2014 President's Report

The University of Houston’s history starts with its founding in 1927 as a small educational facility named Houston Junior College and a faculty of eight people. Its first class was comprised of 230 students who attended lectures at San Jacinto High School. As the college grew, it prospered and officially became the University of Houston in 1934. Two years later, the college attained land for a permanent campus and constructed its first building, the Roy G. Cullen Building, in 1939. More than two decades later, the University earned the designation as a state institution in 1963.

Since its humble beginning, the University has grown exponentially to offer comprehensive higher education programs and services to students and to the community. The school has grown to include 13 colleges that teach a wide array of subjects — from math, arts and engineering to law, pharmacy and business. What started as a campus with a single building has grown to become a bustling 667-acre institution that offers more than 300 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 40,000 students annually.

Over the years, the work produced at UH forged its sterling reputation that consistently earns accolades. The University celebrates its ability to offer a quality education at an affordable price, its culturally diverse student body and its partnerships with local high-profile organizations such as the Texas Medical Center and NASA.

Leading the charge is a distinguished faculty, which includes Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winners. Standing at the forefront of education, research and service, the faculty has earned an international reputation and enhanced the student experience through their skilled work in the 40 research centers, laboratories and institutes across every academic department.

UH grants more than 8,000 degrees annually and boasts the second-most alumni in the Texas State Legislature.

Cougar pride doesn’t just take place in the classroom; it takes place with the success of its athletics programs as well. More than 60 student athletes have competed in the Olympics and won 39 Olympic medals, including 20 Gold medals. UH teams have won many Conference USA championships. All the while, the student athletes maintain a nationally competitive GPA.

It’s no surprise the University claims so many distinguished graduates. The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university. UH public service and community activities, such as cultural offerings, clinical services, policy studies and small-business initiatives, serve a diverse metropolitan population. Likewise, the resources of the Gulf Coast Region complement and enrich the university’s academic programs, providing students with professional expertise, practical experience and career opportunities.

University of Houston’s faculty represent its dedication to research preeminence, scholarly distinction and excellence in teaching. They are leaders in their fields and make things happen in the laboratory, in society and across the world. With the addition of two new members this year, UH has 14 professors who are National Academy members. These professors exemplify the intelligence, insight and allegiance to higher education that can be found throughout our faculty.

National Academy Members

• Dr. Jamal J. Azar
• Dr. Benton F. Baugh
• Dr. Paul C.W. Chu
• Dr. Joseph P. Colaco
• Dr. Charles R. Cutler
• Dr. Bonnie J. Dunbar
• Dr. Christine Ehlig-Economides
• Dr. Jan-Åke Gustafsson
• Dr. W. John Lee
• Dr. John H. Lienhard
• Dr. Dan Luss
• Dr. James M. Symons
• Dr. Anestis S. Veletsos
• Dr. Kaspar J. Willam

Enhancing The Institution

The University of Houston is proud to be the fifth institution of higher education in Texas to receive the National Science Foundation (NSF) Institutional Transformation ADVANCE grant to create a Center for ADVANCING Faculty Success. The NSF ADVANCE program’s goal is to increase the number of women faculty in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The five-year, $3.3 million grant supports sustainable activities and programs that are part of a systemic effort to transform and enhance the institution. The UH Center for ADVANCING Faculty Success has launched an aggressive campaign to strengthen diversity in STEM disciplines.

The Virtual Classroom

The University of Houston and its faculty are educating students wherever they are. Taking heed to the escalated interest in online technology as a teaching tool, UH now delivers 24 degree and certification programs online. Ten of the massive open online courses offered this year yielded more than 50,000 participants. U.S. News & World Report acknowledged the University’s excellence in this important medium and ranked UH’s College of Education as the third best online education program in the nation.

Bold, Brilliant Approach To A Bachelor’s Degree

The University of Houston is dedicated to creating an educational environment that ensures student success. The UHin4 program is a result of this dedication. It was developed to assist entering freshmen with identifying and pursuing a clear path to degree completion. UHin4 equips students with the guidance and resources necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree in four years.

