UNT president Harrison Keller, Ph.D., shares strategies for student success, increased research and innovation at investiture ceremony.

Steeped in tradition and academic symbolism, the investiture of Harrison Keller, Ph.D., as the 17^th president of the University of North Texas Nov. 13 brought nearly 1,000 community members to the Murchison Performing Arts Center to mark the beginning of a new era in the university’s 134-year history.

The ceremony, which was hosted by the UNT System Board of Regents and UNT System Chancellor Michael R. Williams, also saw numerous state and local elected officials, higher education leaders and North Texas business partners. An investiture typically takes place during the leader’s first year and serves to formally “invest” them in the official position.

President Keller also presented his inaugural State of the University address, outlining his plan to move UNT toward its dynamic future under his leadership. Watch a replay of the investiture.

“We are more than a billion dollar a year university and a Carnegie R1 institution, which means we are counted among the nation’s 146 leading research universities and one of only about a hundred public universities organized to advance knowledge, creativity, and innovation at scale,” President Keller said. “This is who we are, the largest university in the region leading the way for the most dynamic state economy in the strongest national economy in the world.

“We are tens of thousands of first-generation college students blazing trails to opportunities for themselves and their families. We are an army of Texas educators, innovators, scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and creative problem solvers.”

Paving the Way

A sixth-generation Texan, President Keller previously served in several leadership roles at UT Austin and as Commissioner of Higher Education and chief executive officer for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, providing statewide leadership and coordination of higher education budget and policy and led the development of the state’s current strategic plan for higher education, Building a Talent Strong Texas. Read President Keller’s bio.

“When we first talked with Dr. Keller about stepping into the UNT presidency, I knew we had found just the right person,” said Laura Wright (’82, ’82 M.S.), UNT System Board of Regents chair. She presented Dr. Keller with the official UNT Mace and officially invested him with the power and authority of the presidency.

“He shares a deep caring for students and is committed to helping them succeed by challenging them and expecting them to soar to greater heights than they ever thought possible. He holds the officers of the institution, and the faculty and staff, to those same high standards because he sees how truly impactful UNT can be — shaping a stronger community, economy, and future for Texas and our nation.”

During the ceremony, President Keller was presented with several symbols of the university, including the mace and the president’s official regalia, which features a satin-lined green-and-white hood, a traditional black-velvet, six-pointed tam, and black chevrons on the sleeves – the president is the only one to be honored with four chevrons. The chain of office features a replica medallion of the official UNT seal and is worn by the president on academic and ceremonial occasions.

The investiture ceremony commenced with a processional by UNT faculty and staff senate and student leaders, academic leadership and President’s Cabinet members. Garbed in official regalia, they filed onto the stage amid the world premiere of Corridor Fanfare, a rousing musical composition by UNT College of Music alumnus Rob Halpner (’22) that was commissioned in honor of President Keller for the event. Inspired by the words and music of UNT’s century-old alma mater, Glory to the Green and White, the fanfare is “symbolic of where UNT is right now, taking past roots and traditions and allowing them to shine in new ways through this new era for the university,” Halpner said.

Designing UNT’s Future

Since joining UNT in August 2024, President Keller has focused his attention on the key areas of student success, research and innovation, and strategic budgeting.

“From our first contact with students, through their time enrolled with us, and into their early careers, we should equip all UNT students with the knowledge, skills, experiences, and credentials they need to take their talents as far as they want to take them, to lead healthy and productive lives of meaning and purpose, to unlock their potential to build a better future,” he said, adding that this year, about 20 percent of incoming UNT students did not meet the state’s basic criteria for college readiness.

“If we’re truly committed to our core values, we can’t accept this outcome, and we can’t lower the bar. Instead, we have to reimagine how we provide our students with high support to meet high standards.”

As part of its efforts, UNT is working with other like-minded universities and developing new partnerships as well as mapping a new analytics strategy to ensure all available data is used to serve students and drive improvement. “We must consider not only how to streamline their pathways to graduation but also what kinds of courses, mentoring, internships, and short-term credentials expand their professional opportunities and boost the value of their UNT degrees.”

The accelerating pace of change in technology and innovation dissemination, coupled with a rapidly expanding workforce, are driving economic, cultural, scientific, and political changes across North Texas and the state. UNT is innovating the future of logistics in the region and beyond. Over the next three years, initial distributions of about $60 million from the Texas University Fund will support researchers and innovators studying cancer, semiconductors, space and aerospace technologies, and establish a new interdisciplinary institute for data science and artificial intelligence.

“These strategic investments will allow us to draw down more sponsored research funding,” President Keller said. “More importantly, they allow us to make even greater contributions as a public R1 university working for the public good.”

Earlier this year, an initiative was launched to develop a strategic budgeting process that will help align UNT’s priorities with its resources. Changes outlined will be implemented beginning in January and will continue as part of an iterative, UNT community-wide effort.

Creating a Bright Future

Chancellor Williams called President Keller “a transformational and accomplished leader who will define an innovative path for how UNT will serve the North Texas region and the great state of Texas now and in the coming years. Our future is bright, and by working together with endless curiosity and passion, we will together make a tremendous difference for the students, their families, and the communities we serve.”

Also in attendance was Texas House Representative Richard Hayes, who called the investiture ceremony “an important event in the history of UNT” and expressed confidence in Keller’s leadership as the university begins a new chapter. “It’s obvious with his vision that UNT is going to continue to grow, and not just a little bit — a lot,” Hayes said. “We just have to help provide the infrastructure and make that possible because he’s right, don’t be a university that excludes people, let’s be a university that includes people.”

Denton Mayor Gerard Hudspeth (’20) said he looks forward to working with President Keller on the continued growth of the university’s strong partnership with the city. “From a mayor’s perspective, it’s really important that we have things that we can get done,” Hudspeth said. “For his speech to lay out a plan that we can get started on right away is encouraging to me.”

UNT System Regent Cathy Bryce (’91 Ph.D.) said she is excited to have President Keller at the university’s helm. “Today marks the formal recognition and the depth and breadth of what it means to be the president of a major university like the University of North Texas,” Bryce said. “I thought his speech was just fabulous — spot on for his vision and mission.”

Establishing Priorities

As UNT’s formally invested university authority, President Keller said he is committed to providing the transformative, higher education every UNT student deserves. He outlined principles that will guide the university’s plans, decisions, and investments, which include embracing its public responsibilities to understand and address the needs of the region, state, and nation, and creating educational experiences and programs to equip students in leading productive, purposeful lives. Read about the five Guiding Principles he outlined.

The UNT community will serve as a platform for community members to unlock their potential and transcend traditional academic boundaries to accelerate the pace of innovation, he said. Priority will focus on building partnerships and collaborations with schools, colleges, universities, employers, and governments to improve lives throughout North Texas and beyond. 

“We lead with our values, we take insights and inspiration from what’s already been accomplished, and we improvise and innovate toward a better future,” he said. “We’re strong, we’re scrappy, and we’re just getting started!

"There's no place I'd rather be than UNT."