SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1041
	WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
	recognize William Powers Jr., who is retiring as the 28th
	president of The University of Texas at Austin on
	June 2, 2015; and
	WHEREAS, Bill Powers is one of the nation's leading legal
	scholars and a recipient of the Fleming Memorial Prize for Torts
	Scholarship; he began his career at the university as a law
	professor in 1977; he went on to become dean of the law school,
	and due to his commitment to recruiting a diverse student body,
	the law school experienced a significant increase in enrollment
	of minority students during his tenure; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Powers was named president of the university
	in 2006 and immediately embarked on a multifaceted effort to
	promote the institution's research mission and strengthen its
	undergraduate academic program; the students were first among
	his priorities, and he reformed the curriculum by establishing
	rigorous Signature Courses for freshmen and served as an
	instructor of one of these courses throughout his presidency; his
	student-success initiatives, which included a Course
	Transformation project and a focus on timely graduation, gained
	national recognition and were spotlighted on the cover of the New
	York Times Magazine; and
	WHEREAS, His invaluable contributions to the university
	have included his efforts to help establish the Dell Medical
	School, the first medical school in the United States to be built
	atanexistingtier-oneuniversityinmorethanthreedecades,
	and his role in helping to launch the construction of a $310
	million Engineering Education and Research Center; he is
	currently concluding a $3.1 billion capital fund-raising
	campaign, the largest fund-raiser in the history of Texas higher
	education; and
	WHEREAS, Bill Powers is a champion of education who has
	focused on making the university the best public research
	university in the nation, and he has worked diligently to help
	the institution rise to its fullest potential; The University of
	Texas and the field of higher education have greatly benefited
	from his exceptional leadership; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th
	Legislature, hereby commend William Powers Jr. on his
	outstanding service as president of The University of Texas at
	Austin and extend to him best wishes for the future; and, be
	it further
	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
	him as an expression of highest esteem from the Texas Senate.
	Watson
		________________________________
		President of the Senate
		I hereby certify that the
		above Resolution was adopted by
		the Senate on May 30, 2015.
		________________________________
		Secretary of the Senate
		________________________________
		Member, Texas Senate