Announcement: Vice Provost for B3HSI

Dear Colleagues,

One of the highest priorities for my office is advancing UTRGV’s identity as a bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate institution (B3) and our mission as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). To reach our goals as a B3 and HSI requires a continued commitment at the highest level of university leadership, and for this reason, I have established the Office of Vice Provost for B3HSI Integration.

This Vice Provost will be responsible for providing vision, strategic, and operational leadership to accomplish our objectives in becoming the premier bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate HSI in the United States. This administrative position will weave together existing programs, such as the Center for Mexican American Studies, Center for Bilingual Studies, the Translation and Interpretation Office and other programs across our campuses related to our B3 and HSI goals. Our success in these areas will be critical as we encourage the development of initiatives that embody UTRGV’s B3HSI identity and mission.

In harmony with these developments, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Joy Esquierdo has accepted my invitation to serve as interim Vice Provost for B3HSI Integration to start and shape this office. Dr. Esquierdo is the Miguel A. Nevarez Endowed Chair in Education and Chair of the Department of Bilingual & Literacy Studies in the College of Education and P-16 Integration.

Dr. Esquierdo’s leadership experience at UTRGV is extensive, with administrative appointments that span three colleges. She has led the Center for Bilingual Studies, under the umbrella of the B3 institute since 2015 and has a record of providing administrative leadership not just to B3, but also in departments across three units: College of Education and P-16 Integration, College of Fine Arts, and College of Liberal Arts. This administrative and leadership experience makes Dr. Esquierdo an ideal candidate to take on this new venture.

I want to thank Dr. Esquierdo for accepting the challenge of this unique role at UTRGV. We welcome Dr. Esquierdo as a member of the Office of the Provost team.

Sincerely,

Luis H. Zayas, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs