TRANSCRIPT:

UT System Chancellor Milliken discussed the challenges and opportunities in leading a statewide university system, his experience at several major public institutions and how the UT System is helping meet the needs and generate opportunity for Texas’s growing and diversifying population.

Chancellor Milliken joined University of California System President Michael V. Drake and Texas Tribune founder Evan Smith to discuss the state of public higher education and what it takes to serve the nation’s two most populous states during the 2022 TribFest.

When it comes to today’s workforce challenges, employers do not have years to wait for the next generation of workers and workers want to advance their careers now. That is why UT institutions are committed to working with employers on tailored microcredential solutions for workforce supply, development, and diversity issues. In support of this effort, UT System hosted the first-ever employer engagement forum in April 2022. The event included a roundtable discussion with Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan; Texas Instruments Chairman, President and CEO Rich Templeton; and AT&T President Southeast States Sonia Pérez, moderated by Chancellor Milliken.

Today we celebrate the legacy of one of our nation’s most influential leaders. In doing so, we should consider the ways, large and small, we can build upon the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  As a pastor and a civil rights advocate, Dr. King’s life continues to inspire people across the United States and around the world. He led by example, standing alongside the oppressed, and personally championing the policies and practices that provide opportunities to all. Through his faithful commitment to social improvement, human dignity, and nonviolence, he has secured a historic place in the hearts of Americans for the more than 50 years since his assassination. But his memory is not relegated to history --- it is a living gift to all of us.