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Ms. Jeannean Ryman will retire in the summer of 2024 after 41 years of devoted service. A graduate of the legacy University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA), she began her teaching career in 1981 as a graduate assistant in the Department of Kinesiology, followed by serving as a physical educator and coach at the McAllen Independent School District for three years. She returned to UTPA in 1986 as a Lecturer where she served in various capacities on committees from the department to the university level, with a commendable record of community service during her tenure. Student success was at the center of her work as an educator who was always willing to go the extra mile. A retirement dinner was held on July 3rd by colleagues and friends to honor and thank her. Congratulations on her retirement. Best wishes to her as she embarks on a new journey.
Congratulations for choosing to pursue a career in Health and Human Performance here at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It promises to be a fulfilling and exciting one! As you know, the fields of Exercise Science, Health and Kinesiology play an integral part in the total educational process and wellbeing for all subsets of our population from infants to the elderly. One of the most important responsibilities we face in our profession is to instill in each child and adult, the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, which includes the participation in lifetime sports and fitness activities. This can be accomplished by providing sound programs in Exercise Science, Health, and Kinesiology based on quality instruction, best teaching practices, and the application of current research. To that end, the Department of Health and Human Performance at UTRGV strives to provide you with the training and educational background needed to become a highly skilled and knowledgeable exercise science specialist, health educator, and/or physical educator.
Kinesiology Sophmore to Represent UTRGV at Clemson University’s 2024 4-H Summer Camp
Health and Human Performance (HHP) sophomore and future athletic trainer, Alyssa Bergeron, was recently selected for Clemson University’s Youth Learning Institute’s 2024 4-H Summer Camp. As the lone student recipient from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), her accepted role will be as a 4-H Summer Camp Counselor at Camp Long in Aiken, South Carolina.
Bergeron is a kinesiology major with a concentration in athletic training, and a minor in psychology. After graduating from UTRGV, she plans to return to her hometown of Houston to be an athletic trainer at her alma mater high school. Her ultimate goal is to become an athletic trainer for the National Women’s Soccer League.
Clemson University’s Youth Learning Institute’s 4-H Summer Camp website Click Here states that their summer camp provides an opportunity to experience new and exciting activities; including climbing wall, archery, canoeing, and many others offered in a safe, supervised environment where campers can explore new areas of interest with encouragement from trained counselors and staff. Camp Counselors are recruited each year and receive a paid stipend, meals, lodging, training, an insurance plan, and internship credit if desired. They will lead, instruct, and supervise campers in all areas of summer camp programming and will be working with youth ranging in age from 8-14.
This unique experiential learning opportunity will combine Bergeron’s major, minor, and personal experience as a former summer camp camper. Representing, HHP, College of Health Professions, and UTRGV in South Carolina from mid-May through early August, Bergeron is “excited to be able to give kids the same amazing experiences I had as a kid attending camp.”
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The 7th Annual Aging Healthy in the Rio Grande Valley Summit took place on Tuesday, March 26 at the Brownsville Event Center. The theme of the summit was “Fiesta de Salud.” The primary purpose of the summit is to educate the aging population and care providers about Aging Healthy in the RGV and to raise awareness concerning health topics related to aging in general and healthy aging. The summit consisted of almost fifty vendors representing a variety of agencies associated with the population in some manner. Some of the participating agencies included Area Agency on Aging, Alzheimer’s Association, Prospera Housing, Centerwell Senior Primary Care, Wellmed Foundation, Wellmed, Healthy Communities of Brownsville, Revival of Cultural Arts (R.O.C.A.), UTRGV, City of Brownsville Parks and Recreation, and many others. Each agency is a vital resource in the community. This year, both vendors and summit attendees were able to hear two featured speakers, Dr. Gladys Maestre of UTRGV Health Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center and Ms. Maxine Vieyra of the Alzheimer’s Association. We had over 125 attendees, and each one was able to hear the presentations and participate in the question-and-answer session afterwards. A small lunch, raffle prizes, musical performances and dancers of R.O.C.A. were part of the event.
The Department of Health & Human Performance donated over 700 lbs. of food to the Brownsville Student Food Pantry during the Spring 2023 semester.
Thanks to their generous contribution, approximately 140 students have benefited from free, supplementary food at the pantry. The UTRGV Student Food Pantry depends greatly on donations made throughout the academic years, so the community is very thankful for their donation!
Congrataulations to Mr. Guillermo Perez (captured in the picture above), and his students for this achievement and for playing a huge part in such a worthy and invaluable cause. You are teaching them it is their deeds rather than their words that will set them apart from the rest of humanity.
The 2nd Annual School of Interdisciplinary Programs & Community Engagement (SIPCE) Conference for Interdisciplinary Research had a theme this year on Sustainability.
