Gregory Fenves will likely be named the sole finalist to replace Bill Powers as president of the University of Texas at Austin this Friday, sources say. Fenves is currently the school’s provost.
Bobby Blanchard
Bobby Blanchard joined The Texas Tribune’s audience team in 2016 and led the team from 2021 to 2023, strategizing to expand the organization’s reach and engagement across all platforms. A graduate of UT-Austin, Bobby spent his first year out of college at The Dallas Morning News as a reporting fellow, covering Texas politics and breaking news. He got his start in journalism in the poorly lit basement of The Daily Texan, followed by internships at the Houston Chronicle, KUT News and the Tribune. Born and raised in the Houston area, Bobby is a native Texan.
Posted in
Politics
Daughters of the Republic of Texas Sue Land Office
It turns out the Battle of the Alamo — or rather the Battle of the Alamo’s library — is just getting started. On Monday, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas filed a lawsuit against the Texas land commissioner.
Posted in
Higher Education
More Texans Earning Higher Ed Degrees, but Progress is Slow
More Texans are earning higher education degrees within six years of graduating from high school than ever before. But the year-over-year growth is painfully slow. And attainment is abysmal among poor black and Hispanic men.
Posted in
Higher Education
Leading Candidate Drops Out of UT President Search
The leading candidate to be the next president of the University of Texas at Austin, University of Oxford Vice Chancellor Andrew Hamilton, has been named the next president of New York University.
Posted in
Higher Education
Committee Approves Bill Restricting Regents’ Authority
A bill that reins in the power of university regents was approved by a Texas Senate committee Wednesday morning. A similar piece of legislation was vetoed last session.
Posted in
Higher Education
Deregulating Tuition Slowed Increase, Universities Say
Lawmakers riled up by higher education costs want to regain their control of setting tuition at state colleges and universities. But at most schools, tuition has gone up more slowly since the schools took over the job, a Tribune analysis shows.
Posted in
Economy
Abbott Discusses Trade Relations With Irish Prime Minister
Gov. Greg Abbott met with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on Sunday morning to discuss trade and economic relations. It was Abbott’s first meeting with a foreign prime minister since becoming governor.
Posted in
State Government
Legislators File Flurry of Bills Ahead of Deadline
Texas lawmakers added more than 800 proposals Friday to the agenda ahead of the bill-filing deadline. After Friday, lawmakers have to get approval from their chambers to file a bill.
Posted in
Higher Education
Senate Confirms Abbott’s First UT Regent Appointees
All three of Gov. Greg Abbott’s University of Texas regent appointees were confirmed by the Texas Senate on Wednesday.
Posted in
Health care
Texas A&M Hopes to Add Forensic Nursing Degree
The Texas A&M Health Science Center is asking state lawmakers for $2 million to start a first-of-its-kind degree program that would train forensic nurses in treating patients and gathering evidence in suspected sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and other cases.
