The University of Texas at San Antonio and UT Health San Antonio completed their merger on Monday, creating a single institution now called UT San Antonio. According to KSAT, the university becomes the state’s third-largest public research institution, with 40,000 students, 17,000 employees, and $486 million in annual research expenditures.
UT San Antonio, led by President Taylor Eighmy since 2017, now spans six campuses with more than 320 undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates, including a new journalism program. The university also includes the UT San Antonio Health Science Center, the only academic health center in South Texas, which offers over 200 medical and dental specialties and handles more than 2.5 million patient visits each year. The consolidation is projected to contribute $7 billion annually to the economy. Eighmy said, “We are launching a brand-new university to do all of this amazing innovation, education, and really focusing on making lives better here in our community, South Texas, the nation and the world,” as reported by Texas Public Radio.
UT System Board of Regents chairman Kevin Eltife said, "I cannot overstate the significance of what this new UT San Antonio will mean to Texas and the nation," as mentioned by KSAT. The merger will bring together academics, healthcare, research, clinical care, and the arts, while UT San Antonio student-athletes will continue competing in the American Conference with Rowdy the Roadrunner as mascot. Francisco G. Cigarroa, MD, senior executive vice president for health affairs, said, "Synergies of expertise that come together allow us to innovate. That’s going to be available now to students, to faculty, to scientists, to graduate students across the spectrum of this new university," as per Texas Public Radio.
