Dr. Robert H. Rutford Named President Emeritus of UT Dallas

AUSTIN – Dr. Robert H. Rutford, the former president of The University of Texas at Dallas, was named president emeritus of that institution on Wednesday (July 11) by The University of Texas System Board of Regents.

Rutford served as president of UT Dallas from 1982 to 1994. He held the endowed Excellence in Education Foundation professorship of geology in the Department of Geosciences until his retirement last spring. Rutford’s research interests have been in the area of glacial geology and geomorphology, primarily in Antarctica. Chief among the many honors bestowed upon Rutford over the years are a distinguished service award from the National Science Foundation and the Antarctic Service Medal.

He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geography and a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Minnesota. In 1993, the University of Minnesota Board of Regents honored Rutford with its Outstanding Achievement Award and the University of Minnesota “M” Club awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.

Under Rutford’s presidency, UT Dallas expanded to include a lower division of freshman and sophomore students and the first on-campus student housing was developed. In addition, Rutford provided direction and support for the founding of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Rutford, a renowned scientist and explorer in Antarctica, has been recognized with the naming of the Rutford Ice Stream and Mt. Rutford, both in Antarctica, in his honor. Additionally, Rutford Avenue on the UT Dallas campus bears his name in recognition of his accomplishments in developing UT Dallas as an outstanding center of excellence in teaching, research and service to the Metroplex and to the state of Texas.

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