UT Regents Name Sole Finalists for System Chancellor, UT Austin President

The University of Texas System Board of Regents unanimously named John M. Zerwas as the sole finalist for the chancellor position and James E. Davis as the sole finalist for president of UT Austin. Zerwas, a former Texas Republican lawmaker and current interim chancellor, has extensive experience in higher education, healthcare, and policy, making him uniquely qualified for the role. Davis, appointed interim president in February and a UT alumnus, was selected via an alternative process without a national search, reflecting a recent trend in UT leadership appointments. A special committee of university stakeholders will review Davis before the board's final decision, per state law requiring a 21-day public feedback period before confirmation. These appointments occur amid heightened political scrutiny of higher education in Texas, with recent legislation limiting faculty influence and on-campus free speech. Regents expressed strong confidence in both finalists' leadership abilities to guide the UT System and its flagship institution forward.