RICHARDSON, Texas - Dr. Kurt Beron, UT Dallas' first Faculty Athletics Representative, is set to retire after 40 years of service at the University.

Beron was a professor in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences and worked on projects spanning economics, education, sports, sociology, and psychology with a focus on cross-disciplinary applications of quantitative methodology.

Beron has served as UT Dallas' FAR since 1999, helping guide the Comets through key NCAA transitions, including its four‑year provisional period before earning full NCAA Division III membership in 2002 and, most recently, the transition to Division II which culminated in the summer of 2026.

"Kurt was an instrumental part of every major athletic event in our young history," said UTD Director of Athletics Angela Marin. "His leadership will be missed, but his impact will be forever part of our story. We are forever grateful for his service and wish him the best in his retirement

At the local level, Beron worked with the AD, VP for Student Affairs, and the UTD President on policy issues that overlap academics and athletics. He was a member of UTD's Athletic Advisory Board and was on many athletic search committees over the years, as well as a member of various ad hoc athletic committees. Beron met with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and had successfully nominated several UTD student-athletes for the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Beron represented the President when there are class conflicts between academics and athletics.

At the national level, Beron has been on four DIII NCAA committees (Management Council, Interpretations and Legislation, Strategic Planning and Finance, and the Convention Planning Committee) and twice chaired the NCAA association-wide Research Committee and was on the Interpretations and Legislation Committee twice. He was a member of the DIII FAR Advisory Committee to the Management Council and served as an Officer on the FARA Executive Committee.

"I have enjoyed my 25+ years as Faculty Athletics Representative, which began with helping UTD join NCAA's Division III and ended with helping us successfully join Division II," said Beron. "I have appreciated working with a very professional athletics department that also knows how to have fun. And I have enjoyed educating faculty about how athletics fit well with the mission of the university. In the end, I have so many happy memories from my time with athletics, but working directly with student-athletes is really at the top. Go Comets!"

Beron stepped down as FAR on August 1. He officially retires and becomes Professor Emeritus on September 1.