HESTEC in the News
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – APRIL 9, 2018 – UTRGV hosted the first HESTEC GreenPowerUSA South Texas Electric Car Competition, held at the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport on April 6-7.
Thirty one teams representing middle school, high school and colleges from across South Texas competed in the competition, which delivered the excitement of motorsport to inspire students to excel in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) studies.

SAN BENITO — Call them the San Benito Green Hounds.
Two low, red and green electric cars are decorated with decals of a picture of a green greyhound.
Student members of the San Benito High School GreenPower USA Electric Car team are heading to Alabama to take part in the Toyota-Jaguar Classic Electric Car Competition.

EDINBURG, TEXAS – SEPT. 22, 2017 – "Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed," a special exhibit showcasing the architecture and art of Mayan civilization, is currently being installed at UTRGV and will be launched in conjunction with the opening of HESTEC Week.
"Maya" will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, from Oct. 2, 2017, to Jan. 5, 2018, in the UTRGV Visitors Center on the Edinburg Campus, 1201 W. University Drive.

UTRGV is celebrating the 16th anniversary of HESTEC – Hispanic Engineering, Science, and Technology Week – which runs Oct. 1-7, 2017.
Thousands of middle and high school students, educators and parents will visit UTRGV campuses for presentations by world-renowned speakers and interactive educational exhibits, and to take part in dynamic robotics competitions and more.

EDINBURG, TEXAS – SEPT. 29, 2017 – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine and the Division of Governmental and Community Relations on Friday, Sept. 29, hosted the Valor Community Engagement and Interprofessional Education Summit, bringing together community organizations and university faculty to discuss how to expand their collaboration.

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – OCT. 2, 2017 – The U.S. Department of Education has awarded The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley $21.2 million over the next seven years, to operate the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP).The grant was announced Sunday, Oct. 1, on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus, as the university kicked off its 16th annual Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology (HESTEC) Week.

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – OCT. 2, 2017 – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley launched the 2017 Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology (HESTEC) Week with a Legislators Reception and Awards Dinner on Sunday, Oct. 1, at the University Ballroom at the UTRGV Edinburg Campus.

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – OCT. 2, 2017 – Stephen Ritz considers himself a farmer, but he doesn't consider the fruits and vegetables he and his students plant as his main crop. "I'm a people farmer," Ritz, the CEO of Green Bronx Machine based in the South Bronx, said. "My job is to plant seeds."
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – OCT. 3, 2017 – Science teachers don't typically use elements like hip-hop music in their lesson plans. But Tyraine Ragsdale is anything but typical. Better known as Grand Hank, the Hip-Hop Scientist, Ragsdale is a master scientist and television personality who is trying to change the way science teachers … well, teach.

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – OCT. 4, 2017 –As part of HESTEC 2017 events, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley held its annual Fall Career Expo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, at PlainsCapital Bank El Gran Salón on the Brownsville Campus

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – OCT. 4, 2017 –Hundreds of high school girls and their mothers learned about the educational and career opportunities that await them – and about the power of hard work and ambition – during the 16th annual Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology (HESTEC) Week at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
The girls and their mothers attending Wednesday’s Latina Day heard from community leaders at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on the Edinburg Campus about the importance of setting goals, following their dreams, developing strong networking and communication skills and staying positive.

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – OCT. 5, 2017 –Hundreds of middle school and high school students from across the Valley gathered in Brownsville at the Jacob Brown Building-Auditorium for HESTEC Robotics Day.
The students built Lego robots, which they used to compete in a series of challenges, including a search and rescue maze, a race and an obstacle course.

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – OCT. 8, 2017 –When Milton Hernandez first joined the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to oversee Robotics Day, it was September, one month before the event was supposed to be held.
Hernandez had to come in with a plan, and though it was not perfect, each year since then he has come closer to getting down the minor details.

