The University of Texas at Arlington has a new leader, two weeks after Jennifer Cowley announced she would step down as president and return to the faculty.
Archie Holmes, the UT System’s executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, began serving Sept. 15 as UTA’s acting president. Holmes will retain his UT System position while leading the Arlington university, and Cowley will serve as his special adviser during the transition.
UT System Chancellor John Zerwas and regents will begin looking for UTA’s next permanent president. No search timeline has been announced.
Holmes inherits the UT System’s second-largest institution, with nearly 43,000 students. UTA is classified as a top-tier research university and is building a campus in west Fort Worth. The transition also follows a year of tighter finances.
Here’s what to know about Holmes, the transition and what Cowley leaves behind.
A system insider takes charge
Holmes has led UT System academic affairs since October 2020, overseeing nine academic institutions with more than 260,0000 students and a combined annual budget exceeding $10.9 billion.
Zerwas emphasized Holmes’ familiarity with UTA in his email announcing the appointment.
“Dr. Holmes has provided tremendous support to UTA over the years and has worked extensively with President Cowley,” he wrote.
Before joining the UT System, Holmes was vice provost for academic affairs at the University of Virginia, overseeing academic planning, enrollment management and program review. Holmes earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from UT Austin and a doctorate in the same field from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Holmes was quoted on the UC Santa Barbara website as saying that university administration depends heavily on “relationships, influence and building consensus.”
In another interview, Holmes said he moved into administration because he wanted to help make education “affordable, accessible and transformational for all” students.
Student success and research already underway
Student success and research — two areas Zerwas highlighted in announcing Holmes’ appointment — are priorities already underway at UTA.
In her final State of the University address Sept. 10, Cowley said the fall 2026 first-year class grew 4% and overall enrollment increased 2%. The freshman-to-sophomore retention rate for first-generation students rose 7 percentage points over two years. More than half of UTA students are the first in their families to attend college.
“Y’all, I hope we never lose sight of what a privilege it is to help shape the lives of our 43,000 students,” Cowley said. “Every one of them arrived with a different story. They come to us ready to blaze their path, and we are here to help them build their future.”
UTA launched RISE 100, a $60 million initiative to hire 100 tenure-system faculty and expand the university’s research capacity. Cowley set a goal of increasing the university’s annual research spendings from $155 million to $300 million by 2030.
The number of federally awarded research grants increased by 19% during the previous year, Cowley said, adding that UTA should use its research to expand economic opportunity, protect critical infrastructure, advance innovation and improve Texans’ lives.
“Becoming an R1 university was just the beginning of a greater responsibility,” she said.
Holmes enters UTA with his own experience in workforce preparation and research.
Holmes taught at UT Austin and the University of Virginia before joining the UT System. His research focuses on optoelectronic devices, including semiconductor lasers, and has received support from multiple federal agencies. He has co-authored more than 110 peer-reviewed technical publications.
At the UT System, Holmes has promoted microcredentials that allow students to earn industry-recognized qualifications alongside their academic degrees. During a 2024 workforce summit at UTA, Holmes cited research showing that history majors who earned a data analytics certificate received higher starting salaries.
“We do see evidence that having these credentials makes a difference in that initial job placement,” Holmes said.
A campus under construction
Construction is reshaping UTA’s main campus and extending its reach westward.
The Life Sciences Building, which Cowley described as the largest construction project in UTA history, is scheduled for completion in 2027 and budgeted at $180 million. Demolition is underway at the University Center, expected to reopen in 2029.
UTA has also broken ground on the first building at UTA West, a new campus near the Fort Worth-Parker County line. The campus is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and is eventually expected to serve more than 10,000 students.
“It’s about more than a new campus. It is a statement about who we are and where we’re going,” Cowley said. “It reflects our belief that opportunities should expand as the region grows, that higher education should meet students where they are and that life-changing experience of a UTA education should be within the reach of more Texans.”
What Cowley leaves behind
Cowley, an Arlington native, served as president for four and a half years.
During her tenure, UTA opened the School of Social Work and Smart Hospital building, the 654-bed Maverick Hall and the Fraternity and Sorority Life Community Center. In his email, Zerwas credited Cowley with improving student outcomes, strengthening research, developing UTA West and opening Maverick Hall.
“UTA is very well positioned for its best days ahead,” Zerwas wrote in an email.
Cowley will remain at UTA as a professor of public affairs and planning. She plans to return to teaching, research and service and has also agreed to serve as a special adviser to Holmes.
“The accomplishments we celebrate today are not the destination — they are milestones on a much longer journey,” Cowley said.
Financial pressures remain
UTA also faced financial pressures during Cowley’s final year.
The university offered employee buyouts, instituted hiring restrictions and cut or consolidated academic programs. More than 200 employees accepted buyouts.
Cowley pointed to declining international enrollment, uncertainty around federal funding and limits on tuition increases as financial challenges. UTA expects net tuition revenue to decline in fiscal 2027 even as its overall budget grows.
During her final State of the University address, Cowley said the past year was one of challenges and many triumphs, then credited UTA’s employees for the progress she highlighted.
“Behind every research breakthrough, every graduating student, every community partnership, and every new building are members of our faculty and staff whose dedication made it possible,” she said.
Dang Le is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at dang.le@fortworthreport.org.
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