Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Welcome to the new semester!

I hope you had a restful winter break. It is always joy when our campus comes alive at the start of the semester, and we are excited you're here!

One piece of advice I emphasize to every student is the importance of being connected. While you’re here at UNT, find at least one thing — a club, organization, or group — to join and participate in meaningfully. Your connections to other students with similar interests or backgrounds make your college experience much more enjoyable and will help you build personal networks that will be invaluable throughout your career and life.

I know finding time to engage with campus activities and organizations can be a challenge, especially when you’re balancing an outside job and other obligations. Still, I encourage you to make it a priority this semester.

An easy way to engage is by attending our amazing athletics events, including Women’s and Men’s basketball games. The Student Government Association is a wonderful organization that I work with closely to improve the UNT student experience. For sophomores and transfer students, we began our partnership with nationally recognized nonprofit Braven this semester to help equip our students with career-ready skills and connect them with professional mentors and coaches.

I also encourage you to get to know your faculty. We have world-class faculty at UNT who can help you succeed in your classes and advise you about potential research and professional opportunities. Three of our faculty were named as internationally prestigious Fulbright Scholars in December, and D CEO and Dallas Innovates awarded our Center for Information for Cyber Security the Innovation in Education Award. Participating in faculty research projects is a great way to make connections, get involved, and prepare for your career after graduation.

I hope you will dive into everything UNT has to offer this semester. I am so proud to lead our great university, and I’m grateful for our inspiring UNT students. We have an exciting semester ahead, and I’m so glad you’re part of our Mean Green Family.

Go Mean Green!

Harrison Keller, Ph.D.
President