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It’s a pretty big deal when a university ushers in a new leader. After all, in the past 48 years since its inception, UTSA has gone through the exercise only five other times. So you need to take a beat to appreciate the magnitude of this moment. I mean, come on—we even get a new U.S. president every four to eight years.

So in this issue, we introduce you to our sixth president, Taylor Eighmy. Arriving from the University of Tennesee, Knoxville, where he was vice chancellor for research and engagement, Eighmy is no stranger to top-tier discovery. All three of the institutions where he led the research divisions are recognized as national research universities. In fact, his guidance helped secure Tier One status when he led the research division at Texas Tech. UTSA will be his first time in the president’s chair, yet he has plans for moving the university forward. Read about them in our cover story interview, “The Way Forward.”

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The Way Forward

Taking a look to the future of UTSA with the arrival of Taylor Eighmy, our sixth president.

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Part of Eighmy’s strategy for advancing UTSA includes building on strong community links and being an urban-serving institution for learning and discovery. That model ultimately will make both the university and its host community stronger. As we know, UTSA is already an engaged institution. You can read about one example in our feature “Future High,” which looks at how UTSA faculty and students from the College of Education and Human Development and the College of Sciences are partnering in the newly opened CAST Tech High School in San Antonio. The technology-focused magnet is serving as an incubator for UTSA faculty and students to provide academic support and resources. Teacher preparation, mentoring, and research are three crucial paths in which UTSA and CAST Tech aim to benefit from each other. Additionally, STEM majors at UTSA who have an interest in teaching can get practical exposure in a classroom as early as their freshman year. It’s a community partner strategy that could fit with the ongoing efforts that President Eighmy wants to build on.

But for now, explore the rest of this issue and get to know more about our new leader.