Ex-Student President to be UT System Regent
By: Office of Media Relations | May 14, 2008
The former leader of the UT Dallas Student Government has accepted an appointment from Gov. Rick Perry’s office to serve as student regent for the University of Texas System.
Benjamin Dower will serve in the non-voting advisory post for a year, starting at the end of May.
The economics senior, who completed his term as Student Government president last month, was previously elected chair of The University of Texas System Student Advisory Council.
He also holds a senior seat on the UT Dallas Student Government for the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences.
“I am extremely honored to be the first undergraduate to be selected for this position,” Dower said. “I hope to bring that perspective with me as I launch myself into the role.”
H. Scott Caven Jr., chairman of The University of Texas System Board of Regents, congratulated Dower on his appointment.
“On behalf of the Board of Regents, I want to congratulate Ben Dower on his appointment to the University of Texas System Board of Regents,” Caven said. “The Board considers the student regent position to be tremendously helpful in our work and deliberations. Ben is an outstanding choice, and we look forward to serving with him.”
Dower said he has touched base with the student he will replace, a medical student at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Medicine.
“The current Student Regent, Matt Camarillo, already congratulated me and has graciously offered to let me pick his brain for knowledge he has obtained throughout his term,” Dower said. “You can bet that I am going to take him up on that offer.”
In all, Perry appointed 10 student regents to one-year terms for their respective university systems and one student representative to serve on the Higher Education Coordinating Board.
In 2005, Gov. Perry signed legislation directing each public university board of regents to include one non-voting student member. A student representative also serves on the Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Dower is also a member of the American Student Government Association.
Media contact: Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, newscenter@utdallas.edu
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Media Contact:
Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, 972-883-2155, newscenter@utdallas.edu, or the Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, newscenter@utdallas.edu.
