Jennifer Cowley, the University of Texas at Arlington’s first female president and a seasoned urban planner, is steering a transformative 10-year master plan to elevate the 130-year-old institution. She is drawing on her extensive academic leadership and city planning expertise.
Cowley, appointed as UTA’s 10th president in 2022, unveiled a strategy to double research expenditures from $155 million to $300 million, hire 100 additional faculty and researchers, and increase enrollment by up to 10,000 students, surpassing 50,000.
The plan, approved by the UT Board of Regents on May 7, adds 3,000 on-campus beds, modernizes the 1950s-era University Center, and constructs a new student union by summer 2028 while prioritizing energy efficiency across the 400-acre campus.
“But, of course, there is so much more that needs to be done to continue to support our students and help them thrive,” Cowley told the regents in Austin, Audacy reported.
With a Ph.D. in urban and regional science from Texas A&M University, master’s degrees in urban planning, public administration, and interdisciplinary studies, and a bachelor’s in political science, Cowley is a professor of public affairs and planning at UTA’s College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs.
Her career includes five years as provost at the University of North Texas and 16 years at Ohio State University, where she served as vice provost for capital planning, associate dean of the College of Engineering, and head of city and regional planning. She also worked in city government in Amarillo and College Station, earning fellowships with the American Institute of Certified Planners and the National Academy of Public Administrators.
“I will say that I’m a city planning professor, so this is the kind of stuff that gets me really excited,” Cowley said, per FWR. “I may drive my team a little bit nuts, but this is an area I can contribute to.”
Cowley noted that the master plan addresses outdated infrastructure, such as the 1970s performing arts center, where the university’s orchestra cannot fit. Ongoing projects include a $180 million renovation of the Life Sciences Building, set for completion in 2027, and a 2,000-square-foot student housing building, expected to open in 2025 and provide another 650 beds. The price tag of the housing facility is $116 million.
Cowley plans to return to the Board of Regents in August to seek approval for another residential hall with nearly 800 apartment-style beds. The plan also enhances student life with upgraded academic support spaces and amenities, ensuring a high-quality campus experience.
Cowley’s vision aligns with UTA’s mission to advance the Dallas-Fort Worth region’s economy, society, and culture through education and innovation.
“You have taken the ball and run with it and are doing everything and more than we’ve asked and beyond,” Regent Christina Melton Crain of Dallas said. “This is incredible.”
From its origins as a single building without indoor plumbing to a sprawling campus with over 100 structures, UTA’s evolution continues under Cowley’s leadership, whose strategic collaborations and passion for public higher education position her to shape its future.