Convocation Address Fall 2024

Good afternoon … and thank you, Professor Kesden.

To the returning students, my colleagues on stage and in the audience … welcome back!

And to our incoming new students, I am honored to welcome you to UT Dallas.

Let me also express my admiration of the musicians performing today.  

  • As you entered, you were treated to performances by the Jazz Ensemble. 
  • Renae George led us in the singing of the National Anthem, and
  • Later you will hear from vocal group Novis.

They are all terrific examples of our university’s commitment to the arts.

In addition to the academic deans and university leadership, seated on stage are today’s speakers.  They are:

  • Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Dr. Inga H. Musselman;
  • Senior Director of the Crow Museum of Asian Art, Amy Hofland;
  • President of the Student Government, Devin Schwartz; and
  • President of the Graduate Student Assembly, Vishva Bhagirath Patel. 

University Convocation is the first official event of the new academic year.  During this year, we will mark a milestone of 50 years since admitting the first junior and senior students.

Enrollment at UTD was limited to master’s and doctoral candidates in physics, earth sciences and biology until 1975. By the way, we first admitted freshmen in 1990.

Our university has changed a lot since the first undergraduates walked our campus.  Those students would be amazed at the range of degree programs and student life that are available.

Probably the most striking difference, though, is the number of buildings and square footage that has been added since our founding in 1969.

A prime example is the Student Success Center and Student Union, now under construction and for which we had a ground breaking ceremony last week.  When completed in 2026, the Student Success Center will feature:

  • Classrooms;
  • An arena-style lecture hall; and
  • Spaces for many student service offices.

The size of the new Student Union will be more than double what we now have.  Its 235,000 square feet will include:

  • Retail dining options;
  • Lounge seating, indoors and out;
  • An outdoor amphitheater;
  • Group student rooms and meeting rooms;
  • Dance practice space and a creativity lab; and
  • A ballroom that can accommodate more than 800 people.

Another significant change on our campus is our focus on the arts, best exemplified by the new Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum. We will officially open the first phase next month with a special ceremony that will also include a groundbreaking for the next phase of this new cultural center.

A centerpiece of the first phase of the O’Donnell Athenaeum will be the campus location of the Crow Museum of Asian Art. You will hear more about this from our keynote speaker today, Amy Hofland. 

You are our newest students and I want you to know that our goal at UT Dallas is to give you great learning opportunities beyond the classrooms and research labs.  We want you to have a variety of experiences … through clubs … study abroad … internships … and volunteer service … to name but a few.

Just as important to what we provide you at UT Dallas is what you, in turn, will provide to our greater society.

Not so long ago, I attended the 50th reunion of my university graduating class.  It was wonderful to contemplate the lives of my classmates and to marvel at how much they had given back to society in the half-century after their graduation. 

This is the promise I see in you.  You are all about to acquire an world-class education at UT Dallas, one that will enrich your lives beyond measure, and last for many, many years past the date of your graduation.  You are also about make new and dear friendships that will also last a lifetime.

So, somewhere around the year 2078, I wish you that same joy that I was able to experience; to return to this campus, be in the company of old friends, and deeply grateful for the spark of knowledge that was ignited at UT Dallas in 2024.    

As is my custom, here is my annual list of tips selected to help you ignite that spark of knowledge:

  • First, embrace the challenges.  As a student, I was surprised to note how much I learned in the classes where I was out of my comfort zone.
  • Second, explore disciplines outside of your major.    I encourage you to take electives in subjects you don’t already know much about.
  • Third, seek out our world-class faculty members.  They are here to increase your knowledge, to introduce you to their field of expertise.
  • Fourth, and most importantly, keep an open mind. Listen to other views, other ideologies, and other philosophies.  You may be uncomfortable, but you will be growing in knowledge about others and about yourself.

Let me conclude by quoting Margaret Fuller, a 19th century American journalist who lived during a time when educational and professional opportunities were denied to most women.

She said, “If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it.”

You can help make the world a brighter place when you make the most of the knowledge you gain at UT Dallas.

You are meant to shine, Comets.  Whoosh!

And now, we will be treated to a performance by our acapella group, Novis.