Robert Witt (American academic)

Robert E. Witt (born September 16, 1940)^[1] is chancellor of the University of Alabama System, as of March 5, 2012. His experience includes 9 years as president of the University of Alabama, 35 years in the University of Texas system, including 10 years as dean of the University of Texas at Austin business school and eight years as president of the University of Texas at Arlington.

Early life & career

Witt received his bachelor's degree in economics in 1962 from Bates College, his M.B.A. from Dartmouth College and his Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University. He is also a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.

Witt joined the business school faculty at the University of Texas at Austin in 1968, and rose through the ranks as chair and associate dean. He was named the Zale Corporation Centennial Professor in Business in 1983. Two years later he was named to the Mortimer Centennial Professorship in Business and that year became acting dean of business. In 1985, he was named dean, a position he would hold for nine years.

University of Texas at Arlington

In 1995, Witt joined the University of Texas at Arlington as interim president. He was named permanent president in 1996. His accomplishments at UT-Arlington included:

• Turning around an enrollment decline
• Partnering with the Chamber of Commerce to establish the Arlington Technology Incubator
• Creating a nanotechnology research and teaching facility
• Establishing the University's first alliance of African-American ministers and community leaders to assure the needs of minority students are addressed.

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