News Release | Health, Success
On Saturday, May 8, the UTRGV School of Medicine will celebrate the commencement of their second graduating class. Receiving his medical degree will be Patrick Ojeaga, UTRGV fourth-year medical student and UT Student Regent. The ceremony will take place at the UTRGV Brownsville Campus at 6 p.m. (UTRGV Archival Photo by Paul Chouy)
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Around Campus, Community
By Dimitra Trejo
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine Class of 2021 will mark their graduation day Saturday, May 8, on the Brownsville Campus.
The ceremony, which starts at 6 p.m., will offer graduates and their families the opportunity to attend graduation both in person and virtually as the School of Medicine celebrates the achievements of 51 UTRGV medical students and seven Master of Science in Bioethics students.
M. Roy Wilson, M.D., M.S., president of Wayne State University, will serve as keynote speaker. Wilson's research has focused on glaucoma and blindness in populations from the Caribbean to West Africa. He holds elected memberships in the National Academy of Medicine (Institute of Medicine), the Glaucoma Research Society, the American Ophthalmological Society, and the Society of Medical Administrators.
Working toward this moment for 10 years, Lauren Muenchow Bayliss, a fourth-year medical student from Seguin, Texas, said she is looking forward to her big day.
“Crossing the finish line on May 8 will be extremely rewarding,” said Bayliss. “I’m feeling excited, proud, relieved, and thankful to God and all the people and organizations who made it possible for me to make it this far.”
Dr. John H. Krouse, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine and executive vice president for Health Affairs, said commencement day is always a testament to the UTRGV School of Medicine’s efforts in creating opportunities for students passionate about careers in medicine.
“Congratulations to all of our 2021 graduates from the UTRGV School of Medicine. These 51 medical students and seven graduate students represent our school as outstanding examples of our educational programs and will be exceptional ambassadors for UTRGV as they move forward in their professional careers,” he said. “On behalf of the School of Medicine, and from me personally, I want to wish each of them best wishes as they graduate this month.”
For more information on the ceremony, COVID-19 restrictions and safety guidelines, or to learn how to watch it live, visit https://www.utrgv.edu/school-of-medicine/education/commencement/index.htm.
ABOUT UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.
UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.