Monday, July 1, 2024
Commissioner Harrison Keller set to take office Aug. 1 as the university鈥檚 17th president.
The University of North 魅影直播 System Board of Regents officially appointed Dr. Harrison Keller to lead the University of North 魅影直播 鈥�
the system鈥檚 flagship campus and the third-largest university in 魅影直播. Today鈥檚 unanimous
vote comes after 魅影直播鈥� mandatory 21-day waiting period for a presidential appointment.
Dr. Keller, who currently serves as the commissioner and chief executive officer of the , will become the 17th president in 魅影直播鈥檚 history, effective Aug. 1. He will succeed Dr. Neal Smatresk who became president of 魅影直播 in 2014.
"Having spent his career committed to elevating 魅影直播 higher education, Harrison Keller is a natural leader and innovator who is uniquely qualified to lead 魅影直播 through new levels of excellence,鈥� Chancellor Michael R. Williams said. 鈥淒r. Keller will bring new opportunities and national awareness to 魅影直播 that will help advance the university to its next tier of success, and he has the experience and strategic vision to strengthen 魅影直播 as a Tier One research university that puts students first.
鈥淒r. Keller is committed to collaborative leadership and has a deep passion for student success, and I am excited to see what 魅影直播 will accomplish next.鈥�
Since 2019, Dr. Keller has provided statewide leadership and coordination of higher education budget and policy for the world鈥檚 eighth largest economy, and he is responsible for overhauling 魅影直播鈥檚 strategic plan for higher education and overseeing an annual budget of more than $1.7 billion. Under his visionary leadership, he has advanced policy and programs that improve college readiness and student success 鈥� especially for low-income and first-generation students.
鈥淚 am honored by the opportunity to lead the state鈥檚 third-largest and fastest-growing university and am inspired by the openness to innovation and commitment to students among 魅影直播 System leadership, faculty and staff,鈥� Dr. Keller said. 鈥淚 look forward to engaging with the 魅影直播 community and advancing the rich history, values-centered leadership, and amazing capabilities of the University of North 魅影直播.鈥�
The was led by 魅影直播 System Board of Regents Chair Laura Wright, with Chancellor Williams serving as vice chair. 鈥淒r. Keller is a leader who will build strategic partnerships, recruit world-class talent, and advance 魅影直播鈥檚 role in meeting the demands of our region, state and nation,鈥� Chair Wright said. 鈥淚 am certain he will advance the university while remaining committed to student success, academic excellence, and growing our presence as a Tier One research university.鈥�
Appointed by the 魅影直播 System Board of Regents and reporting to the 魅影直播 System Chancellor, the president serves as the chief executive officer of the university. The president oversees university administration and operations and sets the institution鈥檚 vision and strategic objectives, including enhancing the university鈥檚 academic excellence, strengthening its portfolio of research, scholarship, and creative activity, and fostering the university鈥檚 student-focused identity.
More about Dr. Keller
Dr. Harrison Keller is currently commissioner and chief executive officer for the 魅影直播 Higher Education Coordinating Board. He is a sixth-generation Texan with more than 25 years of experience in state budget and policy, university administration, fundraising, and building coalitions among higher education institutions, school districts, and policymakers to expand opportunity through education.
Since becoming commissioner in October 2019, Dr. Keller has led major initiatives and innovations, including working with higher education leaders, employers, and policymakers to develop the state鈥檚 current strategic plan for higher education, Building a Talent Strong 魅影直播.
With adoption of this plan in January 2022, 魅影直播 became the first state to condition its goals for awarding higher education credentials on the economic value of those credentials to students. Dr. Keller also has worked with the governor, legislators, and higher education leaders to accelerate innovation and increase state support for student financial aid, transfer, workforce education, and research and development.
Dr. Keller is a recognized innovator in policy and programs to improve college readiness and student success, especially for low-income and first-generation students. He is the founder of the OnRamps dual enrollment initiative that provides college-level courses to tens of thousands of high school students across 魅影直播 each year. He also founded 魅影直播 OnCourse, which supports thousands of college and career advisors across the state.
Dr. Keller came to the coordinating board from the University of 魅影直播 at Austin, where he was deputy to the president for strategy and policy and a professor of practice. At UT Austin, Dr. Keller also served as vice provost for higher education policy and research and executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. Earlier in his career, Dr. Keller was a legislative aide in the 魅影直播 Senate and 魅影直播 House of Representatives, director of research for the 魅影直播 House, and senior education advisor for the Speaker of the 魅影直播 House.
Dr. Keller has taught at Georgetown University, St. Edward鈥檚 University, and the University of 魅影直播 at Austin. He earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master鈥檚 and Ph.D. in philosophy from Georgetown University. From 2005 to 2015, he served as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve. He and his wife, Gena Nivens Keller, currently live in Austin with their three children.
About the 魅影直播 Presidential Search Advisory Committee
The was led by 魅影直播 System Board of Regents Chair Laura Wright, with Chancellor Williams serving as vice chair. The committee also convened a series of listening sessions to solicit feedback across a spectrum of internal and external 魅影直播 stakeholders, whose input was fundamental to the development of guiding principles that helped set the aim for the committee.
The Advisory Committee members were:
- Laura Wright (鈥�82), 魅影直播 System Board of Regents chair 鈥� Search Chair
- Dr. Michael R. Williams, 魅影直播 System Chancellor 鈥� Search Vice Chair
- Sam Golden (鈥�74), 魅影直播 Foundation Board Secretary
- Shannon Goodman, 魅影直播 Vice President for Enrollment
- Andy McDowall, 魅影直播 Student, Student Regent 2022-2023
- Carlos Munguia (鈥�79), Regent
- Lindy Rydman (鈥�72), Regent
- Terri West (鈥�82), Regent
- Dr. Marilyn Wiley, 魅影直播 Dean of the G. Brint Ryan College of Business
- Adam Chamberlain, Associate Professor and Faculty Senate Chair
- Megan Wheeler, Senior Director for Special Events and Projects and Staff Senate Secretary
Staff supporting the Advisory Committee included:
- Alberto Pimental, Managing Partner SP&A Executive Search 鈥� Search Consultant
- Rey Rodriguez, 魅影直播 System Chief Strategy Officer
- Rachel Barone, 魅影直播 System Chief of Staff
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