Through this program, UH vows to help students beat national four-year graduation averages and avoid spending extra time and money by prolonging their education. With a fixed four-year tuition option, eligible students and their parents are able to accurately prepare their educational budget and eliminate uncertainty about future tuition increases.

Graduation within four academic years of initial fall enrollment is ensured for those that meet the program’s eligibility requirements. UH students have embraced the opportunity to obtain an undergraduate degree in four years, with nearly 50 percent of eligible students signing up to take advantage of this program.

UHin4 allows UH students — future innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders — to join the workforce sooner.

Affordable, First-class Education

At the University of Houston, students will always be top priority. They have access to distinguished faculty, state-of-the art facilities and countless resources at affordable costs. The University believes students deserve to receive a top-of-the-line education without having the burden of assuming overwhelming debt.

• The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report ranked UH as one of the most affordable universities in the nation.
• The White House recognized UH as being a university that is low in cost, low in borrowing and low in student default rate.
• PayScale and PolicyMic ranked the University for giving students one of the best returns on investment.

Nearly 41,000 students enrolled for the 2014 fall semester, the largest student enrollment in the University’s nine-decade history.

Each student arrives with individual aspirations and a common commitment to succeed.

The latest freshman class, scheduled for graduation in 2018, has an average SAT score of 1143. They are extremely committed, with 96 percent of them choosing to attend full-time and more than two-thirds enrolling for 15 credit hours or more. Nearly half of them have chosen to call our 8,000 bed residential campus home.

These promising new Cougars, along with an equally impressive group of transfer students, embody the University’s commitment to excellence — excellence that has not compromised its accessibility or diversity.

Recycling Success

A team of four students in the C. T. Bauer College of Business won first place at the Department of Energy competition in Washington, D.C., taking all three top prizes for their “REEcycle” business plan based on a UH-perfected method to extract rare earth elements from electronic waste. Rare earth elements are used in cell phones, computer hard drives, catalytic converters, wind power generators, energy efficient lighting and other “green” technologies.

With its great accomplishments, REEcycle is no longer an academic exercise. All team members are working on the startup, at their office in the University of Houston’s Energy Research Park.

Making Waves

A program launched at the Bauer College of Business Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, in conjunction with the Office of Intellectual Property in the Division of Research, helps students leverage faculty research to create startup companies while providing a unique academic experience. In this program, teams of students are paired with a technology and a UH faculty inventor.

WAVVE, one team in the program, works with the nanocomposite coating technology used for water purification, capable of removing heavy metals, radioactive materials and micro-organisms. The team won first place in the Global Student Business Plan Competition at the College of the Bahamas.

The team named itself WAVVE, taking the first letter for the word “water” in English, Spanish, Swedish, Russian and French, the native languages of each team member to reflect the global nature of the group, as well as the core purpose of the technology.

All groups in the program investigate market potential for their technology, competing products, supply chain issues and financial models, with the ultimate goal of creating UH startup companies.

Best In The World

Four MBA students from the C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston are the Americas Regional Winners of the 2013 Google Online Marketing Challenge.

The Google challenge allows college students to display their skills in advertising, ecommerce, integrated communication, management information systems, marketing and new media technologies.

Bauer students selected the Children’s Museum of Houston as their client and analyzed the company’s business and marketing needs. The team drafted a pre-campaign report, according to a rubric provided by Google. After submitting the report online, the team was given an online Google AdWords account and $250 from Google for a three-week campaign to improve online marketing efforts for the museum.

The campaign was constantly evaluated by Google using 30 performance algorithms, grouped into five constructs — account structure, optimization techniques, account activity and reporting, and budget and performance. The students’ written reports were evaluated by a panel of industry experts, Google executives and academicians using a preset rubric. The team competed against 12,000 students from more than 80 countries to win the challenge.

Students’ Visions Showcased at Venice Biennale

Only the best of the best were selected to present their architectural works during the prestigious International Architecture Exhibition at the 2014 Venice Biennale, among this year’s exhibits were works developed at the University of Houston’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture.

For two years, UH architecture students developed visions for an enhanced Houston infrastructure, one that better serves its community and can withstand environmental, urban and industrial challenges. These projects were created as part of the groundbreaking “Three Continents Studio,” an initiative that focused on challenges coastal cities such as Houston encounter. The students received an international spotlight as part of “Time Space Existence,” a collateral event at the 2014 Venice Biennale Architecture Exhibition.

