The Heart of the Program: 53 years, 5,000 students and one enduring legacy for Dr. Carolina Huerta

By Karen Villarreal

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – JUNE 8, 2026 – For nearly 60 years, since nursing education first began at UTRGV’s legacy institutions, Dr. Carolina Huerta has remained a guiding presence.

During her 53-year tenure that began with Pan American University, Huerta, a professor and associate dean for Academic Affairs in the UTRGV School of Nursing, has helped build regional educational opportunities and mold health profession leaders. She served as chair of the nursing department for 27 years and has taught more than 5,000 students.

Among those former students is Dr. Lilia A. Fuentes, who became dean of the UTRGV School of Nursing in 2023, two decades after Huerta first recruited her to the nursing faculty in 2004.

“I feel very blessed that I was a student under her, as well as faculty under her when she was our dean. It’s like the program has come full circle,” Fuentes said. “Dr. Huerta is the epitome of higher education in the Rio Grande Valley. I always strived to be someone like her.”

That inspiration stemmed from Huerta's relentless drive to expand local opportunities. Fuentes said Huerta focused early on advancing graduate-level nursing education and strengthening programs locally.

“She didn’t just help educate; she was instrumental in getting those programs down here,” Fuentes said.

Huerta’s efforts expanded the curriculum from six faculty members and one associate degree offering in 1972 to more than 60 faculty members today, spanning bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs. 

As UTRGV continues its 10th anniversary celebration, Huerta’s legacy endures through the programs she built and the leadership she still shares. She credits supportive administration and teamwork for the school’s success.

“I had supportive leadership that saw what needed to be done,” Huerta said. “This place has been good to me, and I've been good to this place.” 

Huerta expressed pride in the School of Nursing’s impressive growth, which now boasts a steady enrollment of nearly 500 students and welcomes 100 new admissions each semester. She was equally thrilled to celebrate the graduation of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program's second cohort in Spring 2025, a milestone achievement led by Fuentes. 

“I’m just so thankful,” Huerta said. “Now, I feel that I’ve done everything I needed to do.”

Members of the nursing program's Class of 1993, pictured alongside Dr. Carolina Huerta, who served as department chair at the time. (UTRGV Photo)

CREATING LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES

Huerta’s impact began at age 23, when she started teaching in the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program. At the time, it was the only registered nursing program south of San Antonio and faced overwhelming demand, admitting only 80 out of 1,000 applicants per semester due to limited faculty resources, she said.

To help meet the program’s needs, Huerta took on additional roles, including course coordinator and chair of the ADN Curriculum Committee. She also helped drive academic standards and reporting and worked to seek accreditation status from the National League for Nursing (NLN).  Her efforts supported a program that produced knowledgeable registered nurses for decades.

HOME-GROWN LEADERSHIP

Huerta credits key collaborators who supported those early accreditation efforts, including Dr. Sandy Sanchez, retired BSN program director. Huerta and Sanchez “grew up together” in Rio Grande City, sharing a dream that young people from the area would become first-generation college students.

“If we don't do it, who's going to do it for us? I was intent on making the nursing program a successful one for our underserved community,” she said. 

Driven to advance her own education, Huerta earned a Master of Science degree in Nursing with a focus in Adult Health and Nursing Education in 1977 from the University of Texas at Austin, followed by a Doctor of Education from Texas A&M University in College Station in 1990. 

Dr. Carolina Huerta and Dr. Lilia Fuentes, UTRGV School of Nursing dean, with Huerta's new textbook, "Health Promotion in Nursing." (UTRGV Photo)

In a pivotal career move, she joined the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, where she was selected for national committees and accreditation roles. She authored proposals for the BSN, MSN and Family Nurse Practitioner programs that were submitted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In 2001, she became a volunteer evaluator for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

“All our nursing programs continue to be nationally accredited by CCNE to date,” she said. “I think this is my most important accomplishment.”

REFLECTIONS ON ACHIEVEMENT

Huerta’s dedication earned her prestigious national honors, including the American Nurses Association’s Mary Mahoney Award and induction as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

“And to think, I did it all while raising young kids,” she said. “Those were hard years, with a lot of sacrifice, but it was all worth it.”

After stepping down as department chair in 2022, Huerta continued mentoring colleagues, including encouraging Fuentes to pursue her own doctoral degree. Today, Huerta continues to teach at the School of Nursing and recently published her textbook, “Health Promotion in Nursing” (2025).

“At my age, I don't have the energy that I once had,” Huerta smiled, “but I'm still here.”

To learn more about the UTRGV School of Nursing, visit UTRGV.edu/nursing.