We are Emerging

September 6, 2023

Dear Vaquero Family,

As Senior Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate College, starting my second year at UTRGV, I am excited to reflect upon the incredible journey we have undertaken together. The amazing experiences we have shared have continuously grown deeper, due to the unwavering commitment of our exceptional students, faculty, staff, and community partners. I cannot wait to continue working with all of you to achieve our higher-level research goals and accomplish the milestones on our journey to Research Excellence.

As the Division of Research, in the last 12 months, we have developed new capabilities and expanded our capacity to deliver efficient and diversified services to our UTRGV Research community. In the next 12 months, as we continue to fine-tune these services, our primary focus will be on research enhancement and faculty research development across all colleges and schools. This strategic effort aims to develop a holistic portfolio of research and scholarly activities that strategically target visible societal impact.

As an institution, we have made great progress in increasing our research expenditures. One of the priorities in my first year was to identify inefficiencies and weaknesses in our processes that prevent our faculty from expending their research funds in a timely manner. Through a series of collaborative initiatives conducted in partnership with other divisions, we have successfully eliminated most of these roadblocks. As a result, we will be exceeding $40M in restricted (externally funded) research expenditures in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, which marks a $12M increase from last fiscal year’s restricted research expenditures. The net effect of this great performance will be total research expenditures exceeding $75M in FY23. I congratulate you on achieving the highest annual increase in restricted research expenditures in the history of UTRGV.

Our doctoral programs are also contributing towards our research performance. With over 40 doctoral degrees awarded in Academic Year 2023, and new doctoral programs being added to our portfolio, UTRGV is making remarkable strides towards becoming a research institution.

As a significant milestone, based on our current trajectory in research expenditures and doctoral degrees awarded, I project that we will become eligible to achieve the status of Emerging Research University (ERU) , as defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), by Fall 2024. I extend my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you for your invaluable contribution that will lead to this remarkable achievement.

With the new academic year beginning, I wish all of you a successful, productive, and healthy year with your families, loved ones, and friends.

Sincerely,

Can (John) Saygin, PhD

Senior Vice President for Research

Dean of the Graduate College

Professor, Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Dept.

E-mail: can.saygin@utrgv.edu

Brownsville • Edinburg • Harlingen