The “Three Continents Studio” partnered UH with Tulane University, University of Buenos Aires and Technical University, Delft. Students, faculty and researchers from these institutions investigated architectural solutions for their coastal areas. Each region faces threats from weather, urban and industrial growth, flooding and environmental factors.

UH architecture students’ projects addressed three scales within Houston — 100 miles (along Buffalo Bayou), a two-mile stretch just east of downtown and a 20-foot scale (examining the facades of local buildings). The projects demonstrate how architecture can contribute to changing the environment and ecosystem, rather than simply serving as a beautiful object.

Noted architects Michael Rotundi and Kulapat Yantrasast served as visiting critics for this project.

UH’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture is the only Texas-based institution to participate in “Time Space Existence” at the Venice Biennale.

Innovative research elevates the University of Houston among the country’s top-ranked, Tier One institutions. Research efforts, ranging from arts and human enrichment to energy and natural resources to engineering and bio-med sciences, have progressively expanded in scope and attainment.

On The Cutting Edge

Technology advances at a lightning pace, and UH students and faculty work steadfastly to make an impact on the ever-changing technological landscape. The University’s overall research expenditures continue to increase. With $22 million of royalty income this year, the Association of University Technology Managers ranked UH number one in the nation among public universities without a medical school.

The University’s cutting-edge work in energy continues to be among the most comprehensive in the country. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz visited the UH Energy Research Park and heard presentations on UH’s subsea engineering master’s degree program. He also toured the National Wind Energy Center and the superconductivity-focused Energy Device Fabrication Laboratory.

Moving Forward

The University’s next defining moment in research will be to acquire a major, federally funded, national research center. UH possesses the resources and exceptional talent needed to compete for such a center in at least two areas: superconductivity and subsea engineering.

The University will aggressively pursue a key federal research center, while continuing to invest in exemplary programs of national prominence across a wide array of disciplines.

Strategic hiring of research-intensive faculty and a growing emphasis on cross-disciplinary projects has provided UH a 50 percent increase in research proposal submissions. Rising from $500 million to a remarkable $734 million in one year is an auspicious indication of where research funding is headed at UH.

While the University of Houston’s roots are long and deep in the local soil, its influence and interests continue to spread around the world.

When Ivo Josipović, the president of Croatia, toured America this year to discuss oil and gas exploration, what could be a more logical place to visit than the “Energy University” in Houston, the energy capital of the world?

His visit set the stage for a consensus between UH and the University of Zagreb, one of the most prestigious universities in southeastern Europe. The agreement between the two universities ranges across many disciplines, but focuses on energy, engineering, languages and the arts. This agreement gives a growing number of Cougars the opportunity for the international experience necessary to compete in a global economy.

Abroad And Beyond

Higher education is a global endeavor, with the goal of advancing knowledge to benefit students around the world. Studying abroad can be an extraordinary experience. The University of Houston is one of the partner schools selected to participate in Generation Study Abroad, a five-year initiative of the Institute of International Education (IIE), to double the number of U.S. students studying abroad. UH has increased the amount of funding for its study abroad scholarship programs.

The University of Houston encourages students to take advantage of its expanding international options with “Passports for Cougars,” a program that provides passports at no charge to all UH students. Approximately 20 percent of UH students have passports. Though the number is higher than the national average, the “Passports for Cougars” program is dedicated to increasing it.

International Recognition

The University has a vibrant international component to its campus, consistently ranking among the top 24 schools in America for enrollment of international students. UH also has the privilege of hosting world dignitaries and noted international scholars.

A delegation from the University of Swansea, one of the United Kingdom’s top-ranked research institutions, and now a collaborative partner with UH, graced the campus community with a series of presentations showcasing groundbreaking exploration and scholarship. The prominent Welsh institution recognized President Renu Khator’s academic leadership and awarded her an honorary degree.