The UTRGV Office for Sustainability aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in recognition of the diverse factors that contribute to sustaining a quality of life on our planet. There were 17 goals of interest that UTRGV students and faculty could present. Tomas Gomez and Diego Castillo under the guidance of Drs. Ulku Karabulut and Murat Karabulut did a poster presentation titled “Virtual Reality Exercising vs. Traditional Exercising Training: A Comparative Study on Biochemical Salivary and Rate of Perceived Exertion Responses and Young Males”. Their study was the only presented at the undergraduate level. Congratulations to both students and to Tomas Gomez for being awarded a $500 scholarship for excellence in research
2023 Texas American College of Sports Medicine (TACSM) Annual Conference
February 23-24, 2023 in Waco, Texas
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Smaran Marupudi: 2023 TACSM Undergraduate Scholar Award Recipient |
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Amanda Wheeler: Poster presentation finalist – doctoral level |
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Phillipe Dentino: Poster presentation finalist – doctoral level |
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The Exercise Science Club- Edinburg campus officers represented the Health and Human Performance department at the 2023 TACSM conference under the mentorship of Sonio Garcia. Their poster presentation is titled: "Cancer Survivors Self Efficacy and Spirituality Outcomes Following a Holistic Integrative Intervention". The Exercise Science Club Edinburg campus student officers left to right are Jesus Sanchez (President), Caleb Mata (Vice President), and Abner Hernandez (Treasurer). |
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The TACSM Student Bowl Team representing the UTRGV Department of Health and Human Performance is under the mentorship and coaching of Dr. Murat Karabulut and Jorge Bejar. There were 35 teams that competed this year in which UTRGV was well represented. Rebekah Schlatter, a Junior, received the Texas American College of Sports Medicine (TACSM) Undergraduate Major of the Year Award Top photo students are: Amayra Reyna, Isaac Huerta, Caleb Mata, Sarah Martinez, Alyssa Melgoza, and Rebekah Schlatter. Bottom photo students are: Sarah Martinez, Caleb Mata, Rebekah Schlatter, Alyssa Melgoza, Amayra Reyna, and Isaac Huerta. |
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The Department of Health and Human Performance featured a booth for student recruitment at the 2023 TACSM conference held on February 23-24 at the Waco Convention Center in Waco, Texas. The booth was organized and supervised by Guillermo Perez, Magalie Sanchez, and Jorge Bejar. Student majors also assisted in staffing the booth. Hats off to everyone! |
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“Vascular Insulin Resistance May Contribute to Health Disparities in People from the Rio Grande Valley” Presented by: Phillippe Dentino, Ryan P. Bialaszewski, Dr. Yu Lun Tai, and Dr. Ryan Russell. “Post Prandial and Fasting Lipopolysaccharide Levels in Health Hispanic Residents of Southeast Texas with Positive Family History of Type 2 Diabetes” |
SOTX 2023 State Winter Games in Bee Cave, Texas
SPECIAL OLYMPICS TEXAS STATE 2023 WINTER GAMES held at Bee Cave and Lakeway, Texas - February 17 -19, 2023.Special Olympics Athletes from the whole state of TEXAS came together to compete in the following sports: Cycling, Powerlifting, Volleyball, Floorball, Golf, and FUNdamental Sports.
Unified Floorball Coach, Maria Luisa Trinidad took her Athletes, the Vipers, from Besos and Caricias Adult Day Care from Mercedes which she coachs to compete in Unified Floorball, Traditional Floorball, and Floorball Skills. Both Unified and Traditional Floorball Teams won GOLD Medals and our Athletes that competed in Floorball Skills all won GOLD Medals. The HHP Department Faculty who are Unified Partners are Ivan Figueroa Monsivais, who played with Vipers Unified Floorball Team and Eduardo Arambula, who played with Superstars Unified Floorball Team. Our HHP Department Unified Partners graduate students were Jose Izaguirre, Stephanie Trevino, and Kaleb Garza all from HHP Department Graduate Majors.
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Pictured with Greg Epperson (middle) representing Special Olympics North America (SONA) are Ivan Figueroa Monsivais and Maria Luisa Trinidad (Unified Coach) |
UTRGV National Unified Champion School
Thanks to the leadership, dedication, and advocacy of Ms. Maria Trinidad for making sports participation inclusive for everyone.
UTRGV was presented with a banner officially recognizing the university as one of just three Special Olympics National Unified Champion Schools in Texas, during halftime of a women’s basketball game Dec. 15, 2022, on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus.
University organization presented with official banner
January 5, 2023 - RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – UTRGV’s effort to host athletic activities for special needs students and fill the gap left when they graduate from public school has been officially recognized by the Special Olympics.
UTRGV met the 10 standards required for colleges and universities to host Special Olympics events for students older than high school age and has been designated a Special Olympics Unified Champion School.
Because the designation happened in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, UTRGV officially was presented with a banner from the global organization during a women’s basketball game halftime event on Dec. 15, 2022...
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