A Decade of Impact

In 2016, Texas State University earned the prestigious R2 designation from the Carnegie Foundation, recognizing it as a “Doctoral University: Higher Research Activity.” This achievement reflected the university’s growing research excellence and its focus on addressing real-world challenges through innovation and collaboration. As a leading institution in the Texas Innovation Corridor, Texas State continues to advance toward its goal of achieving R1 status by 2027.

The Translational Health Research Initiative (THRI) at Texas State University began in 2016 to facilitate innovative health research and sponsor programs that crossed department and disciplinary boundaries. THRI’s original “Big Idea” led it to be elevated to a university-level research center in 2020, becoming the Translational Health Research Center (THRC). In its inaugural year, THRC was awarded two grants that helped launch its programs and activities. In 2021, another successful funding proposal helped expand THRC’s core mission to include a Community Health and Economic Resilience Research (CHERR) Center of Excellence.

In 2016, Texas State completed the expansion of STAR One at STAR Park, adding new laboratories, office space, and a conference center to support growing research and innovation efforts. Located in the Texas Innovation Corridor, STAR Park serves as a hub for collaboration between the university and private industry. The STAR One incubator program supports both university research “spin-offs” and external company “spin-ins,” providing space and resources to accelerate the development and commercialization of new technologies. By bringing together university researchers and industry partners, the expansion strengthened Texas State’s role in fostering entrepreneurship, applied research, and regional economic growth.

Willow Hall was dedicated as the new home of the St. David’s School of Nursing and additional health profession programs at Texas State’s Round Rock Campus. The facility enabled the relocation of the Communication Disorders, Physical Therapy, and Respiratory Care departments—along with their research labs and clinics—from San Marcos to Round Rock. This move continued the university’s strategic transition of the College of Health Professions to the Round Rock Campus and strengthened efforts to address Texas’ ongoing healthcare workforce needs, including the state’s nursing shortage. 

In 2008, Bruce and Gloria Ingram donated $5 million to establish the Ingram School of Engineering at Texas State. Their gift eventually led to the opening of Ingram Hall in 2018, a 166,000-square-foot facility spanning five floors. One of the largest construction projects in Texas State’s history, the building created expanded space for programs including electrical, industrial, and manufacturing engineering, as well as biology, computer science, mathematics, and physics. Ingram Hall also introduced a campus-accessible makerspace equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, mills, and other advanced tools, giving students hands-on resources for innovation and collaboration while supporting the next generation of engineers and scientists. 

Bobcat CARES is Texas State’s emergency relief program created to support students facing financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In spring 2020, as the university shifted all classes online and canceled in-person activities for the first time in its history, faculty redesigned lectures, seminars, and labs for remote learning using virtual conferencing, calls, and chat tools.

Through Bobcat CARES, Texas State provided $78 million in relief to roughly 38,837 students, helping them stay on track academically and financially during this unprecedented time. 

Alkek One is a hub of technology-focused spaces located on the first floor of the Alkek Library at Texas State University. The spaces feature a variety of technology that support the maker culture, immersive reality, time-based media, geographic information systems and digital design. At the core of Alkek One is a social learning network, which fosters the connection between the physical spaces, the community of experts in these technologies, and the foundational concepts and skills that enable students to innovate using the technologies and tools available.

Texas State University students, faculty, and staff rallied during the historic February 2021 winter storm, overcoming rolling power outages, water and food shortages, and dangerous conditions to support one another. Dining services provided more than 9,000 meals, Transportation Services deployed Bobcat Shuttle buses as warming stations and delivered water, and Housing and Residential Life staff responded to emergency repairs for students in campus housing. University Police, Utilities Operations, Freeman Center staff, and IT teams worked around the clock—often sleeping on-site or braving icy roads—to keep people safe, animals cared for, critical infrastructure running, and technology services restored.

The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) serves as a nexus that brings together people, resources, and entrepreneurial training opportunities to support the entire university community, including students, faculty, staff, and community partners. The CIE builds the essential skills and provides the resources students need to start their own businesses, launch new ideas into the world, and develop a core entrepreneurial mindset.

Today, the center is part of the McCoy College of Business and has several signature programs, including the Bobcat Innovation Challenge, Ignite 3.0 Pitch Competition, Bobcat Bazzar, and more.

Texas State University publicly launched the NEXT IS NOW capital campaign as the largest fundraising effort in university history, with a goal of $250 million. The campaign focused on four priorities: student support, teaching and research, athletics, and facilities for the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses.

In 2024, Texas State successfully concluded the campaign, raising more than $275 million and surpassing its $250 million goal. More than 53,000 donors made over 150,000 gifts, increasing the university’s endowment by 75% to nearly $393 million. In total, the campaign provided over $166 million for student scholarships and expanded TXST’s scholarship and fellowship offerings to 1,050, directly impacting current and future Bobcats.

