By News and Media Relations

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – SEPT. 25, 2025 – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is committed to creating opportunities for students and communities, a point that President Guy Bailey highlighted during the Texas Tribune’s "Preparing the Next Generation of RGV Workers" event on Thursday at the Brownsville Campus. 

The event brought together local business, education, and political leaders from across the Rio Grande Valley.

In addition to Bailey other panelists included:

• Andrea Figueroa Benton, director of Community Relations, NextDecade/Rio Grande LNG
• LJ Francis, Texas State Board of Education, District 2
• Gilberto Salinas, president and CEO, Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation
• Matthew Watkins, editor-in-chief, Texas Tribune and event moderator

When Bailey and panelists were asked what companies seek in potential employees, Salinas, who works with companies looking to open in the region, noted that university graduates are highly valued.

“In manufacturing, industrial and technology, anywhere between five to 20 percent of the workforce comes from universities,” he said, with the remainder coming from community colleges and entry-level positions.

RETAINING LOCAL TALENT

Bailey highlighted the challenge of retaining talent in the Valley.

“When I started here, I heard parents all over the Valley say, ‘Help us keep our kids here,’” Bailey said. “What we try to do is look at programs we can implement and ways we can create scholarships for students and provide them with an education that will help them stay here.”

He pointed out that the lack of professional graduate programs has historically driven local talent away. To combat this, UTRGV has established programs, such as a doctorate in Physical Therapy, the School of Medicine, the School of Podiatric Medicine, and the upcoming School of Optometry, set to launch in Fall 2027.

“Our programs are designed to help keep kids here to do their professional and advanced degrees, and beyond that they create a significant workforce in the Valley,” Bailey said. “We can meet that need right here in the Rio Grande Valley with our UTRGV students.”

SCHOLARSHIPS AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Another strategy to retain talent is the Luminary Scholarship, funded in part by a $40 million gift from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott. This scholarship covers full tuition for four years of undergraduate study and up to four years of professional or graduate programs, including the UTRGV School of Medicine and the School of Podiatric Medicine.

“These scholarships are for the very best and most talented students,” Bailey explained. “The kicker is, if you accept, you must commit to work and live in the Rio Grande Valley for the same number of years that we supported you.”

However, some fields, like engineering, still require students to seek work outside the Valley, Bailey added. Of UTRGV’s 35,000 students, about 5,000 are in engineering. Bailey said if the area’s job market continues to grow, that may change.

“Through our engineering program, we serve the entire state of Texas,” Bailey said. “When you go to major cities in Texas you will find so many who got their engineering degrees here, and we contribute to the state’s economy that way.”

To conclude the panel, Watkins asked panelists what they would do to advance their goals in the Valley. Bailey’s answer was clear: “At the university we can create opportunities.” He noted that the School of Medicine not only graduates physicians but also recruits faculty who deliver care in the community. The goal now is to bring our medical school graduates back to the Valley to practice and teach.

Bailey emphasized the need for partnerships across the Valley’s cities to create these opportunities.

“We want to work with all cities across the Valley to bring in more companies that will hire engineers, computer scientists, mathematicians and statisticians. We are producing a very high-quality workforce that can do tremendous things; we just need the opportunities to keep them here.”