SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 66
WHEREAS, Students, faculty, staff, alumni, administrators,
and members of the board of regents from the University of Houston
are visiting Austin on February 11, 2025, to participate in
University of Houston Day at the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, The Tier One university is located in the nation's
fourth-largest city, and it serves students at instructional
sites in Sugar Land and Katy as well as at the UH Technology
Bridge; the institution is located within a region that is home
to a quarter of the state's population and that generates nearly
a third of the state's gross product; the student body, numbering
more than 46,600, including many first-generation college
students, mirrors the rich cultural tapestry of Houston; and
WHEREAS, Each year, the university awards over 11,000
degrees in 281 undergraduate and graduate academic programs; it
now counts more than 332,900 alumni, many of whom stay in Texas,
where they contribute to the success of our communities and
state; and
WHEREAS, In the 17th year under the leadership of president
Renu Khator, the University of Houston has set its sights on
being ranked among our country's top 50 public universities,
which will be achieved as a result of rapidly improving
graduation rates, the ability to improve the social mobility of
its students, and the recognition of the research excellence of
its faculty; and
WHEREAS, The Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of
Medicine, established after the passage of H.B. 826 during the
86th Texas Legislative Session, was founded on a social mission
to improve health in underserved communities in Houston and
across Texas; the college emphasizes the importance primary care
plays in the health of all Texans, especially in urban and rural
communities, and in four years, it has already graduated its
first class of doctors and has a current enrollment of 210
students; and
WHEREAS, The University of Houston is helping to improve
the health of Texans, with one in four UH students enrolled in a
health-related program; the university provides 450,000 hours of
patient care in clinical and community settings annually in a
variety of fields across Texas, and 85 percent of its graduates
in health-related fields are employed in Texas; and
WHEREAS, The university is home to 12 nationally funded
research centers and 27 university research centers and
institutes, and it has spent over $230 million in research
expenditures annually, mainly in the critical areas of cyber- and
national security, drug discovery and development, sustainable
communities and infrastructure, and accessible health care; and
WHEREAS, The University of Houston athletics competes in
17 different sports with more than 400 student-athletes; several
of the athletic teams have represented the university on the
national stage, including the Cougar men's basketball team led by
head coach Kelvin Sampson that has advanced to five NCAA Sweet
Sixteen tournaments in a row; following in the footsteps of the
previous year's team, the 2023-2024 team earned a No. 1 ranking
in the country, generating nationwide support and excitement
similar to the Phi Slama Jama era in the early 1980s; beginning in
the summer of 2023, Houston now competes in a Power 5 conference
after its acceptance to join the Big 12 Conference; and
WHEREAS, For nearly a century, the University of Houston
has contributed significantly to creating generation after
generation of productive and responsible citizens; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th
Legislature, hereby recognize February 11, 2025, as University
of Houston Day at the State Capitol and extend to all
participants sincere best wishes for an informative and
enjoyable visit.
Miles
Alvarado Eckhardt Kolkhorst Alvarado Eckhardt Kolkhorst
Alvarado Eckhardt Kolkhorst
Bettencourt Flores Middleton Bettencourt Flores Middleton
Bettencourt Flores Middleton
Birdwell Hancock Parker Birdwell Hancock Parker
Birdwell Hancock Parker
Cook Huffman West Cook Huffman West
Cook Huffman West
Creighton Zaffirini Creighton Zaffirini
Creighton Zaffirini
Patrick, President of the Senate
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 11, 2025.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate
Alvarado Eckhardt Kolkhorst
Bettencourt Flores Middleton
Birdwell Hancock Parker
Cook Huffman West
Creighton Zaffirini