2024 UT Austin Military Veteran Symposium

On Tuesday, February 27th, Institute staff attended UT Austin’s Military and Veteran Symposium – a collaborative event hosted by the Military and Veteran Stakeholder Council, welcoming the 25 university offices focused on supporting military- and veteran-connected individuals and families.  Included in the presentations were Institute Director Dr. Elisa Borah and Steve Hicks School of Social Work Dean Allan Cole. 

 Within a university as big as UT Austin, it can be easy to lose track of the numerous efforts and initiatives taking place on campus. The reality that work can often be done in siloes becomes problematic when we consider that many initiatives are working towards a similar mission, facing similar challenges, roadblocks, and successes.

 The Military and Veteran Stakeholder Council was developed to de-silo the work being done on campus to support the military and veteran community. Given Austin’s unique placement, centrally located between numerous military installations, UT and the broader Central Texas community are largely made up of individuals and families with strong military connections. It is essential that an esteemed university and cultural hub, such as UT Austin, has a concentration of initiatives focused on service members, veterans, and their loved ones.

The impact of these efforts was made evident when UT Austin was named the No. 1 school for veterans in Texas, in 2021 and 2023 by the U.S. News & World Report. We are honored to be sharing this space with so many incredible groups dedicated to this important work. Our hope is that UT continues to prove itself as a place where the military-connected community feels welcomed, supported, and celebrated.

The Military and Veteran Symposium was an incredible opportunity for these UT stakeholders to connect, share their great work, and continue their efforts to work together better to serve the military community on campus and beyond.

Some of the offices and initiatives represented at the symposium include the following: