Neal Smatresk in the president's formal office.

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Dear UNT Community,

It’s bittersweet that this will be my final letter to you as UNT president. Harrison Keller will be here soon as the 17th president in university history after serving as commissioner and chief executive officer of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. I am excited and confident he will propel UNT to even greater prominence, continuing to serve our students and shaping them to become the leaders of tomorrow. I’ve been especially proud of our caring, creative, and welcoming culture, and our growing reputation of academic and research excellence cannot be replicated anywhere else. With your help, I know Dr. Keller will continue to elevate UNT beyond our expectations.

As I look back over the past 10 years, I am proud of how far we’ve come. I want to thank each of you — students, faculty, and staff — for making the role of UNT president such a delight for me. I am honored to be a part of this amazing Mean Green Family. I’ll still be around campus, so if you see me, be sure to come say hello!

I hope you are enjoying the few remaining days of summer and have taken some time to rest and unwind before a new school year begins. I am looking forward to some time with my family and preparing to transition to a faculty position once again — there’s so much I need to learn!

Thank you again for all your support and encouragement, your hard work, your smiles, and your dedication to making UNT a great place to learn, work, and thrive. Thank you for your spirit. It has been appreciated more than you know.

 
Forever UNT Proud,

Neal Smatresk
President