ATX Pulse 4/20-21/26 (free): Dells Give $750M to UT Austin Medical Center // LBJ School Dean to Depart for Duke // Teen Driver Dies in Crash // UT MBB Incoming Freshman Ogden Named 'Mr. Basketball' in Texas // Arch Now Feeling '100%'

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MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2026 - TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2026

Compiled by Matt Mackowiak

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WEATHER

Today: H: 64° / L: 62°. 90% chance of rain and isolated showers.

Wednesday: H: 81° / L: 63°. 30% chance of spotty storms.

Thursday: H: 85° / L: 68°. 10% chance of rain.

Friday: H: 88° / L: 70°. 10% chance of rain.

TOP NEWS

"Dell family gives $750M to build new UT Austin medical center with AI focus" via AAS’s Nicole Villalpando – The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation is giving the University of Texas more than $750 million to build the UT Dell Campus for Advanced Research and the UT Dell Medical Center on the university's former West Pickle Research Campus in North Austin.

The campus at Braker Lane, west of MoPac Boulevard, will deliver complex care that Austin currently does not have with the goal of making the city a national leader in health care. 

This marks more than $1 billion given by the Dells to the university, making the couple UT's first-ever billion-dollar donors. This is thought to be one of the largest philanthropic investments in a university, UT officials said. It also brings the Dells' total philanthropic gift to world to $10 billion.

Susan Dell said the couple "feels beyond joyful, beyond proud. We feel very, very blessed." 

Philanthropy "is the most important thing we will do in our lifetimes," she said. 

"This gift by the Dells really allows us to accelerate something at a scale that is generational," said Dell Medical School Dean Dr. Claudia Lucchinetti, in an exclusive interview with the American-Statesman. "This is about more than Austin. It's about being a model for health and health care redesign for Austin, Texas and the country."

The foundation's investment also includes funding more Dell Scholars scholarships and student housing, as well as investments in computer science, which the Dells have helped build at UT. The Dells already have supported 25,000 students at UT. Some of the Dells' newest gift will go to building medical research capacity and to the Texas Advanced Computing Center, which will have a major presence in the new medical center.

"This is about launching the next generation of medical and research capabilities," said Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, in an exclusive interview with the Statesman. "It’s really the ability to, from the ground up, design a new health care system with data and AI and computing built in that should lead to earlier diagnosis, more personalized care and better outcomes."

The UT Dell Campus for Advanced Research will include both this West Pickle Research Center site and the J.J. Pickle Research Center to the east of MoPac Boulevard, said Jim Davis, president of the University of Texas.  (AAS)

"Leadership shakeups at UT continue as LBJ School dean departs for Duke" via AAS – In another leadership change at the top of a University of Texas college, Dean JR DeShazo will leave the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the end of this academic year. DeShazo has led the LBJ School for five years. Starting July 1, DeShazo will lead the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University as dean, UT officials announced Monday in an email.

DeShazo — one of the longest serving leaders at UT — is one of several deans to leave in the past year. More than one-third of UT’s dean positions — 7 of 18 leaders — are currently in flux. He leaves at the conclusion of his contracted term, and it is unclear whether Provost William Inboden decided to offer him a renewal. Per the university’s policy, UT leaders have until the end of a dean's six year appointment to evaluate their performance.

UT faculty members described DeShazo Monday as an excellent, thoughtful leader who made the LBJ School stronger. “I’m shocked, and I’m devastated,” said Kate Weaver, who has worked at the LBJ School for 17 years as a professor and associate dean. “He’s the best dean I’ve ever seen. He’s just utterly transformed the school.”

As dean, DeShazo doubled the LBJ School’s degree offerings from three to six and launched the college’s first undergraduate degree. He also increased enrollment, grew research activity and supported alumni and current students in job placement as opportunities for work among federal agencies have declined. (AAS)

THE BLOTTER

"Teen driver killed in early morning crash in northwest Austin" via KXAN — A teenage driver was killed early Sunday in a single‑vehicle crash in northwest Austin, police said.

Austin police officers responded at about 2:34 a.m. April 19 to a crash at the intersection of the northbound Mopac Expressway service road and North Capital of Texas Highway.

The driver, identified as Aimee Alexa Lopez, 17, was pronounced dead at the scene after being evaluated by Austin‑Travis County Emergency Medical Services. Police said the crash involved a single vehicle.

Additional details about what led up to the collision were not immediately released. The incident is being investigated as Austin’s 25th fatal crash of 2026, resulting in 25 traffic deaths so far this year. (KXAN)

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