COV E R STO RY OUR NEW PRESIDENT
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FORWARD marking the beginning of a new era at utsa ,
taylor eighmy shares his vision for the university as he takes the mantle as its newest president
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t’s been just days since Taylor Eighmy received the official vote to be UTSA’s sixth president when he and wife Peggy Eighmy make their first visit to campus. He’s made the trip ahead of his official start date to meet with his university leadership team as well as to make himself accessible to faculty and the student leadership. When the couple make time midweek for his first official university photo shoot, it becomes clear that
Taylor Eighmy’s focus was greater than becoming merely a university president as a career
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But Eighmy (which is pronounced like “Amy” if you’re still unsure) isn’t just checking in on the status of celebrations and parties. He knows these forthcoming observations will bring opportunities to highlight—and cement even more significantly—one of the driving forces behind UTSA’s success: its close ties with the people, businesses, and leaders of San Antonio. “Great cities are synonymous with great universities, and the future of public research universities is really centered around the urban-serving learning and discovery
BY MICHAEL EL KI N S EDWA R DS 18
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Despite the task at hand of producing a set of presidential photos, this is still an opportunity for Eighmy to exchange ideas. He checks in on plans for the university’s role in the upcoming SA300—months of celebrations that will launch in January to mark the tercentenary of San Antonio’s founding. And that inquiry leads naturally to one about the preparations for observance of UTSA’s 50th anniversary in 2019. The cursory details that he receives elicit clear approval, which he gives via a nod and a high five.
SOURCE IMAGE BY MARK McCLENDON / UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
move; he was ready to be this university’s president.
