By Karen Villarreal

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – MAY 6, 2025 – Thanks to the recent opening of two new Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRC) at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Libraries, Rio Grande Valley innovators will no longer need to drive 300 miles to the nearest patent office in Austin to secure intellectual property protection. 

Community members with big ideas for new technologies, products or brands now have access to essential resources in their own backyards with these university locations in Edinburg and Brownsville. Officially designated by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as the 8^th and 9^th PTRCs in Texas, these centers were inaugurated with ribbon-cutting ceremonies on May 1-2. 

Dr. Can Saygin, senior vice president for Research at UTRGV, said the designations allow UTRGV to offer a broader range of services aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the region’s entrepreneurs, students and faculty.    

“Creating intellectual property – including patents and trademarks – and expanding access to related resources directly supports our mission to grow research, foster innovation and drive economic development in the Rio Grande Valley,” he said.   

The opening of these centers will make it easier for aspiring entrepreneurs like Elvis Garza-Ramirez, a junior in the UTRGV Social Work program, to file a patent for his wearable device for arthritis pain relief. He is collaborating on this innovation with an engineer from the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program. 

“I haven’t seen anything like this out there, so I want to protect it. I need all the help I can get,” Garza-Ramirez said.  “When my intellectual property’s protected, the sky’s the limit.”  

The USPTO’s PTRCs – a network of nearly 100 centers nationwide – have provided free educational tools, guidance and legal resources for filing a patent, trademark or copyright since 1871.   

In 2024, PTRCs around the country filed 600,000 patent applications, and issued more than 350,000. Additionally, the centers reviewed 700,000 trademark applications and issued 330,000 certificates of registration.   

“Our goal is to strengthen economic competitiveness for all Americans,” said Jacob Choi, Southwest assistant regional director for USPTO. “PTRC's are designed to include more people in innovation by providing the human touch.”  

Rob Berry, manager of the USPTO PTRC program, said the library staff at the two new centers will be available for in-person or virtual meetings.  

These local experts are trained to help users navigate databases, understand application processes and connect with pro bono resources for legal and technical consultations.  

“You can ensure that your project isn’t an existing trademark, and learn technical vocabulary that's associated with your ideas,” he said. “That could help through your venture capital journeys.” 

Derek Abrams, associate professor of practice in the UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, said the centers address the regional demand for entrepreneurship information and education.   

“We have a growing innovation ecosystem here,” Abrams said. “The people in the Rio Grande Valley are very entrepreneurial.” 

The ribbon-cuttings for the centers were part of  RGV Startup Week, held from April 25 to May 2. The UTRGV Division of Research collaborated with USPTO, UTRGV University Library, and the Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center (ECC) to host presentations and panel discussions for the public, focusing on the vital role of intellectual property in fueling creativity and providing an overview of intellectual property and licensing opportunities with UTRGV.  

Events took place in Mission at the Mission Center for Education and Economic Development on May 1, and in Brownsville at the eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization on May 2. 

For information on the Patent and Trademark Resource Centers at UTRGV, contact the Research & Instruction Librarians: Andrew Portner at the Edinburg Library (Andrew.Portner@utrgv.edu) or Jesus Resendez at the Brownsville Library (Jesus.Resendez01@utrgv.edu). 

The UTRGV Division of Research collaborated with USPTO, UTRGV University Library and the Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center to host presentations in Brownsville and Mission, during RGV Startup Week, on the importance of intellectual property in fostering creativity and exploring licensing opportunities. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)