Latest News contributing to Sustainability at UTRGV and Beyond
2023 - March
RCVCoBE’s Maria Leonard named Woman of Distinction by RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Maria Leonard, an assistant professor of practice of Management with the UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, has been selected by the Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for its annual Women of Distinction recognition. The RGVHCC...
Read More
UTRGV ENACTUS Chapter’s SOAR Project students tour sustainable farm
Back in February, UTRGV’s ENACTUS Chapter members helped several students from its Sustainable Opportunities for Advancement and Recruiting (SOAR) project tour the Terra Preta Farm in Edinburg. The SOAR project is a collaboration between ENACTUS RGV, UTRGV...
Read More
UTRGV celebrates International Women’s Day by #EmbracingEquity
Positive, impactful messages of equity uplifted women and supporters on International Women’s Day, during an event March 8 at the UTRGV Ballroom in Edinburg. March is Women’s History Month, and each year, the UTRGV International Admissions and Student Services (IASS)...
Read More
UTRGV UTCRS awarded grant to promote railway transportation safety
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded UTRGV’s University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) a $10 million grant to focus on promoting safety in railway transportation systems. Dr. Constantine Tarawneh – senior associate dean...
Read More
Guy Bailey to join Excelencia in Education’s Presidents for Latino Student Success network
UTRGV President Guy Bailey is one of the newest members of the Excelencia in Education Presidents for Latino Success network. Excelencia in Education is the nation’s premier authority on efforts accelerating Latino student success in higher education. And the network...
Read More
UTRGV Graduate College hosts Graduate Fair 2023
UTRGV Graduate College will be hosting its Graduate Fair 2023 in March on the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses. The event is designed to recruit prospective students to pursue a graduate degree at UTRGV. This is the first fair of its kind to be hosted since 2018. Attendees...
Read More
UTRGV research efforts and accolades continue to grow, break internal records
When UTRGV started in 2015, one of its founding priorities was to conduct research that would have an impact on the Rio Grande Valley, the state of Texas and beyond. Eight years later, UTRGV is making good on that promise by producing record-breaking research expenditures...
Read MoreFebruary
Business owner, nurse, UTRGV alumna works to uplift community
Dr. Esther Akindayomi, a UTRGV MBA alumna and local business owner, admits she tends to overbook herself. “This is just my regular day. I multibook myself for things. They tell me and I respond, ‘OK, OK,’” she said with a laugh. “But I get to everything at the end of the day...
Read More
UTRGV alum trailblazer, innovator in Black hair care
Duru, a professional loctician, is founder and owner of the Dread House in Edinburg, where she helps clients start, maintain and style their dreadlocks. “I assist my clients in starting, growing and maintaining their locs. The foundation is the most important part...
Read More
Super bowl of science competitions: UTRGV hosts Regional Science Bowl
High school students from across the Rio Grande Valley and Corpus Christi faced off in the Super Bowl of science competitions, the 2023 Regional Science Bowl, hosted by UTRGV on Feb. 11. And only one team was victorious – W.B. Ray High School (Team 1) from Corpus Christi...
Read More
CPRIT awards UTRGV School of Medicine $6 million to advance cancer research
The UTRGV School of Medicine's South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research (ST-CECR) has been awarded $6 million by the prestigious Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), funding that will help accelerate the mission of rendering life-changing research...
Read More
Engineer’s Week: ‘Creating the Future’
Engineers Week 2023 kicked off on Friday and continues this week celebrating the theme “Creating the Future.” Hosted by the UTRGV College of Engineering & Computer Science faculty, this year’s events feature in-person and hybrid activities to get students in the community...
Read More
New rankings list UTRGV as 7th best public university in nation
A new college ratings system that highlights the economic impact of institutions, as well as the return of investment they provide students, recently ranked UTRGV as the seventh Best Public University in the nation. The inaugural ratings come from Degree Choices...
Read More
UTRGV Honors College part of consortium developing FANH innovation
The UTRGV Honors College is part of a multi-institution consortium, called the Grand Challenge Scholars Institute, tasked with developing the future workforce in the fields of food, agriculture, and natural and human sciences (FANH) by leveraging an innovative framework...
Read More
UTRGV hosting 2023 Manufacturing Expo & Exhibition
UTRGV will host its second National Manufacturing Expo and Exhibition, Feb. 16 and 17 on the Edinburg Campus. With support from two national consortia – DoD I-DREAM4D and DOE CA2REERS – the College of Engineering and Computer Science will host the two-day event...
Read MoreUTRGV to host science bowl competition for high school students
High school students will convene on The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg campus on Saturday, Feb. 11, to show off their math and science skills at the Regional Science Bowl competition. High school teams will compete head-to-head in a fast paced, gameshow style competition...
Read More
UTRGV’s Alvarez granted NEH Faculty Awards Fellowship for research on Chicana feminism
Dr. Stephanie Alvarez, UTRGV associate professor of Mexican American Studies and director of the Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS), has been awarded a research fellowship by the Dr. Stephanie Alvarez, UTRGV associate professor of Mexican American Studies and director...
Read MoreJanuary
UTRGV hosts kickoff of Texas Legislative Tour in the Valley
As the 88th Legislative Session gets underway, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley hosted legislators from across the state on two stops of their Legislative Tour of the Rio Grande Valley. RGV Partnership welcomed elected officials to a tour of the Valley to help them get acquainted...
