UT Advocates Podcast: Powers Becomes AAU Chair

UT president Bill Powers has been elected chairman of the Association of American Universities, a prestigious group of more than 60 North American research universities. In this podcast, he discusses the challenges and opportunities of his term.

UT Advocates Podcast: Powers Becomes AAU Chair

Powers is the 28th President of The University of Texas at Austin and a former dean of UT Law.

Last October, Powers was elected vice-chair of the Association of American Universities, a consortium of 61 major public and private research universities across the country. He will chair the group until next October.

The nominating committee that recommended Powers is made of his fellow university presidents, a strong endorsement of his leadership at a flagship state university. The AAU was founded in 1900 as a partnership of leading colleges. You can read more about his selection here.

“Bill Powers is already a national spokesman for our great research universities, particularly our public flagship universities,” said AAU President Hunter Rawlings in a press release this morning. “He has been explaining to his state and the country the vital role these extraordinary institutions play in solving the nation’s most serious problems. As AAU chair, he will be a leading advocate for the nation’s investments in research and higher education, and in explaining the value of America’s research universities.”

In our interview, Powers outlines his goals for the AAU, and the future of higher education generally—and explains how colleges are like subway systems.

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