HESTEC Online News Articles
- 9-18-17-HESTEC Community Day on Inside the Valley-KRGV-TV Channel 5
- 9-24-17 Retired Congressmen Ruben Hinojosa remains dedicated to public service-The Monitor
- 9-29-17 HESTEC Returns to UTRGV=KVEO-TV Channel 23
- 9-30-2017-UTRGV to host week-long event encouraging careers in STEM-KGBT Channel 4
- 10-5-17 Hernandez enjoys working with UTRGV’s event-The Brownsville Herald
- 10-5-17 Students put designs through tests at HESTEC events-The Brownsville Herald
- 10-7-17 HHS Earns top honors at Navy Sea Perch Challenge-Valley Morning Star
- 10-8-17-Gonzalez: Impact of Dr. Tina Atkins- Rio Grande Guardian
- 10-26-17 Mr. Robot: Ryan Arnold- Valley Morning Star
- Valley Teachers Learn to Assemble Electric Cars
- UTRGV prepares for national race car challenge
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is celebrating the quinceañera (15th birthday) of HESTEC (Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology) Week, Oct. 2-8, by expanding its activities to Harlingen and Brownsville and welcoming back a very old visitor – Sue, the dinosaur.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley kicked off its Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology (HESTEC) Week with a formal Congressional Dinner on Sunday, Oct. 2, at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley opened HESTEC 2016 with a prestigious White House recognition of its 15 years of success in encouraging more students, particularly Hispanics and women, to take an interest in and pursue higher education and careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.

When U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge (OH-11) left as a visitor to last year’s HESTEC at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, she knew it would be a great initiative to replicate in her own community.

Science teachers learned about career opportunities for their students and got ideas for entertaining science experiments to try in the classroom, at two sessions led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture during HESTEC’s Educator Day on Monday.

Teachers from school districts across the Rio Grande Valley sang songs about algebra, played with matches to learn about chemical reactions and explored career options for their students among other activities, during a range of breakout sessions Monday at UTRGV’s Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology Conference Educator Day.

EDINBURG, TEXAS – OCT. 4, 2016 – Nearly 900 local high school seniors heard the story of how an immigrant to the United States from Uruguay rose to become a vice president at Toyota, during the kickoff of HESTEC’s Student Leadership Day on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the UTRGV Edinburg Campus.

EDINBURG, TEXAS – OCT. 4, 2016 – Heriberto Reynoso’s love of working with robots began with playing with LEGOs as a child.

EDINBURG, TEXAS – OCT. 4, 2016 – High school seniors from Lasara and La Villa high schools were tasked with finding out what was causing a 13-year-old boy to have extreme fatigue, during a breakout session featuring the School of Medicine at HESTEC 2016’s Student Leadership Day.

EDINBURG, TEXAS – OCT. 5, 2016 – Members of the HESTEC 2016 Latina Day audience shed a few tears Wednesday, during the opening keynote address by Progreso, Texas, native and CNN correspondent Rosa Flores.
EDINBURG, TEXAS – OCT. 5, 2016 – Amazing Latinas took over the third day of HESTEC 2016 on Wednesday, Oct. 5, on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus.

EDINBURG, TEXAS – OCT. 5, 2016 – Female students from the Region One ESC and their mothers were teamed against each other to see who could inflate a 5-foot-long tubular balloon the fastest, during a breakout session led by UTRGV mechanical engineering professor Dr. Karen Lozano, during HESTEC’s Latina Day on Oct. 5.

EDINBURG, TEXAS – OCT. 5, 2016 – About a dozen high school senior girls and their mothers on Wednesday learned during a breakout session at HESTEC Latina Day that the Rio Grande Valley is the birthplace of the country’s first Latina doctor, and the home of a medical school in which more than half of its first class is female.

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – OCT. 5, 2016 – As part of the expansion of HESTEC (Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology) Week to the UTRGV Brownsville Campus, the university’s Career Center held a Fall Career Expo in the PlainsCapital El Gran Salón room of the Student Union on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

EDINBURG, TEXAS – OCT. 6, 2016 – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Edinburg Campus is welcoming about 4,000 middle school students throughout the week to learn about what exciting opportunities await them in fields related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) at the Middle School Challenge.

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – OCT. 6, 2016 – The five-person robotics club team from San Isidro High School was the first to arrive at The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyHESTEC 2016 Robotics Day competition, held this year for the first time in Brownsville, at the TSC Jacob Brown Memorial Convention Center.