Read More
UTRGV’s Energy & U first live show garners about 3,000 attendees
More than 3,000 elementary students and the general public witnessed the first live performance of UTRGV's “Energy & U” spectacle, a show filled with explosions, bubbles and lots of learning and fun. The science extravaganza, held recently at the UTRGV Performing Arts Center in Edinburg was....
Read More
UTRGV’s Razo awarded grant to improve area mental health services for children
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley a $5.7 million grant to address the shortage of mental health service professionals in schools. UTRGV will receive more than $1.4 million a year for five years from the Department...
Read More
Groundbreaking held for new collegiate academy in McAllen
UTRGV and the McAllen Independent School District broke ground today on the new UTRGV-McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy to serve the students in the area. This is a historic partnership that will give McAllen high school students a head start in their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree, allowing them...
Read More
UTRGV School of Medicine commended for its Graduate Medical Education Program
The UTRGV School of Medicine’s physician training program has been granted continued accreditation from the national council charged with evaluating and accrediting Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs across the United States. In a letter dated Jan. 11 from the Accreditation Council...
Read More
UTRGV volunteers give back on MLK Day of Service
Rakes and shovels in hand, Jay Sanchez, a senior majoring in computer software engineering at UTRGV, brought members of his fraternity to volunteer at Restlawn Cemetery in Edinburg on Monday morning in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who had a vision...
Read More
UTRGV SOPM faculty share surgical amputation education internationally
A UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine faculty member has been recognized at the international level for his work in educating physicians. Dr. Hooman Mir, SOPM assistant professor of medicine and faculty senator, recently led surgical amputation workshops at an annual conference hosted by Imperial...
Read More
Las Huellas Association creates endowed fund at UTRGV for student scholarships
UTRGV has announced the Las Huellas Association Endowed Fund (Las Huellas Fund), which benefits students in the university’s College of Sciences. The Las Huellas endowment – a gift in the amount of $500,000 – provides scholarships to students pursuing a wildlife habitat conservation career...
Read More
UTRGV one of just three Special Olympics National Unified Champion Schools in Texas
UTRGV’s effort to host athletic activities for special needs students and fill the gap left when they graduate from public school has been officially recognized by the Special Olympics. UTRGV met the 10 standards...
Read More
UTRGV students plant trees in San Carlos community
UTRGV students and faculty helped in the restoring of local nature on Dec. 10 during the Precinct 4 Community Forest Restoration Planting Event. The event, held at the San Carlos Endowment Center, was an opportunity for students to plant trees to reforest one acre of the center. The effort was...
Read MoreFall 2022
2022 - December
UTRGV AmeriCorps gets additional funding to continue college readiness services to area high school students
The OneStar Foundation, the Texas-based non-profit that administers AmeriCorps funding in the state and advances national services to combat social challenges, has allocated more than $900,000 for the 2022-2023 academic year of AmeriCorps operations at UTRGV...
Read More
UTRGV to gain new graduate program in biomedical engineering in Fall 2023
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley plans to offer a new graduate program – a master of science degree in Biomedical Engineering – starting Fall 2023, as part of the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science. The program has received approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinatin...
Read More
UTRGV RCVCOBE names six new Kemper Scholars
Six UTRGV students recently were awarded scholarships from the Kemper Corporation’s philanthropic arm, the Kemper Foundation, and are now identified as Kemper Scholars. The new cohort of scholars for this academic year is: Kayla Flores, of Sullivan City, junior, Marketing major...
Read More
UTRGV lauded by Forbes for quality, affordable education
Continuing a landmark year highlighted by ranking accolades, UTRGV again has attracted the attention of Forbes magazine. Using price-to-earning metrics compiled by Washington, D.C.-based think tank Third Way, Forbes determined which universities offer the best return on investment in education. Edward Conroy, a Forbes contributor, writes on education policy...
Read More
UTRGV marks graduation of Fall 2022 cohort of Sustainability Fellows
The UTRGV Office for Sustainability held a reception Dec. 1 to recognize Sustainability Fellows completing their one-year program. The Graduate Sustainability Research Fellowship, funded by the university’s Division of Research and coordinated through the Office for Sustainability, connects research with sustainable development...
Read More 
The Wall that Heals exhibit to be on display April 20-23 at UTRGV
A 375-foot-long replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall will be on display at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on April 20-23, 2023. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) recently chose UTRGV as a stop on the 2023 national The Wall that Heals tour that includes the replica wall and a mobile Education Center...
Read More November
UTRGV marks ninth Tree Campus designation with Arbor Day plantings
UTRGV Facilities Planning and Operations, in collaboration with the Office for Sustainability, held a Texas Arbor Day celebration Nov. 14-15 to mark the university’s ninth consecutive Tree Campus Higher Education designation. ¨More than just a commemoration of Texas Arbor Day, these tree planting ceremonies, commemorate all that our facilities and grounds crews do...
Read More 
UTRGV pipeline programs paving paths for the underrepresented in health professions
Through two pipeline programs – the Vaqueros MD Early Assurance Program formed by UTRGV and the Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP) created by the Texas Legislature – the UTRGV School of Medicine increasingly is recruiting talented and diverse students to learn more about medical careers and grant them the opportunity to attend medical school...
Read More 
UTRGV, USMFS awarded federal grant to fund solar startups
UTRGV is part of a series of 18 projects the U. S. Department of Energy has funded to promote equity and diversity in clean energy innovation. The $3.6 million – the U.S. DOE’s Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize – awarded to the projects supports teams of entrepreneurs, community organizers, nonprofits and academic institutions working to achieve energy justice in clean energy...
