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Matthew Watkins began serving as editor in chief of the Tribune in September 2024. Matthew is a Texas native, born in Houston and raised in Austin. He attended public schools and graduated from Texas A&M University. He’s spent nearly two decades in Texas journalism, and previously worked at The Eagle in Bryan-College Station and The Dallas Morning News. Matthew joined the Tribune in 2015 has held various roles, including higher education reporter, breaking news editor and politics editor. As a managing editor, Matthew has guided the Tribune’s award-winning journalism and other reporting of statewide significance, including coverage of elections and legislative sessions to major breaking news and ambitious storytelling about the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Texas-Mexico border, the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, the impeachment of Texas attorney general and battles over public education. He lives in Austin with his wife, Susan, and their two children.
When Bill Powers’ second-in-command was appointed to replace him as president of UT-Austin this year, it would have been reasonable to expect continuity in the school's upper ranks. But that's not the situation Greg Fenves inherited. Full Story
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A bill designed to protect western Hays County residents' water wells received a surprising, last-minute reprieve Thursday night — after a procedural error killed the legislation the day before. Full Story
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With the death of all legislation specifically aiming to re-regulate tuition costs at Texas' public universities, proponents of the idea see few avenues for implementing the idea this year. Full Story
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At the last minute, the House voted to scrap changes to the Hazlewood program that would have made many children of veterans ineligible for free tuition. The bill will still need to be reconciled with the Senate's more restrictive version. Full Story
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The state's 50 community college systems are one of the few areas targeted for cuts in state funding over the next two years. As a final budget is hashed out in the Legislature, school leaders are hoping to reverse their fiscal fortune. Full Story
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Senators on Tuesday approved House Bill 100, which would authorize $3 billion in debt to pay for construction projects on university campuses. Full Story
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As lawmakers are working to rein in the cost of the Hazlewood program, some veterans are wondering how they'll pay for kids' tuition that they once thought would be free. Full Story
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Even after an attorney general's ruling in his favor, Regent Wallace Hall was told that he can't see confidential student information related to admissions. Full Story
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A panel of former chancellors and university presidents defended the University of Texas at Austin president’s role in admissions Thursday, but warned that students’ connections shouldn’t be a factor in whether they are admitted. Full Story
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In his first year, Shaka Smart will earn $2.8 million. That salary will increase by $100,000 each year until the terms of his contract run out in 2022. The final year, in which he'd be paid $3.4 million, is not guaranteed. Full Story
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