The fourth of sev­eral pub­lic lec­tures in con­nec­tion with the activ­i­ties of the Uni­ver­sity Coun­cil on Aca­d­e­mic Pri­or­i­ties (UCAP) titled, "Evolution or Revolution in America's Universities" fea­turing President Emeritus, Larry R. Faulkner, of the University of Texas at Austin, Friday, April 6 at 3:30 p.m. in the Science, Math & Learning Center auditorium on main campus. A pub­lic recep­tion will follow. 

"His perspective on the evolution and revolution of universities in America will add to the great conversation the university community has engaged in about the future of UNM.  I encourage everyone within the university community to attend Dr. Faulkner's lecture and continue the conversation about our university's future," said Provost Chaouki Abdallah.

Larry Faulkner received a B.S. degree from Southern Methodist University in 1966 and received his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1969 from UT Austin. Faulkner became president of UT Austin in 1998 and served into 2006.  His other appointments include serving on the chemistry faculties at Harvard University, the University of Illinois and the University of Texas.  At Illinois, he was also head of the Department of Chemistry, dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.  From 2006 until just recently, he was president of Houston Endowment.

While president at UT Austin, he oversaw a seven-year capital campaign that raised over $1.6 billion. He also appointed and supported the work of the Commission of 125, a citizens' group that provided guidance on the future of the University and its relationship to the public. Other significant achievements included the development of the Blanton Museum of Art, the acquisition of the Suida-Manning Collection of European Art and the Woodward-Bernstein Watergate Archive, and the creation of innovative scholarship programs that helped to restore UT's minority student enrollment.

The University Council on Academic Priorities (UCAP) is a group of fac­ulty, admin­is­tra­tors and stu­dents work­ing with the Provost to iden­tify the prin­ci­ple fea­tures of the con­text of higher edu­ca­tion in the coun­try, and for UNM to come up with pos­si­ble sets of alter­na­tive aca­d­e­mic direc­tions. The effort is con­ceived as a pre­lude to more for­mal aca­d­e­mic plan­ning that will set goals and make defin­i­tive plans.

For more infor­ma­tion on the lec­ture, con­tact Lau­ren Liwski at 277‑2611 or e-mail, lr4343@unm.edu.