UT Tyler Recognized by Coordinating Board for Innovative COVID-19 Response

November 1, 2021

UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

UT Tyler Recognized by Coordinating Board for Innovative COVID-19 Response

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November 1, 2021

Media Contact: Beverley Golden
Senior Director of Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.566.7303

The University of Texas at Tyler is one of 10 institutions of higher education to receive 2021 Star Award in honor of its innovative approach to education during a pandemic.

“During COVID-19, UT Tyler implemented several strategies to ensure the health and safety of students, patients, faculty and staff as well as ensure student success,” said Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, FACP, UT Tyler president. “We are honored that the Coordinating Board has chosen to recognize those efforts, and I applaud our campus community for working together to make the best of the situation we have been facing.”

The university merged with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler in January 2021, which enhanced collaboration of faculty and staff to meet the needs of students and patients and assist community-based organizations.

The university worked with local organizations such as the Northeast Texas Public Health District (NET Health) to provide additional expertise and manpower for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.

“We had a sense of duty to support these organizations,” Calhoun added. “Our role is to serve students, patients and the community.”

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Star Awards were established in 2001. They recognize exceptional contributions toward achieving one or more of the goals of the state strategic plan for higher education.

With a mission to improve educational and healthcare outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs to 10,000 students. Through its alignment with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with innovative medical research, medical education and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler strives to fulfill our primary missions of education, research and service.