New Football Stadium

The spectacular $128 million, 40,000-seat facility — named TDECU Stadium after a generous gift from the well-known credit union — opened in late August, ushering in a new era in UH Athletics and providing Houston with another striking addition to the cityscape. Known as Jeppesen to many longtime Houstonians and Robertson for the past three decades, TDECU Stadium serves as both a tribute to its predecessors and monumental evidence of a commitment to progress that has been significantly transforming the campus.

Remarkable Renovations

The University Center Transformation Project opened the first section at the beginning of 2014 and the $80 million endeavor will conclude in early 2015. With the addition of a 450-seat theater, enhanced dining options, a two-level bookstore and three times the space for student organizations, the complex that has always been regarded as the “heart” of the campus also unveils a new name — the Student Center.

The only thing Cougar Place kept, is its name. Everything else was torn down to construct a sterling new 800-bed residence hall, a vital part of the effort to accommodate more students living on campus. As a result, UH now has the second highest residential capacity of any university in Texas.

World-Class Facilities

The University’s commitment to excel continues, with recent groundbreakings for the Multi-Disciplinary Research & Engineering Building (MREB) and the Houston Basketball Development Facility.

Designed to promote collaboration and help foster multidisciplinary ideas, the MREB will house core facilities shared by researchers across campus, including high-performance computing, a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer lab and imaging facilities. The building will help faculty perform cutting-edge research and provide opportunities for more undergraduate research.

UH men and women basketball players have a greater opportunity to hone their skills and perfect the game with the new 53,000 sq. ft. Houston Basketball Development Facility. This first-rate training center features separate practice courts for the men’s and women’s teams, sports performance and sports medicine areas, academic and film study rooms and offices for coaches and support staff members. At the facility, players can practice 24 hours a day, every day of the year, giving them the competitive advantage that helps develop champions.

The University of Houston’s unmistakable presence in the health care fields will take another substantial leap forward with our plans for a Health and Biomedical Sciences II complex, which will house the College of Pharmacy, enhanced health care research and training programs along with community-oriented clinics.

The University of Houston was named after the city it was created to serve. That was nearly nine decades ago. The commitment UH feels toward the community has grown stronger with age. The community’s support is equally as powerful.

Private and foundation gifts have exceeded the target amount for the third consecutive year. The $127 million donated by businesses, corporations, foundations, alumni and friends will improve the University and support its record number of students.

The Board of Visitors, an advisory group of private sector and civic leaders and University advocates, ensures that the vital affiliation between UH and the community flourishes.

Letter from Board of Visitors Chair

Energy Advisory Board

Stephen I. Chazen (’77)
Occidental Petroleum

Carol E. Dinkins (’71)
Vinson & Elkins LLP

Bernard Duroc-Danner
Weatherford Ltd.

John Gibson
Tervita Corporation

Stephen Greenlee
ExxonMobil Exploration Company

John Hofmeister
Citizens for Affordable Energy

Badar Khan
Direct Energy

Elizabeth Killinger (’91)
Reliant and NRG Retail

Mike Krancer
Blank Rome LLP

Jonathan Lewis
Halliburton’s Completion and Production Division

Derek Mathieson
Baker Hughes

David McClanahan (’76)
CenterPoint Energy Inc.

Joseph Mills (’92)
Eagle Rock Energy Partners

John Mingé
BP America, Inc.

Rod Nelson
Schlumberger Limited

Marvin E. Odum, III (M.B.A. ’95)
Shell Oil Company

David Ramm
Brightsource Energy, Inc.

Corbin Robertson
Natural Resource Partners

Jeff W. Sheets (’89)
ConocoPhillips

Paul Siegele
Chevron Energy Technology Company

Bill Swanstrom
Locke Lord LLP

Lee Tillman
Marathon Oil Corporation

Bruce Williamson (’95)
Cleco Corporation

Jim P. Wise (’66)
Haddington Ventures LLC

Board of Visitors

John T. McNabb II, Chair
Willbros Group

Jack B. Moore (’77), Vice Chair
Cameron

Hari Agrawal
CNA Metals, Inc.

Dina Al-Sowayel, Ph.D. (J.D. ’91)
University of Houston

Donald Bacigalupi, Ph.D. (’83)
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

Robert L. Bartkowiak, Jr. (’84)
D. E. Shaw & Co., L. P.

