AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas System announced Jim Davis will be the UT Austin interim president effective immediately.

The university’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Jim Davis, also previously served as UT’s vice president for legal affairs and business strategies.

“Jim Davis has consistently executed very effective and high-impact strategies to propel UT Austin’s rise. His depth of knowledge in optimizing how the university operates to best serve its students is critical at this time in higher education, and we appreciate his willingness to serve in this role,” said chairman Kevin P. Eltife.

Eltife highlighted the importance of UT Austin addressing large-scale problems—infrastructure, deferred maintenance and operational/financial efficiency—to bolster the university’s future and increase funding for faculty and students.

“Among his many strengths, Davis is uniquely qualified to lead these efforts. He is the right person at the right time,” Eltife said.

This appointment brought an end to Jay Hartzell’s presidency at UT-Austin a few months ahead of schedule.

Back in January, Jay Hartzell announced his decision to leave UT Austin to be the president at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Hartzell is expected to take over at SMU on June 1.

Hartzell joined the McCombs School of Business faculty at UT in 2001. He became UT’s interim president in April 2020. In September 2020, he became UT’s 30th president.