Lovitt To Retire As Senior Vice President, Business Affairs, After Nearly 19 Years at UTD

RICHARDSON, Texas (Sept. 10, 2004) – Robert L. Lovitt will retire as Senior Vice President for Business Affairs at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), effective May 31, 2005.

Robert L. Lovitt

Lovitt, 59, has been at UTD for nearly 19 years. He joined the university in October 1985 as Vice President for Business Affairs. Prior to that, Lovitt held various financial positions at the University of Houston, Texas Commerce Bank in Houston and the University of Nebraska.

In making the announcement this morning, UTD President Dr. Franklyn Jenifer said that as the university’s chief financial officer, Lovitt had “ played a major role in UTD’s evolution from a small, high-quality-but-little-known, local university to a large comprehensive research institution of higher learning with more than 14,000 students and an emerging national reputation in several academic disciplines.

“During that time, he has touched every facet of the university’s progress and has been a faithful guardian of the taxpayers’ money. In sum, Bob has helped keep our costs low and our quality high. Believe me, that is an extremely delicate balance. As a result, UTD has been named one of the best buys in public higher education three years in a row,” Jenifer said.

Lovitt serves on the President’s cabinet, UTD’s policy-setting board, and has provided “invaluable insight and counsel” in that capacity, Jenifer said.

Lovitt said his decision to retire was “indeed difficult to make after spending 19 enjoyable and productive years here at this university,” and he expressed his appreciation to both President Jenifer and former UTD President Robert Rutford for the “outstanding support” they had given him.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t also thank the staff in the Business Affairs area for the contributions they have made – collectively and as individuals — in helping the university become what it is today,” Lovitt said. “I’m proud to have played a part in the growth of an institution that has become competitive on a national basis and certainly will continue to grow. I will miss being part of the team.”

About UTD

The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls more than 14,000 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit its web site at www.utdallas.edu.