After five academic years as the president of the University of Texas, Jay Hartzell is stepping down to become the next leader at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
“I am honored to serve as the next president of an exceptional institution like SMU in one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing cities in the nation, and excited to see how I can make the greatest impact as a leader,” Hartzell said in a statement provided by SMU. “SMU’s stellar – and rising – national reputation, decades of extraordinary internal and external leadership, strong board of trustees, accomplished alumni, and impressively strong and diverse students and faculty made this an opportunity that Kara and I could not pass up. I look forward to building upon the University’s remarkable momentum and leading SMU into its next era.”
SMU's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to hire Hartzell. He'll succeed R. Gerald Turner, who announced in August that he would retire after 30 years on the job on May 31, 2025.
“With Dr. Hartzell taking the reins, I am confident that SMU will continue building on a generation of remarkable success,” Turner said. “Gail and I are excited to support Jay and Kara to continue SMU’s prominence and impact at the national level.”
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Hartzell will begin his tenure at SMU on June 1, after the current academic year ends.
In a letter to the UT community, Hartzell said he was taking his own advice and was stretching out of his comfort zone by accepting the offer from SMU. He added that he was grateful for the opportunity to lead the university and was proud of the team effort that led to many highlights over the last five academic years.
UT said they wished him the best on his new role at SMU and appreciated his service in Austin.
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"We congratulate UT Austin President Jay Hartzell on being named the new president of Southern Methodist University. We greatly appreciate his service as UT Austin’s president since 2020 and on its faculty since 2001. His last day on the Forty Acres will be May 31. UT Austin is one of the world’s outstanding universities, with an exceptional faculty, staff, and leadership team in place to position it for even greater influence in the years ahead. We have worked closely with UT Austin during Jay Hartzell’s five years as president, and we will continue to do so in the months ahead to ensure a smooth transition. We wish President Hartzell our very best on his new leadership role in Dallas, and we thank him for his many contributions to UT over the past 24 years."
SMU said that before becoming president of UT Austin, he served as the 12th dean of the McCombs School of Business, one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious business schools. By the end of his tenure, all 13 of McCombs’ undergraduate business specialties ranked in the top 10 nationally. As dean of McCombs, he launched the Goff Real Estate Labs, elevated the Canfield Business Honors program and opened Rowling Hall, the home of UT’s MBA program. He also created significant partnerships with other colleges and schools across the UT campus, including the Dell Medical School, the College of Fine Arts, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Natural Sciences and the Moody College of Communication.
Hartzell holds a B.S. in business administration and economics from Trinity University and a Ph.D. in finance from UT Austin. He is married to Kara Hartzell, a licensed clinical social worker with a private practice in Austin, and they have two adult children. His formal installation as SMU’s 11th president is tentatively scheduled for next fall.