HARLINGEN, TEXAS – OCT. 7, 2016 – After a full day of competition, Harlingen High School won HESTEC 2016’s Navy SeaPerch Underwater Robotic Challenge, held Friday, Oct. 7, for the first time at the Harlingen CISD Aquatics Center.

HESTEC Newspaper Articles
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The Monitor, "UTRGV celebrates 15 years of HESTEC: Expands events to Brownsville and Harlingen"
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Brownsville Herald, "UTRGV expands HESTEC to Brownsville, Harlingen"
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The Monitor, Page B5: "UTRGV, HESTEC recognized as Bright Spot in Hispanic Education"
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Star, Page A4, OPINION by Rubén Hinojosa: "HESTEC celebrates 15th year"
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Star, Page A5: "UTRGV, HESTEC recognized as Bright Spot in Hispanic Education"
- RIO GRANDE GUARDIAN: Hinojosa: UT Regent's HESTEC Speech Inspired Young Latinas
- THE MONITOR: CNN journalist talks about supportive mom and growing up in the Valley
- THE MONITOR: UTRGV engineering prof shares experiments, stories of her journey
- THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD: CNN journalist talks about supportive mom and growing up in the Valley
HESTEC Online News Articles
- KMBH 99 FM: Mario Muñoz did a two-minute live report on Wednesday’s HESTEC activities, talking about the expansion of HESTEC into Brownsville and Harlingen and Latina Day. The information for the news story came from UTRGV news releases. The report included audio clips of Sara Martinez Tucker and Rosa Flores. Audio clips came from HESTEC Today briefings. Audio is not available because it was a live on-air report.
- UTRGV NEWS:
- THE MONITOR
- TEXAS BORDER BUSINESS
- KVEO - TV 23
- ONE NEWS PAGE (KVEO’S REPORT)
- DVids Defense Imagery Distribution System: "America’s Navy at the 15th Annual HESTEC"
- Congressional Media Center: "Congressman Rubén Hinojosa remarks at HESTEC’s 15th Annual Congressional Dinner"
- Texas Border Biz: "Valley educators gather at UTRGV to open 15th HESTEC Week"
- Brownsville Herald: "UTRGV and HESTEC recognized as Bright Spot in Hispanic Education"
- The Monitor: "Valley educators gather at UTRGV to open 15th HESTEC Week"
- The Monitor: "UTRGV, HESTEC recognized as Bright Spot in Hispanic Education"
- The Monitor: "Educators channel their inner rappers at HESTEC"
- TWITTER - Wild 104 KBFM Radio: "UTRGV is hosting HESTEC this Saturday for the community get all the info"
- Dragplus Online: "Alejandra Ceja, executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics - UTRGV, HESTEC recognized as Bright Spot in Hispanic Education"
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The Brownsville Herald, Page A9, Community Photo: Ceja, Hinojosa, Bailey – "Hispanic Education Recognition"
- The Monitor: "Homegrown robotics entrepreneur shares stories, advice, during Student Leadership Day"
- The Monitor: "High school seniors help solve medical mystery at HESTEC Student Leadership Day"
- The Monitor: "Corporate leaders at HESTEC 2016: Be confident, follow your dreams, help others"
- DVids Defense Imagery Distribution System: "America’s Navy at the 15th Annual HESTEC"
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The Brownsville Herald, Page A1 and A4: "Robot Wars: Robotics teams compete during UTRGV's HESTEC Event"
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The Monitor, Page B1 Valley / State: “Robot Wars: Robotics teams compete during UTRGV’s HESTEC Event”
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The Brownsville Herald, Page B9 Community: “Ohio Delegation” photo and cutline
- BROWNSVILLE HERALD: Robotics teams compete during UTRGV's HESTEC event
- LMTOnline.com (Laredo Morning Times): "Laredo native imparts wisdom at Latina Day conference at UTRGV-Edinburg"
- LMTOnline.com (Laredo Morning Times): "UT regent gives advice on Latina Day"
- DVids Defense Imagery Distribution System: "Latina Sailors talk with Mothers, Daughters at HESTEC":
- DVids Defense Imagery Distribution System: "America’s Navy hosts Annual SeaPerch Competition at HESTEC 2016":
- America's NAVY: "America's Nave at the 15th Annual HESTEC"
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The Monitor, Main story - Pages B1 and B8: "Underwater Robotics: Students Compete in Nave SeaPerch Challenge during HESTEC at UTRGV"
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The Monitor, Sidebar story - Pages B1 and B8: "Harlingen High School big winners Friday"
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Valley Morning Star, A1 Centerpiece, A6 jump: "Water Works: Students dive deep into underwater robotics in SeaPerch competition"
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Brownsville Herald, A3: "Valley students compete during SeaPerch event held in Harlingen"
- Valley Morning Star: "Area schools compete in lively HESTEC 2016 Robotics Day"
- Rio Grande Guardian: "HESTEC celebrates 15th Anniversary"
- HCISD News -
RADIO & TV
- KMBH 99 FM: Mario Muñoz did a roughly two-minute hot mic on Wednesday’s HESTEC activities, talking about the expansion into Brownsville with the Career Expo (from Cheryl’s story), then moving on to Latina Day and the two keynotes (from Melissa’s stories). He also played the full audio on both Quotes of the Day, one for Sara Martinez Tucker and one for Rosa Flores. (Audio is not available because it was live on-air, but I heard it during a morning drive-time segment, about 8:20 a.m.)
- KGBT- TV 4: "UTRGV - HESTEC - Hispanic Engineering and Technology Week"
America's Navy at 2016 HESTEC Day 2
October 9, 2016
October 10, 2016
October 11, 2016
October 20, 2016
The White House says The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is doing a great job of helping Latinos get a quality education, and on Sept. 15 named it a “Bright Spot” in the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley concluded Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology Week on Saturday, Oct. 10, on the Edinburg Campus, with the always popular Community Day and performances by Disney Channel star Dove Cameron and country music star Chris Young.