Jeffery O. Beauchamp (’69, M.S.M.E. ’73)
Entrepreneur

The Honorable Nelda Luce Blair (J.D. ’82)
The Blair Law Firm, P.C.

J. Downey Bridgwater (’84)
Houston Market, Comerica Bank

John Butler, Jr.
J. R. Butler & Co.

Richard J. Campo
Camden Property Trust

The Honorable John T. Cater
Compass Bank

Fred S. Couples (FS ’80)
Couples Bates Golf Design Group

James R. Crane
Houston Astros

Cheryl D. Creuzot, CFP® (’81, J.D. ’92, L.L.M. ’99, M.B.A. ’12)
Wealth Development Strategies

Anette T. Edens, Ph.D. (M.B.A. ’77, M.Ed. ’89, Ph.D. ’94)
Cornerstone Recovery

Lily Chen Foster (M.A. ’92)

William Granville III
Granville Financial Group

C. Gregory Harper (M.B.A. ’97)
Gas Pipelines & Processing, Enbridge Inc.

Elvin Hayes (’85)
Legend Associates

Christopher A. Helms
U.S. Shale Energy Advisors LLC

The Reverend William A. Lawson
Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church

Carl Lewis (FS ’82)
Carl Lewis Entertainment Group

Glenn T. Lilie (FS ’88)
G. Terrell Ventures, Inc.

Wayne Luckett (’74)
Branwar Wine Distributing Co.

Frederick R. Lummis II
Platform Partners LLC.

Jugal K. Malani
Chem Oil Products

Pershant Mehta (’95)
Genesis Brands

The Honorable Michele “Mica” Mosbacher (FS ’83)
Honorary Consul General of Iceland

Laura G. Murillo, Ed.D. (’89, M.Ed. ’98, Ed.D. ’03)
Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Marvin D. Nathan (’65, J.D. ’69)
Nathan Sommers Jacobs

John L. Nau III
Silver Eagle Distributors, Inc.

Judy Nyquist
Community Volunteer and Arts Patron

Marvin E. Odum III (M.B.A. ’95)
Shell Oil Company

Chris J. Pappas
Pappas Restaurants Inc.

Richard Rawson (’72)
Insperity

Lillie Robertson

Dominique Sachse (’90)
KPRC TV 2

Darryl A. Schroeder (’69)
Lonestar Energy Fabrication

Greg Shoemaker (’79)
Hewlett Packard Company

Steve D. Stephens (’80)
Amegy Corporation

Nicole Vogel
SagaCity Media, Inc.

Daryl Wilkerson (FS ’80)
University of Chicago Medicine

Floyd C. Wilson (FS ’72)
Halcón Resources Corporation

Board of Visitors Founding Members

Richard “Racehorse” Haynes (J.D. ’56)
Richard Haynes & Associates PC

Eric Hilton
Hilton Hotels Corporation

The Honorable William P. Hobby
Hobby Communications


Board of Visitors Ex Officio

Starlet H. Agrella (’86, M.B.A. ’89)
University of Houston Alumni Association

Deborah S. Bernay, O.D. (’80, O.D. ’82)
University of Houston Foundation for Education and Research in Vision, Inc.

Jeff C. Dodd (’76, J.D. ’79)
University of Houston Law Foundation

Fermeen Fazal (’96, B.A. ’97, J.D. ’00)
University of Houston Alumni Association

Matthew Houston (’02)
Houston Cougar Foundation

Durg Kumar (’82, M.B.A. ’83)
University of Houston Alumni Association

R. Charles Kuriger IV (’93, M.B.A. ’03)
University of Houston College of Business Foundation

Joe Pogge (’79)
University of Houston Alumni Association

Ron Rand
Houston Public Media Foundation

Lisa Trapani Shumate
Houston Public Media

Trey Wilkinson (’92, M.B.A. ’02)
University of Houston Alumni Association

Established in 1840, the legendary Greater Third Ward is home to several of Houston’s important institutions, prominent churches and renowned professionals and politicians. Inspirational stories are told about the notable landmarks and historic events that took place in this great neighborhood.

The University of Houston is a proud resident of the Third Ward and participates in initiatives that strengthen community bonds and pay tribute to the history and culture of the neighborhood.

