Jim Davis Named Sole Finalist for UT Austin President

The University of Texas Board of Regents has announced that Jim Davis, interim president, is the sole finalist for the position of permanent president of UT Austin, as revealed on Monday. Davis has been at the helm of the university since Jay Hartzell resigned to take on the presidency at Southern Methodist University.

This decision serves as a turning point for UT’s leadership during a period of substantial institutional transformation and expansion. Davis is a graduate of UT Austin and an alumnus of Harvard Law. He has taken on various positions within the university since 2018. He served as senior vice president and chief operating officer, as well as vice president for legal affairs and business strategies earlier in his career.

“I appreciate the confidence shown by Chairman Eltife and the Board of Regents and am privileged to be considered for the role of president of our university,” Davis stated.

The Board has designated Dr. John M. Zerwas as the exclusive finalist for the position of UT System chancellor.

“Jim Davis has collaborated intimately with the regents on some of the most transformative and intricate initiatives in UT Austin’s history,” stated UT System Chairman Kevin Eltife. “His grasp of the university’s challenges and opportunities is exceptional, and his skill in guiding them from concept to completion has been crucial to UT’s success.”

Davis's final appointment is subject to a 21-day waiting period mandated by Texas law. Chairman Eltife will appoint a special committee, in line with Regents Rule 20201, Section 1.9, consisting of UT faculty, staff, students, alumni, community members, and two UT presidents to assess Davis’s candidacy. The committee is tasked with offering feedback to the regents, although no regents will be part of the panel.

Before his tenure at UT Austin, Davis held the position of Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation in the Texas Attorney General’s Office. He was a longstanding partner at the law firm Locke Lord (now known as Troutman Pepper Locke), where he directed the regulatory and administrative litigation practice.

Davis has strong ties to Texas. He graduated from Austin High School and later served as a cryptographer in the U.S. Navy before pursuing his studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

If confirmed after the waiting period, Davis will officially assume the role of UT Austin’s next president—bringing continuity, legal expertise, and operational experience to one of the largest public universities in the nation.

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