The University of North Texas System confirmed that the next president of UNT Dallas will be Bob Mong, former editor of the The Dallas Morning News.
The UNT System Board announced Mong as the sole finalist for the position on Thursday. In May, Mong retired as editor of The Dallas Morning News. During his 36-year tenure at the newspaper, it won nine Pulitzer Prizes, the most prestigious award in journalism.
"I could not have imagined a more meaningful second career," Mong said in a media released from the UNT System. "An important part of the mission of the university to educate students in Southern Dallas County is very appealing to me, as is UNTD's abundant potential as a catalyst for economic growth in that region."
According to his biography, Mong has a long history of volunteer relationships with higher education, including UNT Denton, the University of Texas Arlington, Southern Methodist University, Austin College, UT Austin and Lousiana State University.
Some local community leaders praised Mong's new role.
"I applaud the naming of Bob Mong as president of the university," Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said in the UNT System media release. "He is not only an enormous talent and innovative thinker, but he is a strong advocate for both education and the revitalization of our southern Dallas neighborhoods. I look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role."
"Bob Mong has a very different but very successful background," commented State Representative Helen Giddings in the UNT System media release. "There is now an opportunity to draw on his communications experience and community relationships to broaden our ties off campus and make the city more aware of UNTD and its extraordinary potential."
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Additionally, the Board promoted the current UNT Dallas president Dr. Ronald T. Brown to associate vice chancellor for academic affairs in the UNT System administration. Dr. Brown will overlook the system's new health-related education programs, including a new partnership with Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.
