By Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa

Meet Rodney Gomez: Bridging mobility, leadership, and the arts

Where It All Began: Brownsville, Texas
Scholarly Journey:
• EdD (Educational Leadership, Higher Education Concentration, with a Certificate in Mexican American Studies), 2024
• MPA (Master of Public Affairs), 2019
• MFA (Creative Writing), 2009, from The University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA)
• MA (Philosophy), from Arizona State University
• BA (Philosophy), from Yale University
Career Calling: Executive Director of Parking and Transportation Services, and Poet/Writer
Where I Make an Impact: The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

What is your current role, and how do you find it rewarding?
As Executive Director of Parking and Transportation Services, I oversee transportation demand management at UTRGV—parking, shuttles, mobility, and other services that help our community move safely and efficiently between campuses and across the Rio Grande Valley.

Helping students and others get around has been the main focus of my work for the past ten years. I find it deeply rewarding to help people access education, and mobility is a key part of that. I didn’t drive until my late twenties and have spent most of my life as a transit rider and walker. I love experiencing cities at a slower pace—more connected to people and place. I believe that not owning a car should never impede a student’s pursuit of their goals.

Outside of work, my passion is poetry. Writing helps me make sense of the world. My art connects me to the borderlands I call home and allows me to celebrate the community that inspires me daily.

What motivated you to choose UTRGV for your studies?
I have attended many institutions of higher education and haven’t always been successful, so I understand many of the challenges our students face. I am familiar with big public universities and private, selective ones. My best experiences have been in places where I’ve felt connected—connected to fellow students, faculty, staff, the community, and the built structure of the campus. At UTRGV, I feel connected.

We have wonderful, caring faculty who give themselves fully to the education of their students. We have dedicated staff who make sure everything on campus is operating in such a way as to uplift our students, not create obstacles. (I am so proud to be part of the Parking and Transportation team, the most caring and hard-working group of professionals I’ve ever had the pleasure of leading—this year, PTS was awarded UTRGV’s Team Excellence Award, which recognizes outstanding team contributions that foster the university’s mission and institutional core values.)

We have students who work extremely hard to better themselves and their families—many of them, like me, come from economically challenged backgrounds and are the first in their families to attend college. The mix of these various groups, working together, is so heartening. There is a palpable and inexorable sense that this university is headed for bigger and better things as it continuously expands its reach. It’s exciting to be here.

How did your experience at the university shape your career path?
My education in the MPA program provided concrete and practical tools I use in my work every day. My experience in the EdD program provided me with a wide base of knowledge upon which to build and exercise my leadership skills and continuously better myself and my team.

As a poet, my MFA program taught me not only about the craft of writing but also about how to build and sustain friendships and create opportunities for myself and others. My career in poetry has been successful because I learned the workmanlike habits that help me continue publishing today.

What are some of your fondest memories from your time at UTRGV?
I started my doctoral program right before the COVID pandemic hit. In my first semester, my wife and I had our first child, and I was hospitalized for several days and later had to have surgery. It was a difficult time, but there was a real sense of camaraderie among my classmates. We bonded over quick dinners, jokes, and a shared purpose to become better leaders for our communities.

When I first started the MFA program, I took a summer course open to everyone in the community, not just enrolled students. My fondest memory was reading the poetry that class produced. The words felt so real—they came from these unbelievable life experiences. One classmate, a woman in her eighties who had relocated to the Valley from another southern state, wrote poems about poverty and racism. Hearing her recite her work was unforgettable.

How do you feel the university has evolved over the past 10 years?
The growth has been nothing short of amazing. We are a different place than we were ten years ago—not only in the built environment but in community spirit as well.

In my own department, we started with a staff of about fifteen people and maybe five buses in service at any given time. We provided around 16,000 trips to students. This last year, we had a team of more than 130 dedicated professionals, a big portion of them students, and provided almost 500,000 trips.

There are more things to do on campus, more things to study, and more opportunities. It’s energetic here. And now, with football, it’s even more exciting. I’ve never been a sports fan—I usually attend plays and musical performances—but football has added electricity to the air. Its presence uplifts the entire university. So, I’m a fan now!

What advice would you give to current university students based on your experiences?
You don’t have to give up your passions. It’s possible to have a practical career and still make time for art. If you like to draw, draw. If you love film, go see movies. If you sing or dance, there are opportunities to practice your craft here.

It’s important for students to recognize that their education allows them to walk many paths and live as their fullest selves. It’s okay to dream. A good education helps you explore possibility—to imagine many different lives. UTRGV will help you get that good education.

I encourage students to try as much as they can while they’re here—to join clubs, talk to professors outside of class, visit the Rec, sample one of the many offerings of the Student Union, volunteer for an experiment, check out a book that has nothing to do with your classes (the Brownsville library has a cool graphic novel section), and walk the campus to enjoy its beauty. Immerse yourself in all the wonderful things the university offers—you’ll become a better person for it.

What are your hopes for the future of UTRGV as it moves into its next decade?
I hope that we continue on our upward trajectory—expanding programs, creating new opportunities, and remaining committed to one another as a community. I hope we never forget that we are a borderlands university and that we continue fostering a commitment to our local communities even as we transform into a larger research institution.