The University of Texas (UT) System has named Jim Davis as the interim president of UT-Austin, effective immediately.
Before his selection as interim president, Davis was UT-Austin’s chief operating officer (COO) since 2023. He has been with the institution since 2018, originally hired as vice president of legal affairs. President Jay Hartzell later promoted him to senior vice president and COO in 2023.
Davis was the deputy attorney general for civil litigation for the Texas Attorney General prior to joining the university. He was in that role for nearly four years. Davis has a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in History from UT-Austin.
Davis will succeed Hartzell, who planned to leave at the end of the academic year.
Hartzell announced his resignation last month as part of his plans to transition to president of Southern Methodist University. With Davis’ appointment approved by the UT System Board, Hartzell’s tenure as president of UT-Austin has come to a close earlier than expected.