Read More 
UTRGV’s Ramezani awarded NSF grant to advance quantum research
Dr. Hamidreza Ramezani, associate professor in the UTRGV Department of Physics and Astronomy, has received a three-year (2022-2025), $800,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to perform research in quantum optics. Quantum optics is the study of how photons as individual quantum particles can be used to build the next generation of quantum computers and devices...
Read More 
UTRGV Center for Latin American Arts receives grant for Flamenco, art programs
The UTRGV Center for Latin American Arts (CLAA) has been awarded $20,000 by the Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation to host a new project titled “A La Música y Arte: A Series of Flamenco Concerts and Workshops and Student Art Exhibitions in the Rio Grande Valley in 2022-2023.” This is CLAA’s second grant from the Alice Kleberg Reynolds (AKR) Foundation...
Read More
UTRGV signs agreement with U.S. Army Research Lab
UTRGV has a new partnership with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to share research resources to benefit both groups. The partnership, which went into effect in May 2022, was formally signed by UTRGV on April 7 during the I-DREAM4D National Manufacturing Expo on the Edinburg Campus. Dr. Jianzhi “James” Li, UTRGV professor...
Read More
UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine holds first White Coat Ceremony
Students in the inaugural cohort of the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine donned their white coats for the first time last Friday, marking their official participation as student-doctors. The school’s first White Coat ceremony, held Oct. 28 at the Harlingen Convention Center, introduced the 27 students of the Class of 2026...
Read MoreOctober
UTRGV hosts early voting sites, open to public
Do you have five minutes? Because that is how long it takes to early vote at UTRGV. The university is hosting early voting polling sites on both the Brownsville and Edinburg campuses, to give students and the Rio Grande Valley community a chance to participate in the Nov. 8 general election. Locations and times follow...
Read More
UTRGV awarded Kellogg social impact grant
UTRGV’s Agroecology and Resilient Food Systems Program and UTRGV’s Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Advancement have been awarded a social impact grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to expand and accelerate efforts to build resilient and equitable food systems in the Rio Grande Valley. Dr. Alexis Racelis...
Read More
UTRGV College of Business and Entrepreneurship accepted into Internal Auditing Education Program
UTRGV’s Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship has been accepted into the Internal Auditing Education Partnership (IAEP) Program as an IAEP Internal Audit Foundation Program. IAEP Program schools are colleges and universities teaching an internal auditing curriculum within a degree program endorsed by the...
Read More
Grant to give student parents at UTRGV a boost with child care services
Student parents attending The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will have some much-needed help when it comes to child care services for their little ones thanks to a nearly $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Low-income, Pell-eligible student parents will be able to take advantage of the Child Care Access...
Read More
UTRGV researcher seeking participants for Alzheimer’s study
A UTRGV researcher is seeking participants for a research study about a family situation common in the Rio Grande Valley: caring for an elder with Alzheimer’s Disease. As an only child, Dr. Lin (Helen) Jiang, assistant professor in the UTRGV School of Social Work, felt responsible for providing constant care for her ailing mother, who was battling cancer...
Read More
UTRGV’s UTeach program celebrates 10-year anniversary
UTRGV celebrated UTeach’s 10-year anniversary of building future, professional teachers for the Rio Grande Valley and beyond with an honorary banquet. The event was held on Oct. 6, 2022, at the UTRGV Edinburg Campus ballroom. UTeach is a secondary-teacher preparation program for science and mathematics majors at UTRGV, which was developed according...
Read More
Breaking down barriers UTRGV alum becomes ‘Blended Learning’ trailblazer for Harlingen school district
Educator’s often help change lives, push boundaries and create positive changes in the community. UTRGV alumna and Harlingen educator Dr. Jessica Hruska works to do all that, and more. Hruska graduated from UTRGV in 2018 with a doctorate in curriculum and education. She has worked in education for more than a decade – teaching in the classroom, and as a grant specialist...
Read MoreSeptember
UT Health RGV neuroscientist shares hope for substance abuse, mental disorder recovery
September is National Recovery Month, which aims to educate the community on substance use treatment and the mental health services available to empower those with a mental disorder and substance dependency. Dr. Ihsan Salloum – the Sujata G. Krishnan Endowed Chair, Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long distinguished professor in Neuroscience, founding chair...
Read More
UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine to open Regenerative Medicine research lab
UTRGV researcher Dr. Claudia Biguetti, an assistant professor of medicine at the university, is establishing a new research lab in the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine focused on improving bone healing and regeneration. Aided by a recent $125,000 Rising STARs grant from the UT System, Biguetti will be able to work in a regenerative medicine research lab to study ways to...
Read More
UTRGV welcomes activist Dolores Huerta for symposium
Si, se puede! Yes, you can! It’s a powerful call to action, a rallying cry to forge ahead, to try, and to succeed. The embodiment of that sentiment – renowned Mexican American labor activist Dolores Huerta – visited UTRGV on Monday for a special panel hosted in honor of Huerta’s pioneering work, along with Cesar Chavez, in cofounding the United Farm Workers (UFW)...
Read More
UT Health RGV board-certified psychiatrist shares importance of suicide prevention
Since 2003, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month has been a somber reminder of the need for an annual mental health check. Every Sept., world health organizations mark their collaboration to raise awareness that suicide can be averted. Dr. Alcides Amador, MD, a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, assistant professor, and psychiatry clerkship director...
Read More
UTRGV admits the largest cohort of the PACT program
The most recent – and largest –group of the Physician Assistant Career Track (PACT) Early Assurance Program for high school students is now enrolled at UTRGV. PACT, in the university’s Department of Physician Assistant Studies, College of Health Professions, allows high school students to enter the Early Assurance Program, which provides a seamless transition into...
