2017 CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARDEE

Steven W. Leslie (BS 1969, MS 1972, PhD 1974)

Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
The University of Texas System

“As I reflect on my years spent on the Purdue campus, I have a deep sense of pride and respect for the superb quality of education I received. My education and experiences at Purdue created strong foundations and a deep personal commitment to pursue excellence in education and research. My education at Purdue prepared me for professional accomplishments I never imagined possible. I consider my time as a student to be one of the most significant privileges of my life, and this Career Achievement Award from my alma mater is a distinction of recognition that I will always cherish.”

Career Highlights

  • Receiving the Purdue College of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1994
  • Dean of the College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, 1998-2007
  • Executive Vice President and Provost, The University of Texas at Austin, 1998-2007
  • Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, UT System, May 2015-Present
  • NIH Merit Award recipient with more than 25 years of continuous research funding

Steve Leslie is Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at The University of Texas (UT) System Administration and holder of the James E. Bauerle Centennial Professorship in Drug Dynamics, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin. Before joining UT System in 2015, Steve served as Executive Vice President and Provost for six years and previously served as Dean of the College of Pharmacy for nine years at The University of Texas at Austin.

Steve’s research is focused on molecular mechanisms of brain development and the effects of fetal alcohol exposure on the developing brain. He received continuous Research and Teaching Grant funding from National Institutes of Health (NIH) for over 25 years. His professional recognition includes several notable distinctions including NIH’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Research Scientist Development Award and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences MERIT award. In 2007, UT Austin’s College of Pharmacy Alumni Association awarded him with the Legend of Pharmacy Award. That same year, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Research Society on Alcoholism. In 2001, The Texas Pharmacy Foundation presented him with the Individual Educational Excellence Award, and in 1994, the Purdue College of Pharmacy acknowledged his many accomplishments by awarding him the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Steve earned his BS in Pharmacy and his MS and PhD in Pharmacology/Toxicology, all from Purdue University. He joined the faculty of the College of Pharmacy at The University of Texas at Austin in 1974.