As our nation celebrates its 250th birthday, I find myself reflecting on the enduring role public universities have played in shaping America’s future. For generations, many of our country’s greatest advances in education, research, innovation and healthcare have been made possible through public institutions committed to expanding opportunity, solving society’s most pressing challenges and serving the public good.
As Texas’s third-largest public research university, UT San Antonio is proud to carry that mission forward every day. Through the dedication of our faculty, staff, students, researchers, clinicians and community partners, we are preparing the next generation of leaders, advancing discoveries that improve lives, strengthening the health of our communities and fueling economic growth across San Antonio, the state of Texas and beyond.
This milestone year also reminds us of the importance of working together to strengthen higher education for generations to come. This November, San Antonio will host the annual meeting of the American Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), one of the nation’s leading organizations representing public research universities and land-grant institutions. APLU member universities educate millions of students, conduct much of the nation’s university-based research, and work collectively to advance policies and partnerships that strengthen America’s educational, research and innovation enterprise. We are honored to welcome university leaders from across the country as they gather to explore how public higher education can continue to drive opportunity, discovery and prosperity for our nation over the next 250 years.
As we celebrate this historic milestone, I also want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who helps make our mission possible. To our students, alumni, patients, donors, community partners, elected leaders and friends, we thank you for your confidence in and support of UT San Antonio. Together, we are building a stronger university that serves our region, our state and our nation.
On behalf of all of us at UT San Antonio, thank you for being part of our ambitious journey. I wish you and your loved ones a safe, joyful and meaningful Independence Day as we celebrate 250 years of our nation’s history and look ahead to an even brighter future.
