UNT at Frisco Dean Unveils Plan to Build Regional Workforce and Education Hub

Michael Savoie arrived at UNT at Frisco in 2025 carrying a resume that reads less like an academic CV and more like a municipal development portfolio: former mayor of Northlake, former president and CEO of HyperGrowth Solutions, former dean of the College of Technology & Computing at Utah Valley University. Now, as vice provost and dean of the college of applied and collaborative studies, he is using all three chapters of that career to push the campus toward something it has never fully been: a regional workforce and education engine for one of the fastest-growing corridors in Texas.

"Frisco is such a vibrant, networking-based community that the opportunities were fantastic," Savoie said. "To take what we're doing at UNT and move it to Frisco, I think it's just an incredible match, and I'm very excited about building out an innovation campus in Frisco and adding an education enterprise for the community."

The strategy centers on agility. Rather than following a traditional university model, Savoie envisions UNT at Frisco as an educational hub where students and lifelong learners build in-demand skills and connect directly with workforce opportunities across Collin County and the broader Dallas-Fort Worth area. His experience negotiating public-private partnerships, both in the boardroom and at the mayoral level in Northlake, shapes how he frames the institution's role.

"I have negotiated with universities, done research projects with universities, and as a mayor, I've seen how those public-private partnerships are critical to growing our communities," he said. "Being able to tap in and combine the business acumen, the focus on industry and community and bringing the academic side, to me, that's a win-win-win."

Health is the most immediate programmatic priority. UNT at Frisco already offers classes for the UNT Health Doctorate in Physical Therapy, and Savoie is planning to expand into nursing, public health, kinesiology, nutrition and hospitality, along with additional courses from UNT Health. He defines the health mission broadly, encompassing physical, mental, emotional and nutritional health, and points to the density of major health systems already operating near campus: Baylor Scott & White, Texas Health Resources, Medical City and Children's Health all serve the surrounding area.

"To me, when we talk about holistic education, that's where it starts," Savoie said.

The campus itself was conceived as a greenfield development, a characterization the university's 2019 Campus Master Plan described as "a rare and special occasion." That plan, which laid out planning principles alongside excerpts of UNT's mission, vision and promise, was built around the idea of industry co-creation. Wesley Randall, then dean of the New College in Frisco, captured the intent in the plan: "We will be innovative in our curriculum by involving passionate researchers and engaged industry partners to co-create with our students the experiences that prepare them to be competitive in the fast-growing and ever-changing workforce."

Savoie's vision for the campus draws on a wide institutional network. The planning and operational roster for UNT at Frisco includes Elizabeth With, vice president of student affairs, and Hope Garcia, director of student services. Stakeholders from across the region contributed to the campus's long-term planning, including Ron Patterson of the Frisco Economic Development Corporation, Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney, Collin County Commissioner Susan Fletcher, and Frisco ISD Superintendent Michael Waldrip.

Savoie returned to what colleagues describe as his "Mean Green roots" after first serving as a visiting professor at UNT in 2018. He brings 35 years of combined experience across business, education and city government to a campus that sits at the intersection of all three.

"If we can tap into that energy to focus our efforts, I think the sky's the limit," he said. "I agree with the President; his strategic plan is 'better look North.