University of North Texas President Neal J. Smatresk announced that he will step down after 10 years of service on Aug. 1. He announced his resignation on social media and in an email sent to students, staff and employees just before noon on Tuesday.
Smatresk, 72, will focus on teaching and mentoring students, the university said in a release. Neither UNT officials nor Smatresk has said where or in what capacity he will teach and mentor.
Most notably, Smatresk will leave the university after leading it to become the third largest in Texas, and leading the university to becoming one of the largest Carnegie Tier 1 research institutions in the country.
"Serving you as president has been the highlight of my career," Smatresk said in an email to the UNT community. "When I first took on this role, I knew we had the potential to achieve great things, and because of your dedication, passion, and hard work, we have flourished in ways that are nothing short of remarkable."
Smatresk has led the university through several milestones. During his tenure, UNT earned the oft-mentioned Tier 1 research status. But Smatresk also led the university to two important distinctions: the Department of Education's naming of UNT as a minority-serving and Hispanic-serving institution. During Smatresk's leadership, the university narrowed the graduation gap for minority students from 7% to 2.2%.
Smatresk's tenure has also seen record-breaking enrollment growth, from 36,000 students to 47,000 in the fall of 2023. During his the last 10 years, roughly 85,000 graduates have entered the workforce. He's steered the university through the opening of a new Frisco campus, overseen the hiring of competitive STEM faculty in engineering, environmental sciences and a host of technology concentrations.
“I am proud of the many notable accomplishments President Smatresk has made over the past decade on behalf of UNT," said Dr. Michael Williams, UNT Systems Chancellor. "He has created a strong foundation and legacy that will empower UNT to achieve great success in the years to come. We are thankful for his leadership and unwavering commitment to UNT and our North Texas community."
University presidents face pressure to bring funding into their programs, and Smatresk saw UNT reach $86 million in research funding during the 2023 fiscal year. That marked the highest ever amount of research funding, which has come from national agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
Smatresk also saw UNT secure the creation and approval of Texas voters for the Texas University Fund, which will help accelerate research innovation, keep top talent in Texas and propel UNT further into national prominence.