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Contact UsUT Dallas Hosts Third Annual Economic Development Summit
November 19, 2021
From left: Dr. Calvin D. Jamison, vice president for Facilities & Economic Development; Chris Nielsen, executive vice president of Product Support and chief quality officer, Toyota Motor North America; Rich Templeton, president, chairman and CEO, Texas Instruments; and Dr. Richard C. Benson, president of UT Dallas and Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership.
The University of Texas at Dallas Office of Facilities & Economic Development welcomed industry and economic development leaders back to campus for its third annual Economic Development Summit November 10. Dr. Calvin Jamison, vice president for Facilities & Economic Development, hosted the in-person event.
The Summit’s main theme was economic recovery in North Texas since the height of the pandemic. Speakers representing multiple industries shared how their businesses have fared since COVID-19 caused a global recession. They also discussed how North Texas firms can collaborate with UT Dallas to support economic development in North Texas.
Dr. Richard C. Benson, president of UT Dallas and Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership, provided a “State of the University” address and discussed how campus has navigated the pandemic. Benson reported that Fall 2021 enrollment is back to pre-pandemic levels at 29,698 students — exceeding Fall 2019 enrollment. He said research spending in FY21 was slightly ahead of FY20.
From left: Chris Nielsen, EVP of Product Support and chief quality officer, Toyota Motor North America; Rich Templeton, president, chairman and CEO, Texas Instruments; Dr. Richard C. Benson, president of the University.
In a chat with Benson, Rich Templeton, president and CEO of Texas Instruments, and Chris Nielsen, executive vice president of Product Support and chief quality officer for Toyota Motor North America, discussed the state of their respective industries. Templeton shared how Texas Instruments has played a significant role in UT Dallas’ history, going back to its founding in 1969. Nielsen discussed how the North Texas region’s highly-skilled workforce was a driving factor in Toyota’s decision to move its North American headquarters to Plano.
From left: Bill Sproull, president and CEO, Tech Titans and the Richardson Chamber of Commerce; Pia Orrenius, vice president and senior economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas; Billy Glunz, director of Government Affairs, American Airlines; Dr. Inga Musselman, vice president for Academic Affairs and provost of UT Dallas, who moderated the discussion.
Dr. Inga Musselman, vice president for academic affairs and provost of UT Dallas, moderated a panel of industry and economic leaders about how the North Texas region has recovered since March 2020. The panelists were Billy Glunz, director for government affairs for American Airlines, Pia Orrenius, vice president for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, and Bill Sproull, president and CEO of Tech Titans and the Richardson Chamber of Commerce.
From left: Dr. Joe Pancrazio, vice president for Research; Dr. Stephanie Adams, dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.
The Summit offered guests a choice of two breakout sessions where they could meet with industry and economic development leaders on areas of shared interest. The first breakout session centered around how industry can partner with UT Dallas’ research initiatives and was led by Dr. Stephanie Adams, dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, and Dr. Joe Pancrazio, UT Dallas vice president for Research. The second breakout session focused on how the pandemic affected the commercial and residential real estate industries in North Texas and what those changes mean for the region going forward. It was led by Dr. Randy Guttery, UT Dallas clinical professor and director of the Herbert D. Weitzman Institute for Real Estate.
The Office of Facilities & Economic Development works closely with its Economic Development Advisory Committee, made up of local industry and economic development professionals, to enhance its role as an “economic engine for the region.” The annual Summit serves as a catalyst for regional collaboration and partnerships that benefit the region.