Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/735225
t m c » p u l s e | o c t o b e r 2 0 1 6 10 Q | So what did you learn from all the feedback? A | People were frustrated. People said they were stuck, that the university was stuck. So we came back and said, 'We need to elevate this university. How are we going to do it?' Tier One is the pur- suit of excellence. We looked at various benchmarks and said, 'We're going to hit this, and this, and keep on moving forward.' What I thought might take five to seven years—that's what I promised my board—took three. It took three years to make the first Tier One list. Q | And you also hired some distinguished faculty, right? A | I knew we needed to hire more members of the National Academy of Sciences, whose scientists are elected in recognition of their distinguished achievements in original research. I decided I would not sell them the University of Houston; I would sell them Houston. Look at the Texas Medical Center, look at Rice, Baylor College of Medicine. Look at NASA. There are incredible assets here. We needed to sell them the package and MenningerClinic.com | Named a National Best Hospital in Psychiatry 27 Consecutive Years When someone in your family needs help to regain mental health, our specialists are ready to assist with: One-stop comprehensive psychiatric assessments for ages 6 and older with physician-led specialists Individual, family and couples therapy Medication management Addiction counseling Find the best outpatient mental health partners at Menninger Consultations for ADHD, suitable education or vocational setting, autism spectrum disorder and more Scheduling appointments within 2 weeks. Call today. 713-275-5779 Affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine Menninger OPS ad for TMC Pulse updated 9-13-16.indd 1 9/14/2016 1:14:16 PM the opportunity to be successful and work with great scientists. In our first six months we recruited our first one, and now we have recruited, of course, many. Q | Can you share your vision for the future of the University of Houston? A | Our vision is to build a nationally competitive institution, academically and athletically. Academically, we've made huge strides. Our core mission is to make sure our college completion rate beats state and national averages. We also have incredible opportuni- ties in the city for doing synergistic, collaborative research in health, the arts, sustainability, and more. We're looking to build an athletically compet- itive program, which means we need a nationally competitive stage to show our athletes' talents. I want them to be on national television in front of a national audience as often as possible. And we're also looking at the medical school. There are many communities in Houston that have difficulty getting access to health care. Our primary ques- tion is: What can we do to fill that gap? We have a College of Pharmacy, a College of Optometry, a School of Nursing. We have social work, psy- chology. Now, what can we do with these assets and 10,000 undergraduate students in this area? Renu Khator, Ph.D., was interviewed by William F. McKeon, executive vice president and chief strategy and operating officer of the Texas Medical Center. N O TA B L E U N I V E R S I T Y O F H O U S T O N A L U M N I Mary Kay Ash Cosmetics entrepreneur Tom DeLay Politician Tom Landry Dallas Cowboys coach Carl Lewis Athlete Hakeem Olajuwon Athlete Jim Parsons Actor Dennis Quaid Actor Alice Sebold Author Elizabeth Warren Politician Lil' Wayne Musician