As the university celebrates its 130th birthday, UTA President Jennifer Cowley is already looking toward the next 30 years.
Cowley eyed Parker County in west Fort Worth, one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, and wondered where it will be by then. She realized that’s where UTA can be the seed to help the community blossom.
A new campus, UTA West, was announced in August 2024.
“UTA is more than a place, y’all. It is an idea — an idea that a great university can transform the lives of its students and the community it serves,” Cowley said.
Nine months later, community members, alumni, students and staff met at the intersection of Interstate 30 and 20 at the western gateway of Fort Worth in Parker County on April 3 to commemorate the official groundbreaking of UTA West.
“Parker County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country, and they don’t have a university here,” Cowley said. “If you think about the students that are growing up here, they don’t have access to a great university partner. As you look at how much this is going to grow, it’s going to be important that they have a hometown university.”
Over 300 people gathered to hear remarks from Cowley, John Hall, vice president for UTA administration and economic development, and Walsh Companies CEO Ryan Dickerson.
The 51-acre west campus purchased last August by the UT System Board of Regents will soon rest within the Walsh Ranch development in Parker County near Aledo, Texas. The expansion will serve educational and workforce needs in the region and will welcome undergraduate and graduate students fall 2028.
“Universities don’t just exist in communities, they exist for the community,” said Tamara Brown, Academic Affairs provost and senior vice president.
Brown said with the region’s rapid growth, the university must prepare graduates to meet the workforce needs of rising businesses and companies.
UTA and its alumni accounted for $28.8 billion in economic impact on Texas annually, according to the university’s fact sheet. It’s one of 21 universities in the U.S. to receive both Carnegie R-1 ranking as a top research university and Hispanic Serving Institution designations.
UTA West is expected to be an economic powerhouse for the area, with its first year projected to generate more than $200 million in economic impact, Hall said. The university also plans to serve over 10,000 students as part of its multi-year plan.
When complete, the project’s economic impact from campus operations and student spending is projected to generate almost $3 million in gross product and create more than 2,200 jobs in Texas.
Cowley said the next steps are designing the infrastructure and building and prioritizing which academic programs will be housed.
While the university is still discussing which programs UTA West will offer, Brown said it will include engineering, health care and business courses. As the university grows, more will be added based on surveys and community needs.
“We’re just as committed to continuous improvement in the Arlington campus as we are about building this new campus,” Cowley said.
UTA had over 41,000 students in fall 2024. That semester, the College of Nursing and Health Innovation had 11,923 students, the College of Engineering had 9,633 and the College of Business enrolled 6,529.
Former Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams said he believes North Texas is poised to become the higher education hub of the southwest.
“[Students] can come here and be assured of getting a great education,” Williams said. “This isn’t a startup, this is a very established university.”
Mr. UTA Florencio Gobellan and Ms. UTA Jennifer Sanchez were among those with shovels, picking them up and digging into the dirt to show support for the new campus.
With young family members at home, UTA West will now be a higher education option for them, Gobellan said. A university in Fort Worth gives more students easier access to a college education.
“UT Arlington is so well known for their resources. We have a great nursing school, a great school in social work, we’re a leading research university, and I just can’t wait to see the same thing here at UTA West,” he said.
Leonardo Gonzalez Sangri, global practice director of HKS Inc., said the project is a great opportunity to explore the future of higher education.
Gonzalez Sangri and his team of architects leading UTA West hope to create a place of innovation for students and faculty members, he said.
“We’ve had an incredible impact in Arlington for 130 years, but as we think about the growth of our region, it’s an opportunity to expand that great Maverick education right on this west side,” Cowley said.
@amandaLaldridge