Read More
UTRGV ranks first among Texas public universities for Least Student Debt
U.S. News and World Report’s 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings has placed UTRGV first among Texas Public Universities and third among National Public Universities for Least Student Debt. The university continues to have one of the lowest average tuitions among Texas Public Universities, and about 21 percent of UTRGV freshmen receive federal loans....
Read More
UTRGV, STC sign joint admissions agreement
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and South Texas College have signed a joint admissions agreement – called “STC 2 UTRGV” – which will create an easy pathway for STC students to transition to UTRGV. Through STC 2 UTRGV, STC students who are not yet eligible for admission to UTRGV will be able to earn university credits while developing the academic skills necessary...
Read More
UTRGV awarded $1.25M NSF grant to increase the representation of Latina faculty in STEM
UTRGV has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) titled "ADVANCE Partnership: Transforming HSI STEM Departmental Climate for Faculty Success.” This is the second ADVANCE grant UTRGV has obtained that focuses on increasing the representation of Latina faculty in STEM, which is the ultimate goal of the project...
Read More
UTRGV named second among Texas public universities in latest Washington Monthly rankings
UTRGV started the first week of the Fall 2022 semester with great news – ranking second among all Texas public universities. Washington Monthly recently released its annual national College Guide and Rankings and, among more than 400 schools, placed UTRGV as the 45th best public university in the United States and second in Texas -- behind Texas A&M and ahead of The University of Texas at Austin
Read MoreAugust
UTRGV PAC art exhibit features Valley nature themes
"Sophia’s Song," showcasing artwork by Rio Grande Valley-based artist Jessica Monroe, is on exhibit at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex (PAC) on the Edinburg Campus. The exhibit, which runs through the end of the fall semester in December, is free and open to the public. Monroe’s paintings, completed over the course of several years, focus on the Valley’s natural assets...
Read More
UTRGV and Texas Tribune host panel to discuss challenges in higher education for Hispanic Texans
UTRGV and the Texas Tribune came together Tuesday to create an open dialogue focused on diversity and student success in Texas. The panel, titled “Serving Hispanic Students in Texas,” was held at the PlainsCapital Bank El Gran Salón on the UTRGV Brownsville Campus. Three distinguished educators on the panel spoke to critical questions about the measures needed...
Read More
UT Health RGV Student Health accreditation renewed by AAAHC
UT Health RGV Student Health, which helps meet the medical needs of UTRGV students free of charge, has been for renewed for accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. As an accredited organization, UT Health RGV Student Health continuously has met the nationally recognized standards for quality health care...
Read More
Villalobos recognized on UTRGV campus by Congressman Vicente Gonzalez for 2020 national award
Dr. Cristina Villalobos, a Myles and Sylvia Aaronson Endowed professor in the UTRGV School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, associate dean for the College of Sciences and founding director of the Center of Excellence in STEM Education, was honored by Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) for her 2020 recognition from the White House...
Read More
UTRGV SOM employee selected as first Johns Hopkins-Bloomberg Fellow from the Valley
UTRGV School of Medicine program coordinator Ivette Chavarria Torres has been selected as a Bloomberg Fellow, and will receive a grant to cover the costs of completing a Master of Public Health degree at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD. Torres is the first from the Rio Grande Valley to receive such an appointment, according ...
Read More
UTRGV establishes Center for Equity in Engineering for Fall 2022
UTRGV has been awarded a $1,199,998 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish the Center for Equity in Engineering: Engage, Educate, Enrich (CEE-E3). The new center is designed to broaden participation in engineering studies and bolster early engagement in engineering for middle to high school students. “I am thrilled, honored and appreciative...
Read More
Inaugural cohort seated for UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine
UTRGV’s School of Podiatric Medicine – the first in Texas and one of only 10 in the country – is welcoming its very first cohort of 27 students, five of them from the Rio Grande Valley. Orientation activities started Aug. 1, 2022, followed by a dean’s reception ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 2, at the Harlingen Convention Center. The 27 students – 15 female and 12 male...
Read More
UTRGV social work professor wins award at Society for Prevention Research conference
Dr. Tamara Al Rawwad, an assistant professor in the UTRGV School of Social Work, recently earned the Abstract of Distinction Award for a collaborative research paper that investigated how community-clinic networks may help increase the preventive use of prophylaxis among men of color to help stem the spread HIV. The 2022 Annual Meeting...
Read More
UTRGV, City of Brownsville, Museum of Fine Arts hosting special Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit on farmworker Huerta
A special Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit, “DOLORES HUERTA: Revolution in the Fields / Revolución en los Campos,” will be on display at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts through Oct. 1. UTRGV, the City of Brownsville and the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art collaborated to bring the traveling exhibit to Brownsville. “This is an extremely exciting...
Read MoreSummer 2022
July
UTRGV researcher developing AI to identify brain tumors
The likelihood of developing a cancerous brain tumor in your lifetime is less than one percent, but if you did, you would rely heavily on your doctor’s ability to identify the mass from MRI scans. Currently, physicians spend considerable time manually detecting the size and shape of tumor structures, which can delay detection of tumor growth and result...
Read More
UTRGV and RGV Partnership Foundation to provide local businesses with free digital literacy trainings
UTRGV is teaming up with the RGV Partnership Foundation to conduct free digital literacy trainings for regional businesses, starting in mid-August. The training will be funded by a $25,000 grant from the AT&T Foundation. The grant was announced July 19 at a press conference held at the UTRGV Community Engagement & Student Success Building (ECESS) in Edinburg....