UH students are assisting with the widely acclaimed Project Row House, creating program elements for the $30 million renovation of the 10 acre Emancipation Park, tutoring neighborhood kids at the SHAPE community center founded by a UH alumnus, working with the Third Ward Community Cloth organization and volunteering in many more programs that enrich and uplift the community.

This year, University leadership met with Third Ward community leaders to discuss UH’s commitment to the community and plans for future engagement. From this meeting the University of Houston & Neighborhood Partnership Forum (UNPF) was established. The UNPF’s mission is to constantly explore the vision UH shares with the neighborhood and discover ways to leverage the partnership to secure external funding that will help transform that vision into reality.

Cougar 100

UH is proud to be the largest and most diverse university in the fourth largest city in America, providing Tier One, affordable education to tomorrow’s leaders.

The Cougar 100 showcases the 100 fastest growing businesses owned or led by University of Houston alumni. Their business successes reflect their leadership in energy, arts, health care and almost every economic segment of Houston and beyond. The Cougar 100 demonstrate the power of a UH education and the proud tradition of making UH graduates “life ready” — more than just “job ready.”

Athletic Acheivements

University of Houston athletic teams are dominating the competition. The UH baseball team ranked number 11 in the nation, and the UH football team triumphed, scoring 29 points in the fourth quarter to become Armed Forces Bowl champions.

While the UH Athletics department continually focuses on achievements on the field or on the court, the department fosters an equally important culture of academic excellence. More than 385 student-athletes posted record numbers in the classroom. Nearly 100 of the athletes were named to the University of Houston’s Dean’s List.

Stellar Leadership

Carl Lewis, Olympic gold medal winner and UH alum, joined the University as assistant coach of the track and field team. “To have that type of name recognition and excellence associated with the program only enhances the training environment, credibility with our athletes and marketability with our recruits,” said head coach Leroy Burrell.

Lewis is proud to return to his alma mater, a place he believes helped him succeed. He brings Olympic quality training to the UH track and field program.

New head coach Kelvin Sampson brings 13 NCAA tournament appearances, national coach of the year recognitions and more than 30 years of experience to the University of Houston’s men’s basketball team. With many accomplishments in college basketball, Sampson joins UH after spending the previous six seasons as an assistant coach in the NBA with the Houston Rockets and the Milwaukee Bucks. Sampson is committed to leading a first-class basketball program and he is excited to return to the college game.

On the court, Sampson has been a proven winner at college programs across the country. Off the court, he has established himself as a dedicated leader who prepares young men for life, in and away from the game of basketball.

2013

September

UH ranked among top institutions producing global CEOs

October

UH nanotech company wins Goradia Innovation Prize.
UH Graduate College of Social Work program wins the 2013 Partners in Advancing Education (PIE) for International Social Work award.

November

The Corporation for National and Community Service recognizes UH for its civic engagement.

December

Four UH researchers named to National Academy of Inventors.

2014

January

U.S. News & World Report ranks UH College of Education third among the best online education programs in the nation.
For the third consecutive year, UH named one of the nation’s “Best Value” colleges and universities, according to The Princeton Review.

February

UH System launches its first massive open online courses (MOOC).
Former United States Representative speaks at UH to promote free-market approaches to climate change.

March

U.S. Energy Secretary visits UH.
UH Professor wins OLAF PALME medal.

April

UH joined the Texas A&M System and Texas Medical Center to create the Center for Translational Environmental Health Research, named by the National Institutes of Health as the newest national Center of Excellence in Environmental Health Science.

May

UH confers 4,939 degrees during Spring 2014 commencement.
UH hosts the President of Croatia during his visit to the U.S.

June

REEcycle wins at national contest.
UH Architecture students present at Venice Biennale.
National Council on Teacher Quality ranks three UH College of Education programs in the top 25 of the nation’s best teacher preparation programs.

July

UH designated as an Innovation & Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.

August

UH achieves record enrollment of nearly 41,000.
TDECU stadium opens with record crowd.
UH receives $3.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to promote women faculty in STEM fields.
UH’s Houston Shakespeare Festival celebrates 40th anniversary.

