Spring 2026 UTRGV Chess Team Roster

• Curriculum Vitae

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Head Coach & Director of Chess Grandmaster
Chess Program
Email: bartek.macieja@utrgv.edu
Casa Bella 633
Phone: (956) 882-5761

Anthony "Colt" Smith-Munoz has a Bachelors of Science in Pure Mathematics. He is also an UTRGV alumni.

He first learned to play chess back 13 years ago through outreaches hosted by the very UTRGV Chess Program he now works for. Chess has had a big influence on him and in the RGV over the past few decades, and as Program Manager he hopes to continue and expand that legacy both in UTRGV and the Valley as a whole.

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Program Manager
Chess Program
Email: colt.smithmunoz@utrgv.edu
Casa Bella 633
Phone: (956) 882-5761

• Level: Undergraduate
• Classification: Junior
• Program: Psychology
• College: Liberal Arts
• Department: Psychological Science
• Major: Psychology
  
• USCF: 2646
• FIDE: 2574
• Title: Grandmaster
• Hometown: Moscow, Russia

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Grandmaster
Email: gleb.dudin01@utrgv.edu

• Level: Undergraduate
• Classification: Senior
• Program: Biomedical Sciences
• College: Health Professions
• Department: Health and Biomedical Sciences
• Major: Biomedical Sciences
• USCF: 2529
• FIDE: 2516
• Title: Grandmaster
• Hometown: Montreal, Canada

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Grandmaster
Email: shawn.rodriguelemieux01@utrgv.edu

• Level: Undergraduate
• Classification: Freshman
• Program: Business Administration
• College: Business and Entrepreneurship
• Department: Marketing
• Major: Marketing
• USCF: 2578
• FIDE: 2524
• Title: Grandmaster
• Hometown: Cali, Colombia

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Grandmaster
Email: jose.cardoso01@utrgv.edu

• Level: Undergraduate
• Classification: Freshman
• Program: Computer Engineering
• College: Engineering and Computer Science
• Department: Electrical Engineering
• Major: Computer Engineering
• USCF: N/A
• FIDE: 2490
• Title: Grandmaster
• Hometown: Palmira, Colombia

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Grandmaster
Email: santiago.avilapavas01@utrgv.edu

• Level: Undergraduate
• Classification: Senior
• Program: Computer Engineering
• College: Engineering and Computer Science
• Department: Electrical Engineering
• Major: Computer Engineering
• Minor: Applied Statistics and Data Science
• USCF: 2494
• FIDE: 2426
• Title: International Master
• Hometown: Mersin, Turkey

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International Master
Email: ekinbaris.ozenir01@utrgv.edu

• Level: Undergraduate
• Classification: Senior
• Program: Psychology
• College: Liberal Arts
• Department: Psychological Science
• Major: Psychology
• USCF: 2514
• FIDE: 2442
• Title: International Master
• Hometown: Warsaw, Poland

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International Master
Email: jakub.fus01@utrgv.edu

• Level: Junior
• Program: N/A
• College: N/A
• Department: N/A
• Major: N/A
• USCF: 2390
• FIDE: 2291
• Title: FIDE Master
• Hometown: Tbilisi, Georgia

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FIDE Master
Email: aziz.degenbaev01@utrgv.edu

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Email: chess@utrgv.edu

Phone: (956) 882-5761

• Level: Undergraduate
• Classification: Freshman
• Program: Pre Bachelors of Business Administration in Economics
• College: Business and Entrepreneurship
• Department: Department of Economics
• Major: Economics
• USCF: N/A
• FIDE: 2185
• Title: Woman FIDE Master
• Hometown: Jejkowice, Poland

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Woman FIDE Master
Email: martyna.starosta01@utrgv.edu

• Level: Post Baccalaureate Undergrad
• Classification: Post Baccalaureate Undergrad
• Program: Mass Communication
  
• College: Liberal Arts 
• Department: Communication
  
• Major: Mass Communication
  
• Concentration: Broadcast
• USCF: 1979
• FIDE: 1903
• Title: Woman FIDE Master
• Hometown: Havana, Cuba

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Woman FIDE Master
Email: rachel.palmeromartinez01@utrgv.edu

• Level: Undergraduate
• Classification: Freshman
• Program: Business Administration
• College: Business and Entrepreneurship
• Department: Marketing
• Major: Marketing
• USCF: 2043
• FIDE: 1941
• Title: Woman FIDE Master
• Hometown: Tulua, Colombia

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Woman FIDE Master
Email: manuela.hernandez01@utrgv.edu

• Level: Undergraduate
• Classification: Senior
• Program: Multidisciplinary Studies
• College: Liberal Arts
• Department: Interdisciplinary Program & Community Engagement
• Major: Multidisciplinary Studies
• Minors: Marketing, Business Administration, Psychology
• USCF: 1278
• Hometown: Harlingen, USA

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Untitled
Email: lauren.tovias01@utrgv.edu