Read More
UT Health RGV dermatologist urges protection from sun, harmful UV rays
This month, Ultraviolet (UV) Safety Month, highlights the importance of keeping safe from UV exposure and reminds the community to stay protected from the sun’s potentially harmful ultraviolet rays. Dr. Maria Villegas, M.D., division chief of Dermatology at UT Health RGV and assistant professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery-Dermatology at The UTRGV School of Medicine...
Read More
UTRGV awarded $2.3 million federal grant to continue College Assistance Migrant Program
UTRGV’s College Assistance Migrant Program has been awarded $2.3 million in federal funding to recruit and enroll 45 eligible migrant seasonal farmworker (MSFW) students who are engaged, or whose parents are engaged, in migrant and other seasonal farm work during their first year of college. The award, from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Migrant Education...
Read More
USDA selects UTRGV’s Pereira as 2022 E. Kika De La Garza Science Fellow
Dr. Engil Isadora Pereira, assistant professor in the UTRGV School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences, has been selected to participate in the 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship program. Nationally, 20 fellows were selected. Pereira is one of only five Science Fellows in the group. Since 1998, the annual...
Read More
UTRGV named top college by Money Magazine
Another reputable national publication has singled out UTRGV for the value it provides students. Money Magazine has named UTRGV a top college in its list of Best Colleges, which focuses on the overall value of education among the 2,400 four-year colleges it reviewed. UTRGV ranked third in Texas, right behind Texas A&M and UT Austin, and 76th in the country...
Read More
Pell Grant turns 50
It has been 50 years since the Pell Grant program was created to help expand college access to students who otherwise may not have been able to afford pursuing a higher education. A recently published Forbes.com article says Pell Grants have supported 80 million students since the program’s inception in 1972. UTRGV President Guy Bailey said...
Read More
Heroes-in-training take over Team Mario’s summer camp at UTRGV
That line from Marvel’s TV show “Ms. Marvel” perfectly sums up the final day this year of Team Mario’s Fun Friday Summer Camp. Team Mario is a non-profit organization designed to educate, support and advocate for children and families affected by the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This year was the first time since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic...
Read More
Dr. Juliet V. Garcia to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Dr. Juliet V. Garcia, former longtime president of The University of Texas at Brownsville, will be presented with the nation’s highest civilian honor, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, on Thursday, July 7, in Washington D.C. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions...
Read MoreJune
Uncovered Spaces, exhibition centered on female and LGBTQIA+ artists
Uncovered Spaces communicates a welcoming message that the UTRGV Center for Latin American Arts (CLAA) supports the LGBTQIA+ community and the inclusion of all voices. Uncovered Spaces is an exhibition and event series centering on LGBTQIA+ and female artists that opened on March 26 and is set to continue until July 10 at the International Museum of Art & Science...
Read More
UTRGV names senior vice president for Research and dean of the Graduate College
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley announced today the appointment of Dr. Can (pronounced John) Saygin as the new senior vice president for Research and dean of the Graduate College, effective Aug. 1, 2022. “I am looking forward to playing an impactful role in developing and implementing the vision, programs, and infrastructure that will continue...
Read More
UTRGV names inaugural dean of School of Podiatric Medicine
Dr. Javier La Fontaine has been appointed the inaugural dean of the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine (SOPM), effective July 1, 2022. La Fontaine has served as associate dean of Academic Affairs for the SOPM since January and played an integral role in the school being granted candidacy by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME)...
Read More
Drs. Subram and Elizabeth Krishnan establish scholarship for outstanding fourth-year medical students
Dr. Subram Krishnan, Dr. Michael Hocker, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine and senior vice president for UT Health RGV, and Dr. Elizabeth Krishnan. The Krishnans have been generous donors to UTRGV since 2016. Their most recent investment in the School of Medicine is an award for outstanding fourth-year medical students that funds the total cost...
Read More
UTRGV Center for Innovation & Commercialization announces second annual Startup Resource Expo
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Center for Innovation & Commercialization will hold its second annual Startup Resource Expo Thursday, June 23, in Weslaco. Free and open to the Rio Grande Valley community, this event will provide the opportunity for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to connect with numerous organizations...
Read More
Juneteenth resources readily available at UTRGV Library
The UTRGV Library recently accumulated available resources to the UTRGV community and beyond to help commemorate the national holiday. Raquel Estrada, UTRGV Acquisitions and Collection Development Librarian, said she and fellow colleagues put together Lib Guides and downloadable scholarly posters, under ScholarWorks at UTRGV, listing books...
Read More
UTRGV ‘ALL IN’ for College Student Voting
UTRGV recently accomplished an All IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a national initiative committed to engaging higher education institutions in the democratic process by encouraging students to vote. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Campuses that join...
Read More
UTRGV granted candidacy for state’s first School of Podiatric Medicine
UTRGV is now the first university in Texas – and one of only 10 in the nation – ready to prepare and graduate Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPM). The UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine has been granted candidacy by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME). The Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) program has also been approved...
Read More
UTRGV medical student advocates for LGBTQIA+ Health
Mittal's passion and work for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) health and advocacy stood out among the many nominees for the award. Mittal, who comes to UTRGV from Colombia University with a master's degree in public health - said it has always been a goal to uplift those who identify as LGBTQIA+...
