Messages from the Provost

The Provost Post

As we enter the final weeks of the fall 2024 semester, I wanted to take a moment to thank each of you for all your hard work in making UTRGV one of the best institutions in our state and nation. Since my last message, we have seen no shortage of faculty and students recognized for their world-class success, a fact of which I am immensely proud.

One special recognition was our selection by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) to receive the 2024 Degree Completion Award. In a national competition that came down to three finalists (The University of Kentucky; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and UTRGV), we demonstrated that we are setting the national standard in helping undergraduates complete their degrees. In four years, our degree completion rate jumped by 10 percent — no easy feat!

Pictured left to right: Dr. Christine Shupala, Provost Luis Zayas, Dr. Jonikka Charlton, Peter-James Ehimika.

(Pictured left to right: Dr. Christine Shupala, Provost Luis H. Zayas, Dr. Jonikka Charlton, Peter-James Ehimika)

While I had the honor of accepting the award and sharing how we have enhanced degree completion, it was the tireless efforts of our degree completion team that got us there. Senior Vice Provost Jonikka Charlton, Peter-James Ehimika, Pablo Diaz Riveiro Barbeito, and Dr. Susan Brown have worked tirelessly to not only identify challenges but strategically address them at every level. Their creation of an internal dashboard, which has been instrumental to our success, is a masterpiece that stands as a testament to their commitment.

You can learn more about this significant recognition, as well as several other praiseworthy accomplishments by you and your colleagues, in the links below.

Thank you again for all that each of you do. As I said in my last message: Buckle up and get ready for a new adventure through the people and moments that make us shine!

I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season.

Sincerely,

Dr. Luis H. Zayas

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs