This time of year reminds us what matters, and this month I find myself especially grateful for outstanding UTA faculty members like Patricia Eddings. She imagined what could be possible through a partnership with the Arlington Police Department to take on cold cases: providing practical experience for her students—and, hopefully, long-awaited answers to families. And when her class of UTA criminal justice undergraduates dug into a cold case and helped Arlington police solve a decades-old crime, that’s exactly what happened.
It’s the type of story that brings our strategic plan to life: creating experiential learning opportunities for our students, engaging with our community partners, and creating impact.
This, like so many other things we do, is higher education done right. In this season of gratitude, I am profoundly thankful for the faculty and staff who make these moments possible, and for the students and partners who bring such purpose to our work. It’s an honor to help lead and celebrate this University.
In that spirit of gratitude, I am thankful that so many of you were able to participate in the “Fill the Pantry, Fill the Heart” food drive to restock the Maverick Pantry. We donated approximately 5,000 items of food to help ensure every Maverick has enough to eat this holiday season.
Thank you for all you do to make this University—and our broader community—thrive. I hope you can spend time with friends and family over the break and return ready for a strong finish to the semester.
Happy Thanksgiving, Mavericks!