Read More
UTRGV hosts summer camps for all ages
UTRGV will be hosting numerous summer camps throughout June and July on both the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses. The programs range from engineering to athletics to the fine arts for Rio Grande Valley elementary and high school students. UTRGV 2022 Summer Camps include the following: Railway Safety Summer Camp...
Read More
UTRGV researchers awarded grant to study motor recovery in stroke survivors
Dr. Michael R. Dobbs, professor and chair of the Department of Neurology in the UTRGV School of Medicine, has been awarded a $443,963 grant to research the motor recovery, along with the brain and spine degeneration, of 30 stroke survivors over the next three years. The grant was awarded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)...
Read More
Experiential learning remains at heart of UTRGV Campus Food Security Initiative
UTRGV launched its Campus Food Security Initiative (CFSI) in April 2020, during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns. The main goal was to address systemic issues, like food insecurity, on college campuses. And, in addition to helping feed the campus community, CFSI was designed with a unique, underlying goal- to create experiential learning opportunities...
Read MoreSpring 2022
May
ASLI program graduates ready to contribute to deaf community
Seven students comprising the first cohort to graduate from UTRGV's American Sign Language Interpretation (ASLI) Bachelor of Science degree program are poised to join a limited, in-demand group of interpreters in the Rio Grande Valley. The program launched in 2020, and the graduates are now preparing to take their certification exams...
Read More
UT Health RGV urges women to get annual health and wellness check-ups
Every year during May, for Women's Health Month, reminders go out to women to prioritize their health and well-being. The objective is to encourage them to put their health at the top of their to-do lists, to put themselves first for a while and help them understand what they can do for their own welfare. Denise De Los Santos, assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics...
Read More
First-year UTRGV med student aims to make a difference in mental health
Valley native Lesley Chapa didn't always want to be a doctor- until she had a chance to shadow an internal medicine physician from McAllen during her undergrad studies. "He had a strong sense of commitment to his patient population," she said. And that commitment motivated her to think about a career in healthcare, especially one focused on diversity...
Read More
UTRGV Engineering Technology Program signs MOU with Catholic Diocese for solar panel project
Dr. Jesus Gonzalez, assistant professor of practice, UTRGV Engineering Technology Program; Eugenio "Gene" Reyes, engineering technology student; and Dr. Immanuel Edinbarough, professor, UTRGV Engineering Technology Program, have partnered with the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville to help the organization find a reputable solar panel company to carry out installations...
Read More
UTRGV and STC gain new grant to enhance visibility of agriculture careers
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, in partnership with South Texas College, has received a $750,000 grant to train students in agriculture careers and to create a pathway between the two institutions. The five-year grant, designed to foster education through to the university level, is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture...
Read More
UTRGV faculty offering training in deaf culture for first-responders
Starting May 16, 2022, UTRGV faculty will be providing a free, six-week training in American Sign Language (ASL) to first-responders from Brownsville, Edinburg and McAllen at the municipal police departments. Dr. Brian Cheslik, assistant professor and program coordinator for the American Sign Language and Interpretation (ASLI) degree program at UTRGV...
Read More
Ten faculty named recipients of UTRGV Faculty Excellence Awards
Ten faculty members have been named recipients of the 2021-2022 UTRGV Faculty Excellence Awards. The awards are given annually and recognize UTRGV faculty who have demonstrated outstanding work in seven areas: teaching (both for tenure/tenure-track and non-tenure track ranks), online teaching, research, service, student mentoring, community-engaged...
Read More
On the Right Track: UTRGV professor, students, license patent for innovative railcar inventions
UTRGV professor Dr. Constantine M. Tarawneh and several generations of student collaborators have invented and licensed the patent for a railroad industry improvement with the potential to become the global safety standard. Tarawneh, senior associate dean for Research and Graduate Programs and director of the University Transportation Center for...
Read More
UTRGV ranks among nation’s top 10 schools for Hispanics in STEM careers
UTRGV has been included in The Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine’s first-ever list of the top 10 schools in the country for Hispanics/Latinos in STEM careers. The ranking, listed in the upcoming issue on May 9, is based on the number of graduate degrees (including all master’s and Ph.D. degrees) granted to Hispanics/Latinos in the eight STEM fields. ...
Read More
UTRGV students garner 90 awards at local, regional advertising competitions
UTRGV students logged big wins in American Advertising Federation competitions this year at both the local and regional levels, with 90 awards. In the American Advertising Federation (AAF) District 10 regional competition, four UTRGV graphic design students won five accolades. The winners from the UTRGV School of Art and Design (SOAD) garnered one...
Read More
UTRGV Student Media, Gallery Magazine bring home 53 TIPA awards
UTRGV Student Media and UTRGV’s Gallery Magazine brought home a total of 53 wins at the 2022 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Convention. TIPA, founded in 1909, is recognized as the oldest state collegiate press association in the country. This year’s convention was held March 23-26 in Fort Worth and was the first in-person TIPA event since 2020 due to...
Read MoreApril
UTRGV establishes MOU with UT System Center in Laredo
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and The University of Texas System Education and Research Center at Laredo (UT Center at Laredo) have announced an expansion of a collaboration to offer degrees in social work. UTRGV and the UT System established a Memorandum of Understanding to expand UTRGV’s social work program both at the undergraduate and graduate levels at the UT Center Laredo. Dr. Janna Arney, UTRGV provost and...
Read More
Graduate student encourages fellow Vaqueros to make the most of internship opportunities
Can you imagine having not one, but five – yes, five – internship opportunities? UTRGV international student Martin Alejandro Galicia Avila doesn’t have to imagine it, though. He has been able to build a substantial résumé by interning with major manufacturing companies while studying for his master’s degree in engineering management...
