North Texas Daily

Steven James / Senior Staff Writer

Warren Burggren is stepping down at the end of February as UNT provost and vice president for academic affairs after a three-year term to return to full-time teaching and research.

Burggren is a known physiologist, mostly working with different types of reptiles, amphibians and aquatic life. As provost, he was in charge of academic curricula, tasked with making sure professors had research and workshop space and reminding them to be mindful of students’ needs.

Burggren has worked at UNT since 1998. Before serving as provost, he was the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

“He is a nearly perfect example of a scholar and administrator,” UNT President Neal Smatresk said. “I thought he offered really great counsel.”

During his term as provost and vice president for academic affairs, Burggren faced challenges with budget cuts at UNT Libraries and the budget deficit last year.

“It’s hard to make the world a better place if your budget has been cut,” Smatresk said.

Smatresk said a nationwide search for Burggren’s replacement will begin March 1, and he plans to have the position filled by September.

“He feels that an educational opportunity for a student allows them to make choices that are going to affect the rest of their lives,” Vice Provost for Academic Resources Allen Clark said. “Those choices should be abundant, so that they have an opportunity to explore who they are, to explore educational opportunities and to ultimately come out with a degree that helped them to be a good citizen.”

Clark also said Burggren is trying to build more connections with Mexican universities so they can share their research and give students more opportunities to learn from each other.

“Dr. Burggren has given a lot of people new opportunities to learn,” Clark said. “He has said how he would like to go out of this life is right after he taught his last seminar to 100 students.”

History senior Clayton Cummings, who has been at UNT since 2013, said he felt as valued as any other student from university officials.

“I think the administrators do a good job in choosing material that is conducive and helps us in our long-term goals post-graduation,” Cummings said. “I think it’s up to the students to use resources.”

Burggren declined interview requests for this article.

Featured Image: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Warren Burggren. Photo courtesy UNT News