
(Courtesy graphic)
News Release | Community
(Courtesy graphic)
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Community
By Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – FEB. 15, 2024 – Engineers Week 2024 kicks off Friday and continues into next week, celebrating the theme “Welcome to the Future.”
Hosted by the UTRGV College of Engineering & Computer Science faculty, this year’s events feature activities to get students in the community from Kindergarten through 12th grade immersed in the world of engineering.
The “Welcome to the Future” theme is meant to celebrate modern achievements and help pave the way for a brighter, more diverse future in engineering.
The goal is to reach students and help them realize engineers of each generation can make the world a better place and help shape the world of tomorrow.
Dr. Ala Qubbaj, dean of the UTRGV College of Engineering & Computer Science, said this year’s event has aligned with the Equity in Engineering Summit, supported by an NSF grant, to help increase enrolment, retention, and success of Hispanics (particularly Latinas) in engineering.
“E-Week fosters a sense of community among students, educators, and industry professionals, creating networking opportunities and support systems that can be invaluable for students as they navigate their academic and professional journeys,” he said. “It promotes inclusion within the engineering field, encouraging students from underrepresented groups to participate and showcasing a wide range of perspectives and talents within the engineering community.”
Overall, E-Week serves as a catalyst for inspiration, education and collaboration, Qubbaj said.
“It empowers students to explore their passion for engineering and envision themselves as future innovators and problem-solvers,” he said.
E-WEEK SCHEDULE
For more information on this year’s E-Week, visit the following links:
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.