Big Thinking

UT Dallas is poised at the beginning of a new era, positioned to become the national research university of our founders' vision. Our success is critical to the economic vitality and competitiveness of the region and Texas.

Our vision is to be one of the nation's best public research universities and one of the great universities of the world. This will mean:

Graduating more scientists, engineers and other highly trained individuals, many of whom will stay in this area
Generating more research discoveries that lead to patents, startup companies and jobs
Expanding partnerships with area schools, civic organizations and local government agencies to share critically needed expertise in addressing community challenges
Promoting North Texas as a leading high-tech region and a great place to live and work
Expand Academic Program Variety

Since 2005, UT Dallas has added 33 new academic programs. We plan to add new programs in such diverse areas as biophysics, communications, chemical, environmental and civil engineering, and urban planning and policy. These new programs won't just benefit new students enrolled in them; a greater variety of faculty and courses will become available to all of our students as a result.

Research at the Undergraduate Level

UT Dallas is committed to providing undergraduates with genuine, hands-on research opportunities, such as those experienced in the Clark Summer Research Program. Also, read about our students’ work in The Exley, a new journal that showcases undergraduate research.

Why It Matters

Among the nation's top 10 most economically productive cities, D-FW holds the distinction of being the only one without a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU). Major urban research universities are economic engines for growth. The research dollars they attract lead to new start-up companies, venture capital investment, and new jobs in high-paying fields.

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Hire Top Faculty

High-caliber faculty are the essence of top tier research universities. UT Dallas is addressing the deficit in Texas by hiring top faculty in science, engineering, mathematics, business and other high-need areas for the North Texas region.

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Keep Top Talent in Texas

Each year, Texas exports a total of about 8,000 freshmen to doctoral-granting universities in other states. To help reverse the flow, the UT Dallas plan builds student enrollment from 18,972 today to 25,000 in ten years.

Brain Drain

 

Create High-Paying Jobs and Start-Up Companies in D/FW

States with Tier One universities attract smart, innovative risk-takers who start new companies and create new jobs. The high-tech companies listed here have one thing in common: they are all in a city with an AAU university.

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Encourage Venture Capital Investment in D-FW

Cities that are home to great research universities benefit in ways D-FW currently does not. The role of venture capital may appear small, at just $30 billion a year in the $14 trillion U.S. economy. But consider this:

  • 11% of all U.S. jobs are at VC-backed companies.
  • 21% of GDP comes from VC-backed companies.
  • From 2008-10, overall employment fell 2.6 percent. But venture-backed company employment fell by only 2 percent — 23 percent less than the overall decline.
Venture Capital
  • The correlation among great research universities, top scientific talent, federal research funds and venture capital is striking.
  • Massachusetts has one-fourth the population of Texas but receives 250% more federal R&D and three times as much venture capital investment.
  • Within Texas, Austin typically attracts more venture capital than D-FW, Houston and San Antonio combined. Why? Simple: it has a world‑class research university working in strong collaboration with local businesses and venture capitalists.

The recent opening of a Venture Development Center at UT Dallas is integral to our vision of new investments in the D-FW area.

Honor our Founders' Vision

Beginning in 1930, Cecil Green, Erik Jonsson and Eugene McDermott grew the startup Geophysical Services, Inc. into the innovative business now known as Texas Instruments. All three men were passionate about education. In 1961, they sought to address the significant shortage of engineers and scientists in North Texas by creating the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest. Their vision was to create an institute of higher learning not unlike MIT, where excellence is expected in the sciences, mathematics, engineering and management. In 1969, they donated their institute and its 1,000 acre campus to The University of Texas system, creating UT Dallas.

“Research is an investment in the economy that pays off with innovation, leadership and jobs. Those that innovate well are going to do well — it's that simple. We've got some great opportunities in front of us in terms of innovation. It's time for university leaders and industry to work collaboratively and secure federal investment to make it happen. UT Dallas is on the path to becoming Tier One, and Texas Instruments is proud to support this effort.”

Rich Templeton
Chairman, President and CEO
Texas Instruments

The University of Texas at Dallas