so important – and frankly, so interesting – it deserves nothing less than everything you have. 

There is no telling how many lives are going to be transformed in the years to come, because of what we are starting here today.  But I can’t wait to find out.

Thank you all again, for being here, and for your support of this incredibly worthwhile endeavor.