SR66 - Recognizing February 11, 2025, as University of Houston Day.

          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 66          WHEREAS, Students, faculty, staff, alumni, administrators,   and members of the board of regents from the University of Houston   are visiting Austin on February 11, 2025, to participate in   University of Houston Day at the State Capitol; and            WHEREAS, The Tier One university is located in the nation's   fourth-largest city, and it serves students at instructional   sites in Sugar Land and Katy as well as at the UH Technology   Bridge; the institution is located within a region that is home   to a quarter of the state's population and that generates nearly   a third of the state's gross product; the student body, numbering   more than 46,600, including many first-generation college   students, mirrors the rich cultural tapestry of Houston; and            WHEREAS, Each year, the university awards over 11,000   degrees in 281 undergraduate and graduate academic programs; it   now counts more than 332,900 alumni, many of whom stay in Texas,   where they contribute to the success of our communities and   state; and            WHEREAS, In the 17th year under the leadership of president   Renu Khator, the University of Houston has set its sights on   being ranked among our country's top 50 public universities,   which will be achieved as a result of rapidly improving   graduation rates, the ability to improve the social mobility of   its students, and the recognition of the research excellence of   its faculty; and            WHEREAS, The Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of   Medicine, established after the passage of H.B. 826 during the   86th Texas Legislative Session, was founded on a social mission   to improve health in underserved communities in Houston and   across Texas; the college emphasizes the importance primary care   plays in the health of all Texans, especially in urban and rural   communities, and in four years, it has already graduated its   first class of doctors and has a current enrollment of 210   students; and            WHEREAS, The University of Houston is helping to improve   the health of Texans, with one in four UH students enrolled in a   health-related program; the university provides 450,000 hours of   patient care in clinical and community settings annually in a   variety of fields across Texas, and 85 percent of its graduates   in health-related fields are employed in Texas; and            WHEREAS, The university is home to 12 nationally funded   research centers and 27 university research centers and   institutes, and it has spent over $230 million in research   expenditures annually, mainly in the critical areas of cyber- and   national security, drug discovery and development, sustainable   communities and infrastructure, and accessible health care; and            WHEREAS, The University of Houston athletics competes in   17 different sports with more than 400 student-athletes; several   of the athletic teams have represented the university on the   national stage, including the Cougar men's basketball team led by   head coach Kelvin Sampson that has advanced to five NCAA Sweet   Sixteen tournaments in a row; following in the footsteps of the   previous year's team, the 2023-2024 team earned a No. 1 ranking   in the country, generating nationwide support and excitement   similar to the Phi Slama Jama era in the early 1980s; beginning in   the summer of 2023, Houston now competes in a Power 5 conference   after its acceptance to join the Big 12 Conference; and            WHEREAS, For nearly a century, the University of Houston   has contributed significantly to creating generation after   generation of productive and responsible citizens; now,   therefore, be it            RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th   Legislature, hereby recognize February 11, 2025, as University   of Houston Day at the State Capitol and extend to all   participants sincere best wishes for an informative and   enjoyable visit.     Miles     Alvarado Eckhardt Kolkhorst   Bettencourt Flores Middleton   Birdwell Hancock Parker   Cook Huffman West   Creighton Zaffirini     Patrick, President of the Senate             ________________________________          President of the Senate               I hereby certify that the     above Resolution was adopted by     the Senate on February 11, 2025.             ________________________________          Secretary of the Senate             ________________________________           Member, Texas Senate