UNT President Neal Smatesk at the College of Visual Arts and Design groundbreaking event. (Photo by Michael Clements)I joined the UNT family three years ago and my love for this university grows each day. We care about each other and the communities in which we live. And we're dedicated to making the world a better place.

It's the people who make UNT strong and who make us stand out. It's great to see our alumni, such as the brains behind brands featured in this issue, rising to the top of their professions. You also can learn more in this issue about our partnership with the Dallas Cowboys and get a preview of UNT Research magazine.

We're making important investments in our people, programs and university to build on our momentum as a Carnegie-ranked top-tier research university and to ensure that we're Tier One across the board.

This spring, we will split the College of Arts and Sciences into the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the College of Science. Our College of Public Affairs and Community Service will become the College of Health and Public Service. These changes will provide more opportunities as we launch new programs that keep pace with today's career needs.

We're also transforming our campus with several new buildings and renovations. Our renovated Science Research Building opened this spring, and the creation of a new home for our College of Visual Arts and Design is underway. We're building a new residence hall, dining hall and tour center, all three to be co-located. And we plan to expand at Discovery Park to create a facility for biomedical engineering, one of our fastest-growing programs.

These changes will be a big boost for academics, research and recruitment. Growth is progress, and — at UNT — progress never ends.

UNT Proud,

Neal Smatresk
UNT President