North Texas education leaders share insights on driving innovation and workforce development
Writer: Andrea Teran
October 2024 — As the Dallas-Fort Worth area cements its place as an educational powerhouse, institutions across the region are innovating to meet the diverse needs of students and communities. At the forefront, Dallas College’s newly established Research Institute has introduced an equity-driven agenda designed to address the systemic challenges faced by its largely Latinx and low-income student population.
This commitment to improving educational access is further emphasized by the Dallas Transfer Collaborative, a partnership between Dallas College, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas Woman’s University, and the University of North Texas at Dallas. Through simplified transfer processes and the introduction of “Meta Majors,” the collaboration ensures that community college students can complete their bachelor’s degrees on schedule, supporting long-term economic stability in North Texas.
Invest: caught up with higher education leaders in North Texas who are navigating the evolving educational landscape by forging strategic partnerships and implementing new technologies. From initiatives that support economic mobility to career-aligned programs, these institutions are working to equip students with the skills needed for the region’s high-growth industries.
Jennifer Cowley, President, University of Texas at Arlington
UTA has evolved over its nearly 130-year history into a nationally recognized research university that proudly serves North Texas communities. Over the decades, UTA has grown exponentially, while establishing itself as an anchor institution that has made a tangible impact on the social, cultural, and economic landscape of the region. You see that materialize in a wide number of ways, whether it be offering comprehensive internship opportunities across many fields; helping local manufacturers; launching the UTA Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Development to support students, scholars, and researchers as they drive innovation, commercialize new technologies, and pioneer new companies; partnering with industry and communities to find solutions to their challenges; or collaborating in nursing and social work settings to help improve health care outcomes in our communities.
Earlier this spring, we launched our new strategic plan, UTA 2030: Shared Dreams, Bright Future. Our strategic themes are Student Success, Alumni & Community Engagement, Research & Innovation, Finance & Infrastructure, and People & Culture. Our community is united by our shared dreams and is steadfast in our commitment to build a bright future for all. UTA’s recent announcement of our new West campus, located in west Fort Worth is an example of our commitment to expanding access to educational opportunities and engaging the communities of our region.
Lee Whittington, Dean, Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business, University of Dallas
We are in the launch phase of a completely new approach to graduate business education. We are bringing in our Master of Leadership program in January 2025. That program will serve many people in industry, nonprofits, education, and government who need to sharpen their leadership skills.
We now require a technology course in the MBA program – even for students who are not pursuing a technical MS Degree – so it touches every degree we offer. Moreover, everyone who comes through the University of Dallas will have to take the Gupta Core curriculum, which comprises two classes: Virtuous Leadership, which aims to cultivate character and a virtue approach to ethics, and Business and the Common Good, which aims to teach that business is a force for good in society rather than just greedy capitalism.
The David B. Miller Business Quadrangle has been a focal point of ours for several years now. After breaking ground in May 2022, we held our first classes in our newly renovated and expanded facilities in August 2024. The 2024-2025 academic year feels like a real transition point on campus, both for business education and for the number of students coming to the Cox School. We’ve doubled the size of our graduate programs and increased the incoming class of undergraduates by almost 40% in the past year alone. So, this building is coming at the perfect time. It not only increases our capacity but also represents a strong commitment to business education and multidisciplinary learning.
Rama Yelkur, Dean, Merrilee Alexander Kick College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Texas Woman’s University 
The Merrilee Alexander Kick College of Business is at an exciting stage, and we’re on a growth trajectory. Our mission is to educate, primarily women, to be leaders in business and healthcare and to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity. We attract a special type of student — one who is talented but may not have the means to be successful in the workplace. Our goal is to provide a holistic business education and produce top-notch graduates who can excel in all business fields.
Through the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, we’ll be able to offer extensive support, including entrepreneurship classes, mentoring from entrepreneurs-in-residence, and guidance through challenges like intellectual property, patenting, regulatory compliance, packaging, supply chain management, and marketing. This institute will be a game-changer for us, and it’s incredibly gratifying to know that we can provide such comprehensive support for student entrepreneurship and create more women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs.
Matthew Myers, Dean, Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University
We’ve focused on enhancing strategic partnerships across various industries beyond traditional sectors like oil and gas and real estate. Partnerships in healthcare, such as with McKesson, and in venture capital and private equity, have been crucial. We’ve shifted from having transactional relationships to strategic ones.
These partnerships have been instrumental in helping us with everything from curriculum development and student recruitment to advancing our research initiatives. Without these strategic alliances, many of the successes we’ve achieved would have taken much longer. The pace of business is accelerating, and we have to keep up with it. These partnerships have been a key component in our ability to do so.
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