Dr. Denise M. Trauth retired from Texas State University in 2022 after two decades of transformative leadership as president. During her tenure, Texas State became a Hispanic-Serving Institution, expanded to two campuses with significant enrollment growth and new doctoral programs, and saw substantial enhancements to its campus facilities and student support services. She also oversaw the launch of the university’s first major comprehensive fundraising campaign and guided the institution’s transition to the FBS subdivision of NCAA Division I athletics.

Dr. Kelly Damphousse became the 10th president of Texas State University in 2022, bringing a student-centered, highly accessible leadership style shaped by his own experience as a first-generation college graduate. During his tenure, Texas State has experienced record enrollment growth, significant academic expansion, and increased research activity, while advancing student success and support. He has also prioritized strengthening campus community and visibility, engaging closely with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners across Texas to elevate TXST’s profile and impact.

Live Oak Hall, completed in fall 2022, is Texas State’s new state-of-the-art facility for film, television, and media production. The 10,291-square-foot building serves approximately 600 students and faculty in the College of Fine Arts and Communication, providing a film sound stage, TV studio, recording mix classroom, editing lab, Foley room, and offices. The hall was built in response to the growing film program and gives Journalism and Mass Communication students their own dedicated television studio with a news set and multipurpose set for sports and other features. Live Oak Hall enhances hands-on learning and prepares students for careers in media and entertainment. 

Run to R1 is Texas State University’s comprehensive initiative to achieve the prestigious R1 Carnegie classification by 2027, signaling the highest level of research activity. The initiative ultimately increases the value of a Texas State degree and amplifies the university’s impact on Texas and beyond through cutting-edge research and innovation.

This initiative is supported most directly by its growing portfolio of research-focused doctoral programs in science, engineering, health, business, and other high-demand fields. These include new and planned PhD and professional doctorate programs that increase the number of doctoral students, strengthen research output, and boost the annual number of doctoral degrees awarded, one of the key benchmarks for achieving R1 status. 

In 2023, Texas State football capped a historic season with the program’s first-ever bowl appearance and victory, a 45–21 win over Rice in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. The Bobcats jumped out early on offense and never looked back, with multiple explosive scoring drives and a stifling defensive performance that forced several turnovers. The win marked a major milestone for Texas State’s FBS era, energized the Bobcat community and alumni base, and showcased the program’s growing momentum on a national stage.

The Hilltop Housing Project, completed in August 2024, introduced two new seven-story student residence halls—Alamito and Cibolo Halls—replacing the aging Hornsby and Burleson Halls. The project added 1,006 beds across 241,000 GSF, providing modern, spacious accommodations to meet the growing demand for on-campus housing. These new residence halls enhance student life by offering updated amenities and increased capacity for the university’s expanding student population. The project also features a prominent Bobcat art installation atop the entrance, symbolizing school pride and enhancing the campus skyline. 

Bats to Cats is a guaranteed transfer program launched by Texas State University and Austin Community College that creates a clear, seamless, and affordable pathway for ACC “Riverbats” to become Texas State “Bobcats,” with aligned degree pathways, proactive advising, automatic transcript sharing, and scholarships that can save students thousands of dollars in tuition and fees. It is designed to boost the number of students who successfully transfer and complete a bachelor’s degree by ensuring their credits apply directly to their chosen major and by building a sense of belonging at TXST even before they move campuses. 

Building on this model, Texas State has since expanded its community college partnerships with similar transfer pathways and agreements with other two-year institutions across the region, further strengthening access to a four-year degree for community college students.

Texas State University and University Federal Credit Union (UFCU) entered a landmark 15-year, $23 million multitiered partnership that includes naming rights to Texas State’s football venue, now called UFCU Stadium. The agreement is the largest football stadium naming-rights corporate sponsorship in the Sun Belt Conference and among the largest in Texas, and also designates UFCU as the official credit union of Texas State. 

Beyond athletics, the partnership will bring a full-service UFCU branch to the LBJ Student Center, expand financial services and education for students, faculty, and staff, and further support scholarships, internships, and athletics. The announcement builds on more than a decade of collaboration and comes as Texas State football enjoys record attendance, its first bowl victory, and major ongoing facility upgrades at UFCU Stadium.

Texas State University established its first international campus in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico, through a partnership with Elisia Education Hub, with the first class beginning in fall 2025. The campus offered U.S. and Mexico-accredited degrees taught in English, with initial programs in engineering, psychology, biochemistry, and mass communication under discussion at the time. Elisia managed operations while TXST oversaw curricula, under a 10-year agreement projected to generate up to $10 million to support student success and research initiatives on the San Marcos Campus.

In 2026, Texas State University will become a foundational member of the Pac-12 Conference, marking a historic milestone for the university’s athletic and academic profile. Joining the league elevates national visibility, strengthens recruitment, enhances student-athlete experiences, and expands alumni engagement. With 16 NCAA Division I FBS sports, the Bobcats enter the Pac-12 after years of competitive success, including multiple Sun Belt championships, back-to-back bowl wins, and record-breaking football attendance. Strategic investments in athletic facilities and programs, along with strong academic performance, position Texas State to compete, contribute, and excel on a national stage while advancing the university’s broader goal of achieving R1 Carnegie classification by 2027.