UT Austin names interim President, McCombs Dean Jay Hartzell
McCombs Dean Jay Hartzell poses for a portrait around the business school on August 19, 2019. Photo by Lauren Gerson.
AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Texas at Austin has announced it's interim president following former UT Austin's President Greg Fenves announcement that he'll be leaving the position in the summer.
The Board and Chancellor James B. Milliken has selected Dean Jay Hartzell of the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin to serve as the university’s interim president.
As the dean for McCombs, Hartzell has already been heavily involved in managing the university's response to the spread of COVID-19, the university says.
“We have observed Jay Hartzell’s outstanding leadership for years, and every member of our Board and the Chancellor have full confidence in Jay’s abilities to navigate UT Austin though this unprecedented time in the university’s and nation’s history,” University of Texas System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife Eltife said.
A press release from the school states the Hartzell and Fenves will work together to ensure a smooth transition of leadership for students and faculty.
Hartzell originally earned his degree in Finance from UT Austin in 1998 and returned in 2001 as a faculty member.
“Dean Hartzell has done a superb job leading one of the largest colleges on campus, and he has built trusted relationships with faculty and students as well as with alumni and state leaders. As Chairman Eltife and I spoke to Regents about candidates who could provide the strong interim leadership UT Austin needs today, it became quickly apparent that Jay had the confidence of everyone. He is highly regarded on campus and off and is well-positioned to lead the institution through these challenging times,” Milliken said.
President Fenves says his last day will be June 30 and then he will begin his new job as president at Emory University in Atlanta on August 1.
“I am very grateful to Chairman Eltife, the Board of Regents and Chancellor Milliken for this opportunity to lead UT at such a crucial time,” Hartzell said. “The Forty Acres have been my home for most of my life and I look forward to working with our fantastic leadership team, alumni, faculty, staff and students to lead UT through today’s crisis and create an even brighter future for this great university.”
You can read the full press release from the university here.