When President Richard C. Benson took the reins at the University of Texas at Dallas in 2016, the school was primarily recognized for its strengths in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Benson chartered a more holistic academic path, advocating for the integration of the arts into the university’s core disciplines and effectively transforming the identity of UT Dallas from that of a STEM school to that of a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) school.
UT Dallas achieved significant milestones in other ways under Benson’s presidency. In 2018, for example, the university qualified for the National Research University Fund, becoming only the third institution in Texas to do so. This designation unlocked millions of dollars in funding for critical research projects, including a $30 million investment from the Department of Defense to develop new battery technologies and workforce training programs.
As UT Dallas now prepares to welcome Prabhas V. Moghe to the president’s office, it faces sizable headwinds. College and university presidents across the nation are all dealing with the effects of rising operational costs, declining student enrollment and significant budgetary constraints driven by a decreasing level of federal funding to academic research.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, enrollment levels at postsecondary institutions have steadily trended downward since peaking in 2010, forcing s to walk the perilous tightrope of balancing budgets while keeping tuition competitive — a battle most appear to be losing.
As tuition costs continue to climb, a college education has become out of reach for many families, causing justifiable public criticism about the value of a college degree.
While the challenges are surely daunting, they are also solvable.
Moghe brings along a wealth of experience from his tenure at Rutgers University, where he had served as executive vice president for academic affairs in addition to his faculty role as distinguished professor in biomedical engineering. His research endeavors at Rutgers included high-dimensional biology profiling and the study of nanobiomaterials, which reflected his commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. And crucially, his research was instrumental in securing more than $20 million in funding for his university.
At UT Dallas, an institution recognized as a Carnegie R1 university for its high research activity, Moghe’s experience will be valuable in expanding UTD’s research initiatives and collaborations, helping to navigate the financial headwinds coming its way.
Moreover, his previous experience in overseeing global affairs positions him to expand UTD’s outreach and engagement with broader communities, which could help mitigate declining enrollment.
When I arrived in Dallas in 1991, UT Dallas was a sleepy little campus tucked behind a few strip malls, just a quiet cluster of buildings surrounded by open land and possibility. Thanks in large part to its last president, today the campus is thriving. Moghe’s appointment heralds the next promising chapter for the institution. Challenging as it might be, the future is bright for UT Dallas Comets.
Arun Agarwal is the CEO of the Dallas-based conglomerate Nextt and chair of the Texas Economic Development Corporation.