UNT Insider: President's newsletter

Share this:

Mean Green Football Keegan Brewer, photo by Rick Yeatts

Mean Green football is 4-0 for the first time since 1966 and made national headlines when a fake fair catch trick play by Keegan Brewer (pictured) was returned for a touchdown. Watch highlights from our wins against Arkansas and Liberty, then make plans to join us this weekend at Apogee as the Mean Green take on Louisiana Tech. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and head coach Seth Littrell has challenged us to set another attendance record! Photo courtesy of Rick Yeatts Photography.

Straight from Smatresk

Dear Alum,

On the heels of a record-breaking year, our start to the 2018-19 academic year is soaring to new heights — and it just keeps on getting better! We awarded a record-breaking 9,465 degrees last year and are celebrating our largest-ever enrollment of 38,154 this fall. Our enrollment bump this fall made minority students the majority of the undergraduate student body, which better reflects the diverse population of Texas. UNT also saw marked growth in key areas such as National Merit Finalists and now enrolls 76 finalists.

The Mean Green football team continues to bring good news, having started the season 4-0, which is the best record since 1966. Our team is playing with heart and with guts, exemplified by the fake fair catch trick play by punt receiver Keegan Brewer (pictured above) during the 44-17 win over Arkansas. Brewer's punt return was featured on SportsCenter, Good Morning America and Inside Edition. Under the leadership of Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker, our Mean Green Athletics has created quite a bit of excitement and enthusiasm around campus this past year, having celebrated our men's basketball team running away with the CBI championship, another New Orleans Bowl appearance by football and several teams winning their conferences. I'm proud to see that pride and winning streak continue this year. Join us Saturday at Apogee for the Indoor Practice Facility groundbreaking, "Mean" Joe Green Statue unveiling, and our game against Louisiana Tech – kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.!

President Neal Smatresk speaking at the 2018 State of the University It's an exciting time at UNT, and I'm looking forward to what this year brings. As I said at my 2018 State of the University earlier this month, creativity is a critical part of our identity. It is increasingly important that we position ourselves as leaders in the creative economy by embracing — and celebrating — the intersection of creativity and technology. UNT has accomplished so much in the past four-and-a-half years. It's time for us to dream big and to launch ourselves into national prominence. The union of creativity and technology will ignite our passions for research and scholarship. As our faculty, staff and partners work together, we will unleash our students' talents and empower them to become the creative leaders of tomorrow.

I hope you'll join us for Homecoming Week Oct. 22-27, to celebrate what makes you #UNTProud and observe the progress happening. The new College of Visual Arts and Design building is one of the most technologically advanced creative spaces in the world, and construction is quickly moving on our new tour center and Joe Greene Hall, which will house 500 students.

Join us Oct. 23 as we show our green pride as the Dallas Stars take on the L.A. Kings for College Spirit Night. Each ticket purchased through dallasstars.com/untcomes with a UNT-Dallas Stars co-branded hat.

Rise with us and help us move our vision forward, so that together we can soar higher.

UNT Proud,
Neal Smatresk
President
@UNTPrez

The Inside Scoop

Tech Titan honors

UNT recently won the "Tech Titans of the Future" award from the largest technology trade association in Texas for encouraging and supporting students to choose computing-related programs of study. All the credit goes to Renee Bryce, professor of computer science and engineering, for her work to establish and facilitate the Bug Catcher and Bug Wars programs for middle, high school and undergraduate students throughout the North Texas region and beyond. Read more about these National Science Foundation-funded programs and Dr. Bryce's honor from Tech Titans in the Dallas Business Journal. Photo courtesy of Natalia Florencio.

Alumni networking events

UNT alumni are innovators, creators and business leaders, and they are a driving force throughout the North Texas region and beyond. We're excited to bring our alumni together to share their successes with other alumni and UNT. Starting Sept. 27, the UNT Alumni Association Regional Chapters will host Regional Alumni Receptions in Collin, Tarrant and Dallas counties as another way for alums to stay connected with their Mean Green family. We're also excited to announce that our alumni presence is growing in South Texas and fall mixers are scheduled in Houston and Austin. Join us at each reception for networking, university updates and fun.

Reserve your spot
at a reception »

Diversity award

At UNT, we embrace and celebrate diversity, and we recently were honored by Insight into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education, with a 2018 HEED Award. This is a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. Our Division of Institutional Equity and Diversity partners with our entire campus community to create and foster an inclusive environment full of support and respect for all.

Learn more about UNT's Office
of Diversity and Inclusion »

Alumni Awards

Jim McIngvale, Laura Wright and John Williams

Our signature alumni awards event will honor seven outstanding UNT alumni during Homecoming week. We'll recognize honorees – including Jim McIngvale, Laura Wright and John Williams (from left) – at the UNT Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards Oct. 25 at the Apogee Stadium HUB Club. Gregory Matthews, Joseph O. and Betty A. Roy, and Lou Ann Bradley also will be honored. Help us congratulate them during an on-field appearance during halftime at the UNT vs. Rice Homecoming game.

Read about all 2018 Alumni
Award honorees »

Spotlight on Excellence

John G. Peters, James Meernik, Young Hoon Kim and Karin Anderson-Lain

Honoring top research, teaching and service

Our dedicated faculty members go above and beyond in teaching and in creating national and international connections through their research, elevating UNT along the way. We'll recognize the best of the best, including the UNT Foundation's top four honorees, as part of our Salute to Faculty Excellence. UNT's top faculty (from left) – John G. Peters, University Distinguished Research Professor of English; James Meernik, Regents Professor of political science; Young Hoon Kim, associate professor of hospitality and tourism management; and Karin Anderson-Lain, principal lecturer of communication studies – will be honored for their work and contributions to UNT during Salute to Faculty Excellence Week Oct. 1-5.

Jim and Linda McNatt and Al and Darlene McNatt, Don and Patty Lovelace

McNatt, Lovelace families make largest Mean Green gifts

This month UNT Athletics received its largest ever gifts to support the construction of an indoor practice facility from the Lovelace and McNatt families, both longtime supporters of the university and the Mean Green. A $3 million combined gift from Jim and Linda McNatt and Al and Darlene McNatt will help the Mean Green continue to build champions and prepare leaders. Don and Patty Lovelace, their son Dillon and granddaughter Macey, contributed $2.5 million for the facility that will be constructed adjacent to the Mean Green Athletics Center and replace a current grass practice field. The Lovelace family has long supported UNT Athletics and in 2005 the family donated for naming rights to Lovelace Stadium, the home of UNT softball. Both families are leaving indelible marks on UNT and our athletic programs. We cannot overstate the value of their support and friendship. A groundbreaking for the indoor practice facility will take place at 3 p.m. Sept. 29 prior to the Joe Greene statue unveiling at 4 p.m. and the Mean Green football game against Louisiana Tech at 6:30 p.m.

Follow me on Twitter

Connect with UNT

Office of the President

University of North Texas
Hurley Administration Building, Room 201
Mailing Address:
1155 Union Circle #311425
Denton, Texas 76203-5017
940-565-2108

Return to the Insider home ·
Subscribe to our newsletter ·
Unsubscribe from our newsletter

Copyright © 2018 The UNT System and the University of North Texas are the owners of all of their trademarks, service marks, trade names, slogans, graphic images, music, photography and videography and they may not be used without permission. If you have questions about using any of this material, please contact the UNT Division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing at 940-565-2108.