Read More
UTRGV to celebrate its largest online fundraising event, Day of Giving, April 26
UTRGV this year will host its annual Day of Giving – the university’s largest online annual fundraising event – on Tuesday, April 26. Day of Giving is an opportunity for university alumni, faculty and staff to show support for expanding UTRGV’s educational opportunities. Gifts provide scholarships for students and fund innovative faculty and programs...
Read More
UTRGV SEEMS get Brownsville Campus buzzing about pollinators
Have you ever looked in your yard and wondered, what purpose does this tree have? For Earth Fest, hosted by the UTRGV Office of Sustainability from April 18 to 22, the university planted a tree native to the Valley that promotes pollination – a sideroxylon celastrinum, also known as a coma. The small, native evergreen tree, flowers profusely in the spring and...
Read More
Parwinder Grewal named inaugural president of Vermont State University
The Board of Trustees of the Vermont State Colleges System announced Monday that Dr. Parwinder Grewal has accepted the position of inaugural president at Vermont State University (VSU), effective July 1, 2022. VSU, comprised of the current Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College, will be the first statewide, hybrid ...
Read More
UTRGV’s Linda Nelson one of seven national ‘Nexstar Woman of the Year’ finalists
KVEO-TV, a Nexstar Media Inc. television station airing in the Valley on Channel 23, has chosen UTRGV’s Dr. Linda Nelson as its top “Remarkable Woman of the Year 2022.” The award is part of Nexstar’s celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, and is designed to honor the influence women have on public policy, social progress and quality of life...
Read More
UTRGV named Institutional Catalyst of the Year by Teach for America Rio Grande Valley
UTRGV was honored as the region’s Institutional Catalyst of the Year during the Teach for America Rio Grande Valley Honor Roll Gala on Friday, April 8, at Quinta Mazatlán in McAllen. The honor is in recognition for overall performance as a university, but especially for UTRGV’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Support systems and resources had to immediatel...
Read More
UTRGV Enactus and faculty advisor earn national SBAA Societal Impact Award
The mission of UTRGV’s Enactus chapter is to help make lasting, positive impacts in the community – a mission that has been heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The student organization each year focuses on putting community projects into action. During the pandemic, students in UTRGV’s Enactus knew they would have to step up how they connect with community...
Read More
UTRGV I-DREAM4D hosts national manufacturing expo for middle, high school students
Dozens of students filled the UTRGV Performing Arts Center on the Edinburg Campus this week to learn about the endless possibilities of manufacturing engineering. The UTRGV I-DREAM4D Consortium hosted its first National Manufacturing Exhibition in Edinburg on April 7 and 8. Middle school students attended on day one, and high school students...
Read More
AACSB’s Innovations That Inspire initiative recognizes UTRGV Enactus Chapter
AACSB International (AACSB) announced UTRGV’s Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship among 24 business schools highlighted in its Innovations That Inspire member spotlight program. The annual program recognizes institutions from around the world that serve as champions of change in the business education landscape. UTRGV RCVCOBE was recognized...
Read More
UTRGV Center for Mexican American Studies hosts Literary Landmark unveiling in honor of Gloria Anzaldúa
El Retorno Al Valle: Literary Landmark Unveiling and Symposium honoring Gloria Anzaldúa was held at her alma mater, UTRGV, on Monday, March 28, on the Edinburg Campus. A symposium about Anzaldúa was held during the day at the UTRGV Ballroom, and in her honor, the literary landmark unveiling – attended by Anzaldua’s family and the UTRGV community – was held...
Read More
Brownsville City Commission: Broadband fiber network conversations begin
Last Wednesday, the Brownsville City Commission gave the green light to authorize a term sheet that will further memorialize forthcoming legal instruments for a broadband internet network that would improve reception. If brought to fruition, Brownsville would have better internet through 100% of a 93-mile radius...
Read More
UTRGV professors awarded NSF grant to offer Research Experiences for Undergraduates program
Two professors in the UTRGV School of Mathematics and Statistical Sciences have been awarded a $324,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to fund a program on Applied Mathematics and Computational and Data Science designed to help students grow as mathematicians. Associate Professor Erwin Suazo...
Read More
UTRGV Chess Team hosts first women-only collegiate chess tournament to support women in the sport
The UTRGV Chess Team wants to elevate women in the chess world, so on Sunday, March 27, it hosted the second annual Shining Chess Jewels Top Four Tournament. The UTRGV Women’s Team came in second overall in this women-only event. Originally scheduled for in-person competition, it was moved to ...
Read MoreMarch
Third Way: UTRGV ranks fourth in country for students’ economic mobility
UTRGV was recently ranked fourth nationally among the Top 10 schools that offer the most economic mobility for their students. Third Way, a national nonprofit think tank, announced the ranking in a recent report entitled “Out With the Old, In With the New: Rating Higher Ed by Economic Mobility.” Third Way developed the economic mobility ranking by examining ...
Read More
UTRGV medical student headed to Harvard Med
In honor of National Doctors’ Day 2022 – marked on March 30 this year – a UTRGV School of Medicine fourth-year med student, Adriana Saavedra-Simmons, shared her own journey to becoming a doctor and her plans for giving back to her community as a physician. Saavedra Simmons is headed to...
Read More
UTRGV I-DREAM4D to host National Manufacturing Exhibition
The UTRGV I-DREAM4D Consortium is hosting its first National Manufacturing Exhibition in Edinburg on April 7 and 8. The two-day event will be geared toward middle and high school students, teachers and college students from the Valley. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore engineer...
