By Victoria Brito Morales

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – DEC. 22, 2025 – A UTRGV doctoral student, one of only two female master electricians in the Rio Grande Valley, has been recognized by the Texas Business Hall of Fame for her innovative work in training the next generation of electricians.

Emiliana M. Escobar, who is pursuing her doctorate at UTRGV in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in educational technology, received the prestigious James and Kathleen Collins & Vantage Bank Texas’ Future Texas Business Legend Award during the Texas Business Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Houston in late October.

The doctoral student in the UTRGV College of Education and P-16 Integration is now part of the Class of 2025 Future Texas Business Legends. She placed second in the UTRGV Center for Innovation & Commercialization’s 2025 Business Plan Competition for her product, ElectraXR, a scaffolded interactive learning platform designed to help students study for their journeyman certification as electricians.

After more than two decades working as an electrical technician, Escobar returned to pursue her doctorate at UTRGV, driven by a desire to expand her impact through education technology.

Electricians are categorized into three certification levels: apprentice, journeyman and master. Escobar said her experience in the field has helped her identify a persistent challenge for many aspiring electricians: passing the journeyman licensing exam.

“A lot of them face challenges that can create obstacles to getting the journeyman license,” she said.

To address that gap, Escobar developed an interactive software program that moves beyond traditional long-form video instruction. Instead of 30-minute lectures, the program uses short, three- to five-minute videos paired with hands-on exercises. Users complete drag-and-drop activities, work through scenarios, and manipulate digital avatars to practice skills.

One of the most important features is that the platform is fully bilingual, she said.

“It’s not easy trying to listen and read through an English-centric platform when, in your head, you are code-switching all the time,” she said. “Here in the Valley, a lot of us speak Spanish. A lot of people in the field speak Spanish.”

So, she designed her software to display English and Spanish text side by side, so users do not have to mentally translate instructions while learning. The tool is designed for bilingual electricians who feel caught between perfect English and perfect Spanish, she said.

A companion mobile app is in development. Using augmented reality, electricians will be able to take a photo of the equipment they are working on and receive real-time feedback, including safety reminders, requirements for personal protective equipment, and troubleshooting steps.

Escobar hopes to eventually expand the platform to include virtual-reality training, which could help institutions reduce costs tied to expensive equipment and materials.

“A lot of the equipment is expensive, wire is expensive,” she said. “That’s where we would save a lot, especially for smaller institutions that often run out of material while trying to give students the skills they need.”

Currently, Escobar is the director of educational technology and online learning at Texas Southmost College and serves as an instructor in the workforce training and continuing education career training program in the Electrical Technician Program.

Her project received support through UTRGV’s Center for Innovation & Commercialization, which helped her refine ElectraXR and participate in the university’s Business Plan Competition.

“I’ve always had doubts, wondering if I was up to par or if I was really making a difference,” she said. “So this award confirms that I’m getting there, people are interested. It helps me reaffirm my commitment to training future electricians.”

The recognition reflects the years of work she has invested and the support of those who have helped her along the way, including her mother, Yolanda Rivera, and her late father, Ruben Rivera, who instilled in her a strong work ethic and a passion for the trades when she was still very young.

“My friends, family and colleagues are excited to see what’s next and to get involved,” Escobar said. “Their support is extremely important to me.”