UT Tyler Names Interim Senior Vice President for Research 

TYLER (July 18, 2023) – The University of Texas at Tyler named Dr. Kouider Mokhtari the interim senior vice president for research and dean of the graduate school. He replaces Dr. Steven  Idell, who will retire Aug. 31. 

Mokhtari, who holds the UT Tyler Anderson-Vukelja-Wright Endowed Professorship, has served as  the university’s associate vice president for research and associate dean of the graduate school  since 2021. He previously was the UT Tyler associate provost for research and scholarship.  

In this role, Mokhtari oversees about $36 million in current research expenditures. The university has launched a national search for a permanent replacement. 

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT  Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 10,000 students.  Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has  unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent  patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World  Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.