Billy Murphy William R. “Billy” Murphy, Jr. is the CEO of University Lands, which manages over 2 million acres of surface and mineral interests in West Texas on behalf of the Permanent University Fund. The organization supports 28 institutions across the University of Texas and Texas A&M Systems through responsible stewardship of the lands, supported by strategic relationships with operators and developers across oil and gas, emerging energy, grazing, water, and large-scale commercial initiatives. Prior to joining University Lands, Billy held senior leadership roles at King Ranch, Inc. and began his career practicing energy transactional law at Bracewell LLP. He earned his undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University and his law degree from South Texas College of Law. Billy currently serves on several boards supporting higher education and energy, including Chair of the Board of Visitors at South Texas College of Law and the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin.