Message from the President
Dear UTRGV Community,
Each day, I am personally reminded about how much there truly is to be thankful for. Serving as your president this past decade is one of those privileges, and during that time, I have had the fortune of witnessing remarkable growth and success across the institution.
Investing in Our Students: A Path to Debt-Free Graduation
One area that we have been diligently growing since our first academic year has been our endowment. Since 2016, UTRGV’s endowment has soared from $81.9 million to $191 million — an increase of 133%. Over the years, these funds have allowed us to provide deserving students with life-changing scholarships, expand our academic offerings, and enhance student life opportunities — all while maintaining affordability.
Endowments ease the financial burden for UTRGV students, helping many graduate debt-free. With over 650 endowments supporting scholarships, more UTRGV students than ever now have the resources to pursue their academic dreams. These funds grow through donations, with investment returns fueling scholarships while the principal continues to expand.
Overall, this tremendous progress reflects the generosity of our donors and UTRGV’s unwavering commitment to making higher education accessible for all. Thank you to all our donors — large and small — for supporting a brighter future for our students, our university, and our region. Explore how you can support student success at give.utrgv.edu.
Fall 2024: The Greatest Semester in UTRGV History
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to reflect on this monumental term. While Fall 2024 will be remembered by its many milestones and achievements, I wanted to highlight a few from what has arguably been the best semester in our history:
- Record-Breaking Total Research Expenditures ($86.9M for FY24)
- Record-Breaking Fundraising ($284M)
- Record-Breaking Enrollment, Freshmen Class, Graduate Enrollment, and Retention
- $30M Grant to Establish the UTRGV Diabetes Center of Excellence
- $28M Grant to UTRGV GEAR UP for College Readiness Programs
- $18.4M NIH Grant to Establish Cancer Research Center
- APLU Recognition (Degree Completion Award)
- Seal of Excelencia Recertification (2024-2027)
- 2024 Great Colleges to Work For© Recognition
- 2024 Enactus USA National Champions
- Top Rankings from US News & World Report, Washington Monthly, and WSJ
As you know, there are many more accomplishments that deserve a place on this list. Thankfully, you can read (or revisit) the coverage from all our triumphs so far this year at the UTRGV Newsroom.