Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – AUGUST 24, 2015 – Dr. William R. Fannin, president ad interim of The University of Texas at Brownsville, has been leading UTB during its final year and helped facilitate the legacy institution’s transition to The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
An open house for the campus community to bid farewell to Fannin and his wife, Valerie, is scheduled from 2-4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, in the Office of the President, in the Bio Medical Sciences Building on the Brownsville campus.
At his last official function, Fannin spoke to faculty and staff and gave ceremonial “keys to the campus” to Guy Bailey, founding president of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, symbolically handing over the reins of the Brownsville Campus to the man who will lead UTRGV into the future.
“I have known Bill since 1998 when we were both provosts together at UT institutions, and it’s always been a pleasure to work with him,” Bailey said. “I can’t tell you what a great job Bill has done for the university and for UT System, and we all should be proud and honored to know him.”
A former provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin in Odessa, Fannin said he felt at home coming to another University of Texas System institution, and that he and his wife knew they would enjoy their year in the Rio Grande Valley.
Asked to serve as ad interim president for UTB by former UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa, M.D., Fannin began his year in August 2014. He replaced Dr. Juliet V. García, UTB president, who stepped down on Aug. 31 to become executive director of the Americas Institute.
“Dr. Fannin’s leadership during this time of transition has been remarkable,” said Dr. Javier Martinez, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, ad interim. “He has been an active champion for the students, staff and faculty of this campus. On a personal note, I found him to be a true gentleman and a man deeply committed to university life. It has been one of the highlights of my professional experience to have worked for him.”
SOME OF THE YEAR’S HIGHLIGHTS
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Under a white tent on a partly cloudy day, Fannin joined other dignitaries for the ceremonial groundbreaking for the SpaceX Commercial Launch Facility at Boca Chica Beach on Monday, Sept. 22, 2014.
[if !supportLists]· [endif]Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014, was a red-letter day for the UTB College of Education, when faculty and public school educators gathered to celebrate at the official announcement of the College of Education’s accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Fannin announced the welcome news that the Colleges of Education at UTB and The University of Texas Pan American would meld their programs and that The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley would be NCATE accredited.
[if !supportLists]· [endif]On Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014, Fannin joined Dr. Lily F. Tercero, president of Texas Southmost College, and UTRGV President Guy Bailey to sign a memorandum of understanding between TSC, UTB and UTRGV. Each president signed the MOU, which will provide TSC students with an academic roadmap toward completion of a bachelor’s degree at UTRGV.
Fannin presided over two Commencement ceremonies during his tenure as ad interim president.
At the Legacy Commencement – the ceremony that marked the last time students would graduate from UTB – on Saturday, May 9, 2015, Fannin spoke of the past year as having been an “extraordinary” year for higher education in the Valley.
“Valerie and I are so grateful to have been welcomed with open arms and hearts by the UT Brownsville community over the past year, and to have served alongside genuinely caring professionals dedicated to creating opportunities for students and a brighter future for the region,” he said. “It has been an honor to serve in this capacity. We wish all success to UTRGV and our many friends here in the Valley.
