Michael S. Lang, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, has had a passion for philanthropy and public service since his undergraduate days as a Silver Spur at The University of Texas at Austin. After completing his undergraduate degree, Mr. Lang also went on to receive his juris doctorate from The University of Texas at Austin and continued his studies at Oxford University. His distinguished career in law and finance includes tenures as an attorney in the Department of Justice Appellate Division, the Federal Power Commission, the Federal Price Commission as well as being a counsel and partner in the nation’s leading private practice law firms, a founding partner of Norte Capitol and a creator of seven companies, which he led in public offerings on the New York Stock Exchange.

In light of Mr. Lang’s tremendous professional achievements, some people may be surprised to learn that Mr. Lang is a person who stutters, and indeed, identifies stuttering as his biggest strength and challenge. Mr. Lang has stuttered for over 65 years and through his own personal experiences, he recognized a tremendous gap in the resources, research, and services available to the stuttering community worldwide. After learning about the exceptional research and clinical opportunities Dr. Courtney Byrd has facilitated for persons who stutter at The University of Texas at Austin, Mr. Lang dedicated himself to filling this gap with the establishment of the first distinct institute within a university setting devoted exclusively to excellence in stuttering research and clinical practice. Mr. Lang hopes that what begins here at The University of Texas at Austin will contribute to a sea change in the world’s understanding and treatment of this complex disorder thereby ensuring our university’s mission of what starts here changes the world.