Recognized for work within the Disabilities Act


  Thursday, October 26, 2023
  Around Campus, Awards

By Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – OCT. 26, 2023 – The Office of the Texas Governor has awarded UTRGV the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities’ annual Lex Frieden Employment Award, for work performed within the UTRGV Office of Human Resources, the UTRGV Enactus Group and the Sustainable Opportunities for Advancement and Recruiting (SOAR) project.

The award comes under the “Large Employer Award” category, for dedication to upholding Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action principles.

The award specified that UTRGV adheres to all governmental directives to ensure nondiscrimination across all educational programs and student activities, including employment.

“UTRGV was nominated for the award through the work with Texas Workforce – Vocational Rehab,” said Kristina Chavez, director of Compensation and Talent Acquisition within the Office of Human Resources. “Within HR, we have been placing individuals with disabilities with various HR departments.”

Those UTRGV departments include: 

Among other proactive efforts, UTRGV was in the spotlight for winning first place in the Enactus Expo for the SOAR project, a collaboration with Texas Workforce Solutions – Vocational Rehab Services, the Valley Association for Independent Living (VAIL), and the Disability Chamber of Commerce Rio Grande Valley. SOAR addresses all aspects of the employment experience, including interests, applications, interviews, accommodations, job retention and advancement.

“We are ecstatic about this statewide recognition for a project that has such specific impact in our local community,” Chavez said. “These projects help the community by encouraging individuals with disabilities to be independent.”

An Employer Forum was held Oct. 26 in Edinburg, with UTRGV representatives on hand to speak about the recognition.

In the future, Chavez said, UTRGV HR will continue to work with Texas Workforce – Vocational Rehabilitation Services to place participants within various departments at UTRGV.

“This award is important to the university and surrounding communities to bring awareness and encourage other local employers to participate,” she said.

 



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.