University of Texas Permian Basin

Short description: Public university in Odessa, Texas, United States

This article is missing information about its history. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page. (July 2020)

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The University of Texas Permian Basin

Motto|

Disciplina Praesidium Civitatis (Latin)

Motto in English

| "The cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy"[1]
Type| Public university
Established| February 4, 1969; 57 years ago (February 4, 1969)[2]

Parent institution

| University of Texas System

Academic affiliation

* Space-grant

President| Sandra Woodley

Academic staff

| 166 Full-time and Part-time 140 (Fall 2023)[3]

Administrative staff

| 140
Students| 5,848 (Fall 2023)[4]
Undergraduates| 4,640 (Fall 2023)[5]
Postgraduates| 1,208 (Fall 2023)[6]
Location|

Odessa

Texas

United States

[ ⚑ ] : 31°53′24″N 102°19′43″W﻿ / ﻿31.88992°N 102.328687°W﻿ / 31.88992; -102.328687
Campus| Midsize City
Other campuses| Midland
|u}}rs| Falcon orange, white, black, and blue

Nickname| Falcons

Sporting affiliations

| NCAA Division II – Lone Star
Website| www.utpb.edu

The University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) is a public university in Odessa, Texas. It is part of the University of Texas System. UTPB was authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1969 and founded in 1973. UTPB is now home to over 7,000 students and 250 teaching faculty.[7]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Campus
* 2.1 Main campus
* 2.2 Midland campus
* 3 Academics
* 4 Athletics
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## History

University of Texas of the Permian Basin entrance sign

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin began in 1973[8] as a university that initially offered only junior, senior, and graduate level programs. Among those who pushed for the establishment of UTPB was the oil industrialist Bill Noël, who with his wife, Ellen Witwer Noël, became major philanthropists of the institution.[9] A rivalry with Odessa College (OC) got underway from the very beginning, when OC students taunted the UTPB students that they were too old to produce a streaker. A student finally agreed, and with only his head covered, streaked across the campus.[10]

In 1991 the university began accepting freshmen and sophomore applicants, and in 2000, the J. Conrad Dunagen Library and Lecture Center was completed, featuring a twenty-station multimedia lab and classroom.

During 2006, the university was holding discussions with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission about the construction of a new High-Temperature Teaching and Test Reactor which, if successful, would finish licensing and construction around 2012. It would also be the first university-based research reactor to be built in the US in roughly a decade, and one of the few HTGR type reactors in the world.[11] In late November in 2016 the city of Odessa granted site permission. That was the first step in official authorization.[12]

On April 17, 2008, the university broke ground on a new Science and Technology Complex. The new building houses chemistry, biology, physics, computer science, and information technology programs. The new 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m2) building contains 41 labs, 56 offices, six classrooms, and three sunken lecture halls. Despite warnings from a UTPB Geology professor, the contractor failed to identify an underground aquifer that could cause the building supports to sink. Construction was delayed while the contractor reinforced the building supports after drilling into the aquifer; however, the building opened in time for the Fall 2011 semester.[13] The building houses classrooms, multiple laboratories including two large demonstration labs, a 200-seat lecture hall, and a state-of-the-art Data Communications Teaching Lab for undergraduate and graduate students. The Computer Science Department maintains a computer science research lab and a computer networking research lab.

A state-of-the-art building known as the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center is now open in the Midland campus, off Hwy 191 and FM 1788. Construction began in 2009 and the center opened with a grand gala featuring Rod Stewart on November 1, 2011.[13]

In 2018, UTPB announced a new Kinesiology building at a cost of around 37 million dollars.[14] The following year, UTPB announced the opening of its 55 million dollar Engineering building.[15]

## Campus

### Main campus

Visual Arts Studios Stonehenge replica on the campus of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in Odessa

A Stonehenge replica was added adjacent to the Visual Arts Studio.[16]

Gym Complex Science and Technology Building

* Parker Ranch House
* Mesa Building
* J. Conrad Dunagan Library/Lecture Center
* Founder's Building
* Visual Arts Studio
* Gymnasium Complex
* Gym Annex Building
* Falcon's Nest(Housing)
* Falcon's Court(Housing)
* Industrial Technology Building
* Science and Technology Building
* Student Activity Center
* Thermal Energy Plant
* Physical Plant
* PETS

Other places of interest

* Ellen Noël Art Museum
* Presidential Archives and Leadership Library
* Fire Station (City of Odessa)
* U.T.P.B. Park (City of Odessa)

### Midland campus

* Center for Energy and Economic Diversification (CEED)
* Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center
* Performance Hall
* Rea-Greathouse Recital Hall

Future developments[17]

* Engineering Building
* Student Housing
* Academic Additions

## Academics

The university offers bachelor's degrees and master's degrees, through its five colleges and schools:[18]

* College of Arts and Sciences
* College of Business
* College of Engineering
* College of Education
* College of Nursing

## Athletics

The Texas–Permian Basin (UTPB) athletic teams are called the Falcons. The university is a member at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) since the 2016–17 academic year. The Falcons previously competed in the D-II Heartland Conference from 2006–07 to 2015–16; in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1998–99 to 2005–06; and as an NAIA Independent from 1995–96 to 1997–98. The teams' uniforms reflect the school colors of orange, white, and black.[19]

UTPB competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming & diving and tennis; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis and volleyball.[20]

## References

1. ↑ "Seal of the University". 23 May 2018. https://www.utsystem.edu/board-of-regents/history/seal-university. Seal of the University
2. ↑ "UT Permian Basin History". https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc277748/.
3. ↑ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Permian+Basin&s=all&id=229018
4. ↑ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Permian+Basin&s=all&id=229018
5. ↑ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Permian+Basin&s=all&id=229018
6. ↑ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Permian+Basin&s=all&id=229018
7. ↑ "Student Enrollment". https://www.utpb.edu/about/index.
8. ↑ "Happy 40th, UTPB!". http://www.oaoa.com/news/education/utpb/article_79f92054-11bd-11e3-ba7a-001a4bcf6878.html.
9. ↑ King, Grace; Meacham, Gem (June 15, 2010). "William Douglas Noël". The Handbook of Texas. Texas State Historical Association. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fno26. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
10. ↑ "The University of Texas of the Permian Basin". https://links.communityos.org/zf/profile/agency/id/30352.
11. ↑ "Backgrounder on New Nuclear Plant Designs". December 12, 2014. https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/new-nuc-plant-des-bg.html.
12. ↑ "Odessa City Council approves initial resolution for UTPB plan to bring nuclear reactor". https://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Odessa-City-Council-approves-initial-resolution-for-UTPB-plan-to-bring-nuclear-reactor-402555035.html.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Archived". https://www.utpb.edu/media/pdf/public-information
pdf/REVISED11-WNPA-8160-GalaPlaybillDesign.pdf. [|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
14. ↑ "University Breaks Ground on Human Performance Center - the University of Texas Permian Basin | UTPB". https://www.utpb.edu/news/2018/09/human-performance-groundbreak.
15. ↑ "UT Permian Basin Engineering Building Grand Opening Ceremony - the University of Texas Permian Basin | UTPB". https://www.utpb.edu/news/2019/10/engineering-building-grand-opening-ceremony.
16. ↑ "America Unhinged". RoadsideAmerica.com. http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/29025.
17. ↑ "UTPB master plan, renaming approved". http://www.oaoa.com/news/master-92408-plan-renaming.html.
18. ↑ "Academics - Schools". https://www.utpb.edu/academics.
19. ↑ "UTPB Athletics History". http://www.utpbfalcons.com/sports/2011/1/25/GEN_0125110551.aspx?.
20. ↑ "Athletics". http://www.utpbfalcons.com/index.aspx.

## External links

* Official athletics website

* v
* t
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white">The University of Texas System

Academic Institutions|

* Arlington
* Austin
* Dallas
* El Paso
* Permian Basin
* Rio Grande Valley
* San Antonio
* Tyler

Health Institutions|

* MD Anderson Cancer Center
* UT Medical Branch
* UT Southwestern Medical Center
* UTHealth
* UT Health San Antonio
* UTHSC Tyler

Former Institutions|

* Brownsville (merged into Rio Grande Valley)
* Pan American (merged into Rio Grande Valley)

Administrative buildings|

* O. Henry Hall (owned 1968-2015, leased until 2017)

* University of Texas System
* Category:University of Texas System
* Portal:Texas

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Texas state universities

University of Houston System|

* University of Houston
* UH–Clear Lake
* UH–Downtown
* UH–Victoria

University of North Texas System|

* University of North Texas
* UNT Dallas

University of Texas System|

* Arlington
* Austin
* Dallas
* El Paso
* Permian Basin
* Rio Grande Valley
* San Antonio
* Tyler

Texas A&M System|

* Prairie View A&M
* Tarleton State
* Texas A&M
* Texas A&M International
* Texas A&M–Central Texas
* Texas A&M–Commerce
* Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
* Texas A&M–Kingsville
* Texas A&M–San Antonio
* Texas A&M–Texarkana
* West Texas A&M

Texas State System|

* Lamar
* Sam Houston State
* Sul Ross State
* Texas State

Texas Tech System|

* Angelo State
* Texas Tech

Independents|

* Midwestern State
* Stephen F. Austin State
* Texas Southern
* Texas Woman's

See also: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

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