Then Board of Regents Chairman Don Evans congratulates Dr. Faulkner on his selection as the 27th president of The University of Texas at Austin. He officially took office in April 1998.

The burden of being president at The University of Texas at Austin means having to answer the tough questions. Here, Dr. Faulkner responds to reporters at a news conference attended by then Chancellor William H. Cunningham (left) and former Regents Chairman Don Evans.

During his tenure, Dr. Faulkner reorganized and modernized the university administration.

Dr. Faulkner visited annually with top academic seniors in Texas high schools to encourage them to apply for Longhorn Opportunity Scholarships (LOS). Under the LOS program, which began in 1999, economic conditions and community participation levels are used to identify high schools most in need of university assistance.

The university hosted the Fortune 500 CEO conference in 2000, which attracted an international array of leaders. Here, Dr. Faulkner and Texas Gov. Rick Perry listen to the perspective of Mexico President Vicente Fox.

In 2003 the university acquired the Watergate papers of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward (left) and Carl Bernstein for $5 million. In conjunction with this acquisition, Woodward and Bernstein established an endowment to enhance the study of these papers, which are housed in the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center.

Dr. Faulkner shares a light moment with former President Bill Clinton, who delivered the Liz Carpenter Lecture on campus in 2003.

Lesley Stahl, correspondent for the CBS News magazine show “60 Minutes,” interviews Dr. Faulkner in October 2004 for a story on the Top 10 Percent Automatic Admissions Law, which the Texas legislature passed eight years ago. The Top 10 Percent Law guarantees that Texas high school graduates who rank in the top 10 percent of their senior class be admitted to any state institution of higher learning.

Dr. Faulkner’s leadership was critical as the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art embarked upon the most important stage in its 40-year history: an $83.5 million fund-raising initiative to enable construction of a landmark new facility to enhance the art collections, research and programming that make the museum a cultural gateway between the university and the city of Austin. The new building is scheduled to open in 2006. Faulkner, here with philanthropist Jack S. Blanton, also played a key role in the museum’s acquisition of the Suida-Manning Collection of Renaissance and Baroque Art. The collection dramatically boosted the facility’s reputation. After seeing reproductions of the artwork, Faulkner told museum Director Jessie Otto Hite that buying the collection was the single most important thing the university could do for the visual arts in its capital campaign. Upon securing the renowned Suida-Manning Collection, Jonathan Bober, senior curator of the Blanton Museum, said, “There are a number of heroes here, but without Faulkner, this was a wild-eyed dream. He immediately understood the importance of this collection to the entire university.”

Dr. Faulkner’s achievements include charging, supporting and following up the Commission of 125, including a start on curricular reform. Here, Faulkner officially receives the Commission’s final report from Chairman Kenneth M. Jastrow II. The Commission of 125, a group of alumni and citizens, convened to express a vision of how the university can best serve Texas and society during the next 25 years.

The Commission of 125 deliberated for nearly two years, hearing from education and political leaders from across the state, including U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, shown here with Dr. Faulkner and Kenneth M. Jastrow II, Commission chairman and chief executive officer of Temple-Inland. In its final report, the Commission recommended one imperative: “The University of Texas must create a disciplined culture of excellence that will enable it to realize its constitutional mandate.” The Commission recommended two strategic initiatives — to develop a new undergraduate core curriculum and to establish a more demanding standard for leadership of academic departments and research centers.

Representing UT Austin’s interests before the Legislature is one of a university president’s chief duties. During a period of tight budgets in Texas and challenging demographic changes, Dr. Faulkner has worked closely with lawmakers to build support for higher education. Here he is flanked by Kevin Hegarty (left), vice president and chief financial officer for the university, and Tom Craddick, speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.

Chairman and CEO of Dell Computer Corporation Michael Dell, who attended the university in the 1980s, gave the Commencement address in 2003. An advocate for technology, Dr. Faulkner, shown here next to Dell, has provided leadership at the state and national levels on advanced computer networking for support of research and education.

To promote inclusiveness on campus, Dr. Faulkner appointed a Task Force on Racial Respect and Fairness and conducted open forums to create dialogue on diversity issues. To further that effort, the university recently hired a vice provost for inclusion and cross-cultural effectiveness.

On Sept. 24, 1999, Dr. Faulkner joined a community march from the Tower to the LBJ Library in celebration of the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. statue, which was unveiled on the East Mall.

The president greets the late John A. Jackson, who — along with his late wife, Katherine — gave the university contributions totaling $272 million, including an estate gift of $232 million. Jackson was one of the most generous benefactors ever to a public university. The gift helped the university surpass the goals of the “We’re Texas” fund-raising campaign, the largest and most successful ever for a university without a medical school. The $1.63 billion raised represented 520,000 contributions from 130,000 individuals, 7,300 corporations and 600 foundations.

As president, Dr. Faulkner introduced new programs and initiatives to promote participation in university life by all segments of the Texas population, including Explore UT — “the biggest open house in Texas.” When the program debuted in 1999, it was the first campus-wide open house at The University of Texas at Austin since 1983, when the university celebrated its centennial.

Dr. Faulkner cuts the ribbon marking the reopening of the observation deck of the Tower in 1999, in observance of the university’s 116th birthday. The observation deck had been closed for 25 years.

Photo by Ralph Barrera, Austin American-Statesman.

Dr. Faulkner, 60, has been president of the univeristy since April 1998. The job comes with little down time. When he’s not giving one of his more than 400 speeches annually as head of the university, Faulkner works the phones on the university’s behalf.

Taking part in university traditions such as Mooov-In, in which administrators, faculty, staff and student leadership volunteer each year to help incoming students unload and carry their bags, boxes and belongings into campus residence halls, helped Dr. Faulkner connect with students.