News and Events
May 15, 2024
UTRGV Latino Theater Initiative & the PUCPR Theater Department weeklong collaboration
UTRGV Theater faculty, Dr. Eric Wiley and Professor Miguel Salazar, travelled to Puerto Rico in March to collaborate with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico (PUCPR) Department of Theater. They traveled with eleven students to meet with theatre faculty and students from the host institution as well as with administrators, to further build a relationship between the schools' theatre programs and facilitate future in-depth student and faculty exchanges.
Dr. Joel Pagán, Provost Fellow in the Office of Global Affairs worked closely with Dr. Joel Vélez, Executive Director of the PUCPR Office of International Relations to coordinate the five-day visit. These activities were possible through a MOU signed between UTRGV and the PUCPR in September 2022.
During their stay, the UTRGV students, who are all members of the Latino Theatre Initiatives ensemble, performed an original play in Spanish entitled Ni De Aquí, Ni De Allá: A Través Del Valle, for the PUCPR theatre community. Meanwhile, for three nights in a row, the UTRGV students watched dozens of local theatre students compete in an island-wide competition in San Juan called "Combate Teatral." "It was an exhilarating and inspiring display of Puerto Rican theatre, dance and music," said Dr. Wiley, " and we were thrilled to cheer on PUCPR and watch as they gave outstanding performances on the way to winning second place in the competition." "We hope to return for further collaboration and to welcome a PUCPR theatre group here in the RGV," added Wiley.
April 22, 2024
Institute of International Education (IIE) selects UTRGV to receive IIE Passport Project Grant
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is pleased to receive a 2024 Institute of International Education (IIE) American Passport Project grant award in the amount of $4,125.00. The grant will allow UTRGV to nominate 25 eligible students and give each of them $165.00 to apply towards their U.S. passport application process.
The IIE American Passport Project is an award for U.S. colleges and universities in the IIENetwork that aims to support Pell-eligible students to obtain a U.S. passport and encourage participation in education abroad. The award prioritizes first-year students with the hopes that they have ample time to obtain their U.S. passport and utilize the institution’s resources to realize their education abroad goals.
The Office of Education Abroad under Global Affairs will collaborate with faculty and staff to nominate eligible students and work with them to map out an achievable study abroad plan. Dr. Caroline Miles, Director of Education Abroad who wrote the grant, commented that “this is not just about financial support, but also facilitating early on students’ engagement with the idea of going abroad. It is about leading students to believe that they should and can make going abroad part of their educational experience.”
Dr. Jaime Ortíz, Chief Global Officer, stated that “this kind of awards advance UTRGV Global Affairs’ vision to promote Education Abroad. Every year UTRGV students overcome barriers to achieve their dream to journey abroad and discover the world.”
April 4, 2024
UTRGV and King Abdulaziz University Collaborate on Groundbreaking Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Research
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine secured a 3 years grant with King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, under the Initiative for International Cooperation in Research and Development for $160,000. The grant aimed to investigate the genetic polymorphism of IL-6, IL-8, and CRP genes as potential prognostic biomarkers for chemotherapeutic response in ovarian cancer patients from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Ovarian cancer remains a significant cause of mortality among gynecologic cancers, often diagnosed at advanced stages, leading to high morbidity rates. The ultimate objective is to establish functional single nucleotide polymorphisms of these genes as early diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for chemotherapy response in Saudi and American ovarian cancer patients.
Lead investigators are professors in the UTRGV School of Medicine. Dr. Manish Tripathi, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Oncology and Dr. Bilal Hafeez, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Oncology. The grant involved collaboration with Dr. Absarul Haque Merajul from the King Fahd Medical Research Centre and Dr. Khalid Hussain Wali Sait, Associate Professor at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The grant started in November 2020 and has just ended. This collaborative effort holds promise for advancing our understanding of ovarian cancer biology and improving patient outcomes through personalized treatment approaches. Dr. Jaime Ortiz from Global Affairs highlighted the proactive effort undertaken by the UTRGV School of Medicine to globalize research by vigorously targeting fundamental health issues and enhancing synergies with relevant partners around the world.
March 5, 2024
Exciting collaboration between The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca, and the Universidad de Cuenca in Ecuador
In September 2023, Dr. Norman Gamboa, Director of Orchestral Activities and Dr. Krista Jobson, Associate Professor of Flute at the UTRGV School of Music engaged in a teaching and performance residency with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca and the Universidad de Cuenca, in Cuenca, Ecuador. The residency was made possible through an internal travel grant provided by the UTRGV College of Fine Arts.
While in Cuenca, Dr. Jobson, and Dr. Gamboa presented masterclasses at the University of Cuenca as well as masterclasses and workshops with local music academy students. In addition, Dr. Jobson performed as a featured soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca conducted by Dr. Gamboa.
Besides collaborating with the above-mentioned institutions, Dr. Gamboa and Dr. Jobson met with additional musicians and educators from Cuenca, with the intention of establishing long-term connections with UTRGV and its students and faculty.
Dr. Jeffrey Ward, Dean of the UTRGV College of Fine Arts stated that through their performance and teaching, Drs. Gamboa and Jobson set the foundation for a future relationship between both universities. These kinds of faculty exchanges are vital to our university’s global footprint and will result in graduate recruitment and study abroad opportunities for our students, while Dr. Jaime Ortiz commented that these types of initiatives advance Global Affairs’ vision to foster a vibrant and interconnected community by promoting intercultural understanding throughout Latin America.
February 2024
Exciting collaboration between The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani
Under the supervision of Dr. Michael Kroll, Professor of International Business and Entrepreneurship, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) engaged in a joint business class project. It encompassed UTRGV graduate students registered in Management 6390 and AUIS undergraduate students enrolled in Strategic Management 404. AUIS students were assigned to a group of three or four, and each of the groups were then teamed up with a UTRGV graduate student who served as team leader and mentor.
The teams were established with the purpose of preparing an “analyst’s report” of a publicly trade firm listed on either the NYSE or NASDAQ Exchanges. Each team was responsible for completing the equivalent of a Wall Street securities analyst’s evaluation of a publicly traded firm of the team’s choosing. The project resulted in two finished products: i) a written report which addressed key areas relative to the company selected to suggest recommendations to buy, sell, or hold its securities, and ii) a team presentation of their findings, focused primarily upon the seven key elements of the report listed earlier.
In Dr. Kroll’s words, UTRGV and AUIS students were both impressed and excited about this collaborative initiative, stating that they benefited from the project and encouraged the faculty to continue the program. In addition, Dr. Giorgio Gotti, Interim Dean of the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, praised the efforts of his faculty in expanding the academic reach with strategic partners around the world while Dr. Jaime Ortiz commented that these types of initiatives advance Global Affairs’ vision to promote intercultural understanding by fostering a vibrant and interconnected community.
November 9-10, 2023 - UTRGV Newsroom
October 5, 2023 - UTRGV Newsroom