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