• 

  Tax Policy

  “It’s a system that creates an artificial group of winners and losers.” –Bret Wells, professor at the University of Houston Law Center who has testified before Congress on tax policy

• 

  Health

  “Certainly our NeuroRex was the first and remains the only brain-controlled exoskeleton to allow spinal cord injury patients to walk over-ground unassisted.” –Jose Contreras-Vidal, UH biomedical engineer, on the 29-year-old paraplegic who literally kicked off soccer’s World Cup competition in Brazil using a mind-controlled exoskeleton

• 

  Oil and Gas Pricing

  “I think the Michigan Attorney General has a strong hand in this case. They have strong evidence and some strong documents.” –Darren Bush, a former antitrust attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice and a professor of antitrust law at the University of Houston

• 

  The Polio Virus

  “While we can use border control and metal detectors to screen for weapons, viruses like polio can easily pass unnoticed.” –Batoul Abuharb, student at the University of Houston, College of Optometry

• 

  Diversity

  “We are in an experiment to make sure that diversity and excellence are not put in two mutually exclusive categories. Because we are such a diverse university, we are very important to the country. We are the prototype of what universities will look like.” –Renu Khator, UH president.

• 

  Technology

  “The city is going to benefit because this is going to be about new technologies. Some of them are going to employ hundreds or thousands of people in the years to come.” –Rathindra Bose, UH vice president for research, on UH’s $25M partnership with a group of investors to commercialize technologies created by its faculty to form the Texas Collegiate Regional Center (TCRC)

• 

  UH’s Expanding Campus

  “We say to a student, ‘Excuse our dust, but this is all for you.’ It really does make a huge difference.” –Djuana Young, UH executive director of admissions

• 

  UH’s Subsea Engineering Program

  “Students pay, so they are the customers. We need to make sure they are employable when they get out. We want them to leave having had a good experience.” –Matthew Franchek, founder of UH’s subsea program and director of the International Subsea Engineering Research Institute

• 

  Energy

  “Unfortunately, more generators won’t necessarily lead to additional power plants. With gas prices so low and retail contracts sold mostly on an annual basis, generators can’t get financing to pay for new construction because they can’t predict their revenue stream more than a year or two out. There’s no method for compensating anyone in the market for building new generation. Without more plants, the chance of blackouts keeps rising.” –Ed Hirs, UH energy economics professor

• 

  Mental Health

  “By age 13 I was lost, scared and alone, living with a crippling anxiety disorder that I soon would find out was obsessive compulsive disorder, also known as OCD.” –Elizabeth McIngvale-Cegelski spoke with ABC’s 20/20 about her life with OCD, soon after receiving her Ph.D. in social work from the University of Houston

• 

  Health Technology

  “Our research with Dr. Zouridakis on his promising iPhone app will focus on evaluating its use for risk assessment and as a screening tool for early detection of melanomas.” –Ana Ciurea, assistant professor of dermatology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, on DermoScreen, a new app developed by UH engineering technology professor George Zouridakis

• 

  Lupus

  “The development of lupus is a two-step reaction. First, the immune system develops antibodies that attack the body’s own DNA, then that activated immune system attacks the kidneys. We found that CDDO may block both of these steps.” –Chandra Mohan, UH Biomedical Engineering professor

• 

  UH President Renu Khator

  “This unusually versatile university leader epitomizes the Texas of tomorrow. She is bringing to this state the necessary perspective to succeed in a world beyond cattle and fracking. She would be an imaginative, intelligent and farsighted selection as Texan of the Year.” –Journalist Lee Cullum, on the nomination of Renu Khator as Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year

• 

  Progress

  “We really are at a tipping point. We’ve done a lot in seven years, but looking at where Houston is, the potential for this University is great.” –Renu Khator, UH president

• 

  Immigration

  “The legal paradoxes of immigration adjudication have not redounded to anyone’s benefit and especially not for unaccompanied children. For them, the system’s flaws have exacerbated an already tragic and desperate situation.” –Geoffrey Hoffman, clinical associate professor at the University of Houston Law Center

