Welcome from the Dean

Greetings from the Graduate School, and welcome to The University of Texas at Austin!

You have joined a vibrant community of scholars surrounded by exceptional libraries, computer facilities, academic departments, programs, research units, centers and labs. But most importantly, you are now a member of an extraordinary group of people—our faculty, students and staff—who stand among the most productive in the nation.

As a graduate student, you will spend some of the most challenging and fulfilling years of your life immersed in a compelling academic environment, working alongside remarkable researchers to broaden knowledge, advance discoveries and make original and substantial contributions to your discipline.

I encourage you to put to use every resource the university has to offer. Take advantage of your time here. Work hard; enjoy yourself. Change the world!

Mark J. T. Smith, Ph.D.
Dean of the Graduate School
​Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

About Dean Smith

Mark Smith

About Dean Smith

Dr. Smith is widely recognized for his academic contributions and research in speech and image processing as well as object detection and recognition. He was also a member of the U.S. Olympic fencing teams in 1980 and 1984. He holds an undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s degree and doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology.