Mutyala named UT System Student Regent
Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Neel Mutyala, McGovern Medical School MD/MBE candidate, as a student regent to the University of Texas System for a term set to expire May 31, 2023.
“The UT System Board of Regents makes many impactful decisions that affect the education of students throughout the state of Texas,” Mutyala said. “As the student regent, I have the privilege of serving on this board to represent the voices of over 240,000 UT System students. Simply put, my role is to ensure students are always on the forefront of the mind when these decisions are made.”
In 2005, the 79th Texas Legislature authorized the governor to appoint a nonvoting student regent for each university or state university system. To aid the governor in his selections, the chancellor of each university system recommends students based on applications submitted by each president on behalf of the institution’s student government organization.
Mutyala previously served as student regent for the University of Houston System as a junior biomedical sciences major in 2017.
“My experience at the University of Houston System was instrumental because it allowed me to better understand the various perspectives of students, the challenges facing higher education, and the organizational structure of a university system,” Mutyala said. “Moving forward, these experiences will be invaluable and significantly reduce the learning curve as I work on the UT System Board of Regents, which oversees more institutions and is spread over a geographically larger area.”
While serving as the UT System student regent, Mutyala says he will prioritize the physical and mental well-being of student throughout his term. He also hopes to focus on academic and student support to increase educational value and reduce obstacles to student success.
While completing his clinical rotations, Mutyala saw the potential for technology to improve patient outcomes, leading him to join the MBE program at McGovern Medical School. Through the program, he is helping to develop a device to improve the outcomes of children with hydrocephalus, which monitors pressure in the brain and allows health providers to drain excess fluids.
“I am a really passionate believer in public education, both K-12 and higher education, and its ability to not only empower individual students, but also whole families and entire communities,” Mutyala said. “While higher education is not without its own challenges, it serves as an invaluable opportunity and benefits folks from all walks of life. I am honored to serve in this capacity and will do my best every day to benefit each of the 240,000+ students throughout the UT System.”