By Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – From noteworthy rankings to groundbreakings, UTRGV saw impactful growth and recognition throughout 2023.

The university community welcomed new programs, saw new partnerships, celebrated with colleagues over multiple staff and faculty recognitions, and gained more Vaquero pride through new spirit programs.

This year, UTRGV:

• Started the 2023-24 academic year as the No. 1 university in Texas, based on Washington Monthly magazine’s annual college guide and rankings.
• Saw nearly 4,000 Vaqueros earning their degrees in the Spring Commencement ceremonies.
• Welcomed the newly appointed director of UTRGV Athletic Bands, Ronnie Rios. Marching band workshops and performances started this year.
• Purchased the Majestic Theatre and an adjacent building in downtown Brownsville to create a new Performing Arts Center in Brownsville.
• Saw the UTRGV Department of Intercollegiate Athletics experienced historic growth and financial strength of $2.7 million. Los Vaqueros beer and Vaqueros Especial salsa were created.
• Marked a major milestone when it surpassed 50,000 graduates since its first commencement in 2015.

Through UTRGV’s growth and success, the university continues the commitment to its students to help them succeed, gain more opportunities, and continue to receive a quality education. 

Back in March, Laredo College and UTRGV signed a joint admission agreement – LC2UTRGV – that created an easy pathway for Laredo College students to transfer seamlessly to UTRGV. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

As another exciting year ends, here is a recap of some of the top stories of the year.

JANUARY

• UTRGV announced the Las Huellas of South Texas Association Endowed Fund (Las Huellas Fund), helped benefit students in the UTRGV College of Sciences. The Las Huellas endowment – a gift in the amount of $500,000 – provides scholarships to students pursuing a wildlife habitat conservation career.
• Karen Lozano, a UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science professor, and the team (Karen's Lab) won a Lone Star Emmy Award. The Spanish adaption, “Energía Y TÚ,” won in the Informational/Instructional – Short Form or Long Form Content category.
• UTRGV was recognized as a Special Olympics National Unified Champion School after meeting 10 standard requirements for colleges and universities to host Special Olympics events for students older than high school age.

FEBRUARY

• UTRGV was ranked as the seventh Best Public University in the nation by Degree Choices Top 10.
• Karen Lozano, professor of Mechanical Engineering and Julia Beecherl Endowed Professor, was the first UTRGV professor ever to be elected to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering (NAE). She was also one of only three Texans in this year’s cohort of electees.
  
• Stephanie Alvarez, UTRGV associate professor of Mexican American Studies and former director of the UTRGV Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS), was awarded a research fellowship by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Alvarez is one of 17 faculty from across the United States to receive a Faculty Award Fellowship through NEH.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded UTRGV’s University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) a $10 million grant to focus on promoting safety in railway transportation systems in March. Dr. Constantine Tarawneh, senior associate dean of the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science and UTCRS director, served as the principal investigator. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

MARCH

• Laredo College and UTRGV signed a joint admission agreement – LC2UTRGV – that creates an easy pathway for Laredo College students to transfer seamlessly to UTRGV. 
• Match Day 2023 brought together UTRGV’s fourth-year medical students with classmates and close family members to the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex (PAC) in Edinburg to celebrate this annual milestone. Match Day matches graduating students with available training positions at health systems around the country – getting them a step closer to becoming physicians.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded UTRGV’s University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) a $10 million grant to focus on promoting safety in railway transportation systems.
• Luis H. Zayas was named UTRGV’s new provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs.
• UTRGV and HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division announced the creation of physician residencies at Brownsville and McAllen hospitals.

APRIL

• UTRGV and Harmony Public Schools signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday, April 27, 2023, to enhance high school student success.
• César Sevilla Jr., UTRGV School of Medicine third-year medical student, was the recipient of this year's prestigious award for U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health.
• The UTRGV Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and 5x5 Brewing Co. announced the creation of Los Vaqueros beer, a blood orange Kölsch style ale.

During the month of March, UTRGV and HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division announced the creation of physician residencies at Brownsville and McAllen hospitals. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

MAY

• Ten faculty members were named recipients of the 2022-2023 UTRGV Faculty Excellence Awards.
• UTRGV School of Medicine's Class of 2023, celebrated its commencement at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex in Edinburg. Nearly 200 medical students have graduated to date and joined residencies in the Rio Grande Valley, and across Texas and the country.
• Nearly 4,000 graduates crossed the stage to accept their diplomas during Spring 2023 Commencement in Edinburg and Brownsville.
• UTRGV awarded $17M to train mental health professionals for Valley schools
• Researchers from the UTRGV College of Sciences have joined forces with lead partner Texas A&M AgriLife Research and othermajor agriculture entities on a $65 million grant to assess greenhouse gas fluxes and conduct soil analyses.
• UTRGV ranked No. 7 among Div. I programs with 3,706 hours of community service.

JUNE

• Sylvia Robles, assistant professor of practice in UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship, was recognized by VentureWell for her commitment to helping students and local entrepreneurs through the university’s Adopt a Startup program.
• Jenika Montes, a UTRGV junior and national winner of the Jarritos Mariachi USA Talent Search Competition, performed at the 34th annual Mariachi USA concert on June 3 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California in front of 17,000 fellow mariachi fans.
• Robert C. and Janet Vackar have gifted $1 million to the UTRGV College of Liberal Arts to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a degree in mass communication.

UTRGV SOPM sat its second cohort of 36 in August. Their symbolic White Coat ceremony in October officially welcomed the future podiatrists - 100 percent Texan – to the medical community. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

JULY

• The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) approved the first Ph.D. program for the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science on July 27, 2023.

AUGUST

• UTRGV started the 2023-24 academic year as the No. 1 university in Texas, based on Washington Monthly magazine’s annual college guide and rankings.
• UTRGV welcomed the newly appointed director of UTRGV Athletic Bands (UTRGV School of Music) Ronnie Rios.
• The University of Texas System Board of Regents authorized UTRGVto purchase the Majestic Theatre and an adjacent building in downtown Brownsville. In support of UTRGV’s Performing Arts programs, UTRGV will renovate the buildings to serve as the university’s new Performing Arts Center in Brownsville.
• A Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program will be offered at UTRGV starting Summer 2025. The 113-hour program will increase the number of trained therapists in the Rio Grande Valley and widen access to therapy services.
• UTRGV SOPM also sat its second cohort of 36 in August. Their symbolic White Coat ceremony in October officially welcomed the future podiatrists ­- 100 percent Texan – to the medical community.
  
  

SEPTEMBER

• For the 8th consecutive academic year, UTRGV invested in its employees, either through merit or market equity. UTRGV President Guy Bailey also announced the minimum wage for staff will increase from $13 an hour to $16.25 an hour.
• Marching band workshops were held in Edinburg and Brownsville. Ronnie Rios, UTRGV marching band director (UTRGV School of Music), said the 150-member band is the first of its kind at UTRGV and a point of pride all on its own.
• The UTRGV Department of Intercollegiate Athletics experienced historic growth and financial strength of $2.7 million, an increase of nearly 33% over the previous record in philanthropy, ticket sales, and corporate partnerships during fiscal year 2023, which ran from Sept. 1, 2022, through Aug. 31, 2023.

OCTOBER  

• The inaugural UTRGV Marching Band performed as the closing act for the Pigskin Jubilee on Oct. 14, 2023.
• The UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine hosted its second white coat ceremony on Oct. 27, 2023, at the Harlingen Convention Center.
• The UTRGV School of Medicine was awarded $2,275,863 to establish the first of its kind "Maternal Health Research Center" in the Rio Grande Valley.
• The UTRGV Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Tio Pelon's Salsita announced the creation of Vaqueros Especial, a medium roasted jalapeño and chile piquin taco-style salsa.

Since UTRGV's first commencement in 2015, the university has graduated thousands of Vaqueros, and this fall semester the university surpassed 50,000 graduates. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

NOVEMBER

• The City of McAllen, in collaboration with UTRGV, announced final details for the annual McAllen Holiday Parade. UTRGV Football Head Coach Travis Bush was named Grand Marshal of the parade. And UTRGV Marching Band, along with UTRGV Spirit Program's Drill Team, performed at the parade.
• At the SOPM’s first “Research Day” at the Harlingen Clinical Education facility, fifteen SOPM students presented posters and three gave oral presentations to an audience of 60 students, faculty and staff.
• The UTRGV Chess Team brought home a national win as the 2023 U.S. National Collegiate Rapid Chess Champions.

DECEMBER

• UTRGV showcased students’ artistic talents with the 9th annual holiday card contest winners.
• Seventy-six university employees made history this fall by becoming the first graduates of the new Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration.
• Since its first commencement in 2015, UTRGV has graduated thousands of Vaqueros, and this fall semester the university surpassed 50,000 graduates. Nearly 3,000 students graduated in four commencement ceremonies in Brownsville and Edinburg.

For a fourth straight year, UTRGV recorded first-day enrollment of more than 32,000 students during the fall 2023 semester. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)