President Renu Khator: 2014 Awards & Appointments

• 2014 Houstonian of the Year
  Presented by the Houston Chronicle
• American Council on Education
  Appointed chair-elect of the board of directors
• “Civil Rights Hero” Award
  Presented by the Houston chapter of the Anti-Defamation League
• Dorothy Ables “Making Change Happen” Award
  Presented by Change Happens!, a community-based, non-profit organization in Houston
• Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
  Appointed chair of the board of directors
• Honorary Degree
  Presented by Swansea University, a public research university in Wales
• Innovation and Economic Prosperity University Connections Award
  Presented by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU)
• Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Overseas Indian Award)
  Presented by the President of India on behalf of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
• President’s Award
  Presented by NASPA, the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education organization
• Pride of India Award
  Presented by the Indo-American Friends Group/Indo-American Business Chamber in Washington, D.C.
• QUASAR Award for Exceptional Leadership in Economic Development
  Presented by the Bay Area-Houston Economic Partnership

Renu Khator is chancellor of the University of Houston System and president of UH. As chancellor, she oversees a four-university organization that serves more than 66,000 students, has an annual budget that exceeds $1.3 billion, and has a $3.5 billion-plus economic impact on the Greater Houston area’s economy each year.

She serves on several boards, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (chair), American Council on Education (chair-elect), Greater Houston Partnership, Houston Technology Center, Texas Medical Center CEO Group and the Business-Higher Education Forum.

She earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Kanpur and received her master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from Purdue University. A noted scholar in the field of global environmental policy, she has published numerous books and articles on the subject.

Born in Uttar Pradesh, India, Khator became the first Indian immigrant to head a comprehensive research university in the United States, and the first woman Chancellor of the UH System. She assumed her post in January 2008.

University of Houston System
Board of Regents

Tilman J. Fertitta
Chairman

Welcome W. Wilson, Jr.
Vice Chairman

Beth Madison
Secretary

Members

• Durga D. Agrawal
• Spencer D. Armour III
• Jarvis V. Hollingsworth
• Paula M. Mendoza
• Peter K. Taaffe
• Roger F. Welder
• Asit R. Shah

University of Houston
President and Cabinet Members

Renu Khator
President and Chancellor

Paula Myrick Short
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Carl P. Carlucci
Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance

Rathindra Bose
Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer

Dona H. Cornell
Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel

Darrin Hall
Executive Director for Governmental Relations

Richie C. Hunter
Vice President for University Marketing, Communication and Media Relations

Elwyn C. Lee
Vice President for Community Relations and Institutional Access

Michael Pede
Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations

Mack Rhoades IV
Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics

María Elena Soliño
President, Faculty Senate

Eloise Dunn Stuhr
Vice President for University Advancement

J. Richard Walker
Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services

University of Houston Deans of Academic Colleges and Libraries

Leonard M. Baynes
Dean and Professor of Law, UH Law Center

Roger Boltz
Interim Dean, College of Optometry

John T. Bowen
Dean, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
Barron Hilton Distinguished Chair

Paul R. Raffoul
Interim Dean, Graduate College of Social Work

William E. Fitzgibbon III
Dean, College of Technology

Robert McPherson
Dean, College of Education
Elizabeth D. Rockwell Endowed Dean’s Chair

William Monroe
Dean, The Honors College

Patricia Belton Oliver
Dean, Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture

F. Lamar Pritchard
Dean, College of Pharmacy

Latha Ramchand
Dean, C.T. Bauer College of Business

John W. Roberts
Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Dana C. Rooks
Dean of Libraries
Elizabeth D. Rockwell Endowed Dean’s Chair

Joseph W. Tedesco
Dean, Cullen College of Engineering
Elizabeth D. Rockwell Endowed Dean’s Chair

Dan Wells
Interim Dean, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Established

1927

President

Renu Khator

Enrollment

40,959

Ethnicity

Asian American 20%

African-American 10%

Caucasian 29%

Hispanic 27%

Other 14%

Faculty

3,754

Staff

4,383

Degrees Awarded

8,590

Alumni

230,000

Annual Budget

$1.34 billion

Research Expenditures

$124 million

Annual Undergraduate Tuition/Fees

$9,500 (resident fixed tuition rate)

$23,364 (non-resident fixed tuition rate)