Seventy-seven employers from across the nation paid a visit to The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Edinburg Campus on Oct. 9, to scout for some fresh, new Vaquero talent.

Lessons learned at last year’s HESTEC led the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Southwest High School team to victory in the fifth annual U.S. Navy SeaPerch Challenge, held Friday, Oct. 9, at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology Week.

Hundreds of Latinas heard that message loud and clear as they watched models of all ages, shapes, and sizes hit the runway at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Fieldhouse on Latina Day, to watch the first-ever HESTEC Fashion Show.

Dressed in matching pink T-shirts, about 1,200 female high school students and their mothers were encouraged to dream big and aim high at Latina Day, part of Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology (HESTEC) Week at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology (HESTEC) Week will culminate with Community Day, this Saturday, Oct. 10, from 4-10 p.m., on the Edinburg Campus.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley had a special, first-time visitor Oct. 6 to its 14th annual Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology week – U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Rudy De La Torre, Anthony Garcia, Isaiah Ray and Odette Banda were among the Weslaco High School GEAR UP students who spent the day at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley during HESTEC Student Leadership Day on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

Journalist Soledad O'Brien walked the red carpet at UTRGV on Monday, Oct. 5, 2015, before taking to the stage for her 'I am Latino in America' tour panel discussion. Her appearance was in conjunction with HESTEC 2015, the UTRGV Distinguished Speakers Series and INGENUITY.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott spoke at UTRGV during HESTEC's Student Leadership Day on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015. He urged students to meet challenges head on and determine their own destiny.

HESTEC 2015 created a world of wonders on its first full day of activities, during a series of special breakout sessions dealing with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

UTRGV Founding President Guy Bailey welcomed visitors to the ceremonial groundbreaking of the new university's $70 million Science Research Building, Monday, Oct. 5, during the first day of HESTEC activities.

A former director of the U.S. Census Bureau got HESTEC's Educator Day off to a solid start Monday morning by affirming what leaders in the Rio Grande Valley have been saying for a long time now: The Hispanic population in this country is driving the population growth of Texas and the nation, and we have to pay close attention to their education.

Area schools superintendents gathered for breakfast and round table dialogue with national government leaders, corporate partners and administrators and faculty of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, during the HESTEC Superintendents Leadership Breakfast, held Monday, Oct. 5, 2015, on the Edinburg Campus

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley kicked off its Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology (HESTEC) Week with a formal Congressional Dinner on Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance.
