Chancellor, University of Texas

Mark G. Yudof was appointed Chancellor of The University of Texas System by the Board of Regents on June 21, 2002. As chancellor, Yudof is the chief administrative officer of one of the nation's largest higher education systems, including nine academic and six health institutions, an enrollment of more than 160,000 students and an annual operating budget of $7.02 billion.

Yudof came to the chancellor's office from the University of Minnesota, where he had served as president since July 1997. Previously, he was a faculty member and administrator at U.T. Austin for 26 years, serving as dean of the School of Law from 1984 to 1994 and as the university's executive vice president and provost from 1994 to 1997.

During his tenure at the University of Minnesota, Yudof traveled extensively throughout the state gathering input from citizens.  He launched initiatives to improve undergraduate education, emphasize research in digital technology, agriculture, and genetics, and to renovate buildings and beautify the four campuses.  He also co-sponsored the first-ever Golden Gopher Pancake Cook-off to generate funds for scholarships.

Yudof is an authority on constitutional law, freedom of expression and education law. He has written and edited books on free speech and gender discrimination, and most recently completed his fourth edition of his co-authored book, Educational Policy and the Law.

Yudof earned his LL.B. degree (cum laude) in 1968 from the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned a B.A. degree (cum laude with honors in political science) in 1965. In 1999, he received the University of Pennsylvania Law Alumni Award of Merit.

Yudof and his wife, Judy, have two children, Seth and Samara. Judy is international president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. She is the first woman to serve in that capacity in the organization's 89-year history. In 1993, Mark and Judy Yudof were co-recipients of the Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award.