The University of Texas at Austin has appointed Daniel Hamlin as the next Dean of the College of Education ahead of the upcoming semester.
Hamlin currently serves as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Education and concurrently leads the Center for Education Policy at the University of Oklahoma. This organization lists its focus areas as “teacher quality, school choice, early literacy, rural education, family engagement, and college and career pathways.”
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed Hamlin to his Secretary of Education position in 2025 as part of a “policy reset” following a public falling out with former Oklahoma Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters. Stitt opposed Walters’ efforts to cooperate with the Trump administration’s efforts to combat illegal immigration.
The Austin American-Statesman reports that Hamlin “worked on bipartisan education goals” in this position.
“Dr. Hamlin has earned a national reputation as a distinguished scholar, collaborative leader and champion for educational excellence and access. I am confident that he will lead the College of Education to even greater levels of distinction that will benefit our students and faculty, as well as Texas and the nation,” stated UT Executive Vice President and Provost William Inboden.
Hamlin’s extensive scholarship includes more than 50 peer-reviewed articles in academic journals and outlets. Among many other topics, he has discussed the need for families to have freedom to choose the best education for each child.
In a paper on whether homeschooled children could effectively acquire social capital, Hamlin wrote, “[O]verall evidence suggests that homeschool families may provide opportunities for their children to acquire cultural capital through greater participation in cultural and family activities,” further describing homeschooling as a sufficient means of education.
Hamlin also wrote an article examining alleged links between statewide gun ownership and mass shooting incidents in schools.
“This study’s empirical results showed weak and inconsistent evidence of links between school firearm incidents and state gun ownership rates and three gun control laws,” stated Hamlin, ultimately calling for more research into the topic.
Hamlin’s appointment comes after Charles Martinez announced he would step down as the Dean of Education at the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year.
Under Martinez’ watch, DEI and LGBT ideologies were advanced in the College of Education. “With new leadership in place at UT, our president and provost are working to build the team they need to advance their vision and priorities within this changing landscape,” Martinez wrote. “As such, I will be concluding my service as dean at the end of this academic year.”
Martinez will remain in the College of Education as a faculty member.
UT-Austin has been conducting curriculum audits for nearly a year, with results expected in the upcoming months. While some of the auditing is to come into compliance with a new state law passed last year, UT has also been undergoing additional review.
This is the latest leadership change at UT following Inboden’s appointment to the provost position last July. At UT-Austin, academic deans supervise the day-to-day operations of individual colleges. They report to Provost William Inboden. Inboden reports to President Jim Davis.
UT-Austin is a component of the University of Texas System. It is overseen by a Board of Regents that is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate. Kevin Eltife is the current board chairman.
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