UT-Dallas’ new president will be Prabhas Moghe, regents say

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University of Texas System regents have named Prabhas Moghe, Rutgers University’s chief academic officer, as the sole finalist in the running to become UT-Dallas’ next president.

Regents on Wednesday voted unanimously to name Mogue. The decision comes after UT-Dallas President Richard C. Benson announced last year he will step down.

Regents are expected to officially name Moghe for the role after a 21-day waiting period required by Texas law. He would likely start his presidency this summer or early fall, following the end of the 2024-25 academic year, according to a news release.

A presidential search advisory committee chaired by UT System Chancellor JB Milliken recommended Moghe’s selection. The committee praised Moghe’s leadership experience and academic background.

“Dr. Moghe’s record of strengthening educational pathways and propelling research agendas forward reflect many of UT Dallas’s strengths and continued aspirations. He has a deep appreciation for UTD’s mission and extraordinary ascendancy among top universities,” Milliken said.

Moghe has a long academic career. He joined Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1995. There, he was appointed a distinguished professor of biomedical engineering and chemical and biochemical engineering. He became the school’s executive vice president for academic affairs in 2020. He was responsible for managing academic and research operations across four campuses and 29 academic units.

Moghe, who was born in Bombay, India, came to the United States as an international student at the University of Minnesota. He shared his experience in an interview with Rutgers Today, a university publication.

“I had flown thousands of miles from the warmest place on the planet, to a country I had never visited,” Moghe said. “But I always knew that I had to keep moving on and I was going to the top graduate program in the world at the time for chemical engineering.”

UT-Dallas is a public research university located in Richardson. It enrolled 29,886 students in fall 2024, including students from 130 countries.

Moghe’s appointment comes at a challenging time for the school. Earlier this year, at least 19 international students from UT-Dallas were among thousands across the country who had their visas revoked. A subsequent federal court ruling temporarily restored several Texas students’ visas, including at least one for a student from UT-Dallas.

Federal immigration authorities had said they were targeting international students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests last year, though many of the students whose status was revoked had not protested. They appeared to have been targeted because of minor offenses or other interactions with law enforcement.

Last spring, at least 17 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at UT-Dallas. The administration called in law enforcement during the demonstrations, drawing criticism from some student groups.

Disclosure: University of Texas System has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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