SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 66
	WHEREAS, Students, faculty, staff, alumni, administrators,
	and members of the board of regents from the University of Houston
	are visiting Austin on February 11, 2025, to participate in
	University of Houston Day at the State Capitol; and
	WHEREAS, The Tier One university is located in the nation's
	fourth-largest city, and it serves students at instructional
	sites in Sugar Land and Katy as well as at the UH Technology
	Bridge; the institution is located within a region that is home
	to a quarter of the state's population and that generates nearly
	a third of the state's gross product; the student body, numbering
	more than 46,600, including many first-generation college
	students, mirrors the rich cultural tapestry of Houston; and
	WHEREAS, Each year, the university awards over 11,000
	degrees in 281 undergraduate and graduate academic programs; it
	now counts more than 332,900 alumni, many of whom stay in Texas,
	where they contribute to the success of our communities and
	state; and
	WHEREAS, In the 17th year under the leadership of president
	Renu Khator, the University of Houston has set its sights on
	being ranked among our country's top 50 public universities,
	which will be achieved as a result of rapidly improving
	graduation rates, the ability to improve the social mobility of
	its students, and the recognition of the research excellence of
	its faculty; and
	WHEREAS, The Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of
	Medicine, established after the passage of H.B. 826 during the
	86th Texas Legislative Session, was founded on a social mission
	to improve health in underserved communities in Houston and
	across Texas; the college emphasizes the importance primary care
	plays in the health of all Texans, especially in urban and rural
	communities, and in four years, it has already graduated its
	first class of doctors and has a current enrollment of 210
	students; and
	WHEREAS, The University of Houston is helping to improve
	the health of Texans, with one in four UH students enrolled in a
	health-related program; the university provides 450,000 hours of
	patient care in clinical and community settings annually in a
	variety of fields across Texas, and 85 percent of its graduates
	in health-related fields are employed in Texas; and
	WHEREAS, The university is home to 12 nationally funded
	research centers and 27 university research centers and
	institutes, and it has spent over $230 million in research
	expenditures annually, mainly in the critical areas of cyber- and
	national security, drug discovery and development, sustainable
	communities and infrastructure, and accessible health care; and
	WHEREAS, The University of Houston athletics competes in
	17 different sports with more than 400 student-athletes; several
	of the athletic teams have represented the university on the
	national stage, including the Cougar men's basketball team led by
	head coach Kelvin Sampson that has advanced to five NCAA Sweet
	Sixteen tournaments in a row; following in the footsteps of the
	previous year's team, the 2023-2024 team earned a No. 1 ranking
	in the country, generating nationwide support and excitement
	similar to the Phi Slama Jama era in the early 1980s; beginning in
	the summer of 2023, Houston now competes in a Power 5 conference
	after its acceptance to join the Big 12 Conference; and
	WHEREAS, For nearly a century, the University of Houston
	has contributed significantly to creating generation after
	generation of productive and responsible citizens; now,
	therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th
	Legislature, hereby recognize February 11, 2025, as University
	of Houston Day at the State Capitol and extend to all
	participants sincere best wishes for an informative and
	enjoyable visit.
	Miles
	Alvarado Eckhardt Kolkhorst
	Bettencourt Flores Middleton
	Birdwell Hancock Parker
	Cook Huffman West
	Creighton Zaffirini
	Patrick, President of the Senate
		________________________________
		President of the Senate
		I hereby certify that the
		above Resolution was adopted by
		the Senate on February 11, 2025.
		________________________________
		Secretary of the Senate
		________________________________
		Member, Texas Senate