Southern Methodist University has selected UT Austin President Jay Hartzell to be its next leader. KERA’s Bill Zeeble reports he replaces Gerald Turner, who's leaving SMU after 30 years.
When Hartzell’s presidency becomes official June 1st, outgoing president Gerald Turner will transition to SMU President Emeritus. He’ll report to Hartzell and continue fundraising efforts on behalf of the private university.
Under Turner’s tenure, SMU says, total student enrollment and that of under-represented students grew more than 30%, the school's endowment quadrupled to more than $2 billion, and nearly 50 new buildings sprang up across the expanding campus.
Turner announced his plans to step down in August. He is SMU's longest-serving president. I'm Bill Zeeble in Dallas.
