The Libraries welcome the arrival of new Senior Vice Provost and Director Robert H. McDonald this semester, marking the beginning of a new era for one of the university’s most vital academic resources.
McDonald, who brings decades of leadership experience in academic libraries and digital scholarship from institutions including the University of Colorado Boulder and Indiana University Bloomington, arrived at the Forty Acres eager to connect with the campus community and immerse himself in Longhorn traditions.
McDonald has launched his tenure with a full slate of onboarding activities – meeting administrative staff, touring library facilities, and connecting with colleagues across campus.
The Libraries’ participation in Longhorn Welcome activities provided the new senior vice provost with an early opportunity to experience university traditions firsthand. Two of UT’s notable kickoff events, Moov-In and Gone To Texas, occurred moments after McDonald christened his term, offering the newcomer a glimpse into burnt orange culture.
At a co-sponsored graduate student social reception in the Perry-Castañeda Library’s Scholars Lab just before the beginning of classes, McDonald had the opportunity to interact with new students from a range of disciplines, including data science, ethnic studies, social work, and mathematics. He also made the rounds at Libraries-hosted Welcome Week events such as the Game Night, Zine Fest, and Bibliogarden – where he checked out his first book from the UT collections: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall.
In addition to meeting students and other members of the university community, McDonald ventured to several of the Libraries’ specialized facilities, including the Collections Preservation and Research Center, the Fine Arts Library, the Architecture and Planning Library and Alexander Architectural Archives, the Benson Latin American Collection, and the Collections Deposit Library. The visits, he noted, helped him deepen his understanding of the Libraries’ system and the breadth of its collections.
McDonald has continued establishing ties with other campus leaders, meeting with Libraries’ stakeholders and UT leadership around the Forty Acres, with plans to continue outreach with deans, faculty, and administrative partners to advance shared priorities.
Fresh from hosting his first all-staff meeting, where he had the opportunity to meet with staff in a more informal setting and hear more about work and activity around the Libraries, McDonald also attended his first UT football game – a rite of passage he shared with visiting colleague Michael Meth, Dean of the University Library at San José State University, who was in town to support the Spartans in what was a losing bid against the favored Longhorns.
As he continues to settle into his new role, McDonald has emphasized continuity and collaboration. His early weeks attest to a leader eager not only to understand the Libraries’ legacy but also to shape its future at the heart of the university’s teaching and research mission.
