DALLAS – Southern Methodist University has named a new president. Jay Hartzell, currently president of the University of Texas at Austin, will assume the title effective June 1 after a unanimous decision by the university's board of trustees.

After five academic years as the president of the University of Texas, Jay Hartzell is stepping down to become the next leader at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

University of Texas president Jay Hartzell announced Tuesday that he's leaving to helm Southern Methodist University in Dallas at the end of the semester. Why it matters: Hartzell, who became president in April 2020,