Read More
UT Health RGV's Gomez talks about neurology for Multiple Sclerosis Month
March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, so to bring awareness to the neuroinflammatory disorder, UT Health RGV neurologist Dr. Francisco Pascual Gomez will discuss MS and efforts to provide services for the Valley and beyond. Gomez, a multiple sclerosis specialist, assistant professor of Neurology and Neurology clerkship...
Read More
UTRGV announces ION’s Salloum as the Sujata G. Krishnan Endowed Chair in Neuroscience
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has announced the appointment of Dr. Ihsan Salloum as the endowed chair in the Institute of Neuroscience benefiting the UTRGV School of Medicine. The university made the official announcement March 21, 2022, at the Rio Bank Building in McAllen. The gift was named in honor of Sujata G. Krishnan...
Read More
UTRGV partners with two area school districts to establish Collegiate High Schools
Two Rio Grande Valley school districts today signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with UTRGV in support of the development and implementation of Collegiate High Schools. The McAllen Independent School District and the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District made the committment to provide their students additional opportunities...
Read More
UTRGV RCVCOBE partners with Kemper Foundation, introduces new Kemper Scholars Program
UTRGV is one of 10 universities in the country selected by the Kemper Foundation as a partner in the Kemper Scholars Program, which helps support potential, diverse students who demonstrate financial need and interest in a career in business. The foundation, philanthropic arm of the Kemper...
Read More
UTRGV fourth-year medical students celebrate Match Day 2022
The UTRGV School of Medicine's Class of 2022 celebrated its annual Match Day on Friday, March 18, with 51 medical students who applied to residency programs across the United States. This year marked the third Match Day for the UTRGV School of Medicine – and the first as dean of the School of Medicine for Dr. Michael B. Hocker....
Read More
IMAS and UTRGV CLAA collaborate for exhibition, workshops centered on female and LGBTQIA+ artists
Uncovered Spaces, an exhibition and event series centered on female artists and LGBTQIA+ artists exploring the social structures that mediate everyday experiences, will be hosted by the International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) from March 26 through July 10 in McAllen. UTRGV students, faculty and staff have free admission to...
Read More
UTRGV researcher investigating Alzheimer’s in Valley’s elders
Maestre awarded $2.9 million for multi-factor study. In deep South Texas, where two counties have the highest rate of Alzheimer’s Disease in the country, Dr. Gladys Maestre’s research on the brain is motivated by the Hispanic population’s focus on its elders – and their memory loss. “Elders are the keepers of the family memories, the efforts of those who...
Read More
UT System Regents, Chancellor deliver on ‘Promise’ to provide tuition relief to UTRGV students
As part of its continued commitment to support The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and its remarkable rise as a major Hispanic-serving University, the UT System Board of Regents recently created a new $300 million endowment to reduce the cost of higher education for undergraduate students and their families at all UT academic institutions, including UTRGV...
Read More
UTRGV commemorates International Women’s Day with luncheon in Brownsville
March is Women’s History Month, and UTRGV on Tuesday celebrated International Women’s Day on the Brownsville Campus with a special luncheon. International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Each year, the UTRGV International Admissions and Student Services office in the Division of Strat...
Read More
UTRGV School of Music, Quinta Mazatlán partner for free music series
The public is invited to enjoy great music and the great outdoors at “Music in the Park: A Festival of Music and Nature in the Rio Grande Valley,” a free concert series established through a collaboration between the UTRGV School of Music and Quinta Mazatlán in McAllen. The free concert series was made possible thanks to a recently awarded a grant for $50,000...
Read More
UTRGV School of Medicine awarded grant to address mental health in physicians
You go to the doctor to get your check-up, but have you ever thought, “Who checks up on my doctor?” Now, funded by a $1.75 million grant, the UTRGV School of Medicine is looking to address just that – the mental health of physicians and ways to support and improve it. As part of the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)‘s Fortify Resilience Initi...
Read More
UTRGV conference to address COVID-19 and Latino behavioral health challenges
The UTRGV School of Social Work is co-hosting a special conference – “Latino Behavioral Health Disparities in the COVID-19 Era: Strengthening Our Communities as We Move Forward” – from March 7-8. Dr. Luis Torres-Hostos, Ph.D., founding dean and professor, UTRGV School of Social Work, said the conference will discuss lessons learned from service providers and...
Read More
UTRGV recognized for 40 top-ranking online degree programs for 2022
UTRGV has been recognized for 40 top-ranked online degree programs for 2022 by online magazine Intelligent.com. Intelligent.com is a resource for online/on-campus program rankings and higher education planning. It named UTRGV to highly ranked categories based on flexibility, cost, faculty, course strength and reputation. Dr. Janna Arney, UTRGV executive vice...
Read MoreFebruary
$5M project to address drainage issues
A new underground system aimed at improving storm drainage on the Edinburg campus is in the works along with other amenities such as new landscaping, barbecue pavilions and a stage. There is an existing storm sewer line running across the Quad, according to Daniel Sharp, a landscape architect with Ten Eyck Landscape Architects, the firm in charge of the projet...
Read More
UTRGV student wins $25,000 college grant from Bimbo USA
TListen to your mother, because that could win you $25,000. Just ask UTRGV student Mario Valadez, who took his mother’s advice and now is one of four Bimbo USA College Grant Sweepstakes grand prize winners. Back in fall 2021, Valadez and his mother were watching the morning news on Univision Noticias 48 and heard about the Bimbo grant competition....
Read More
Federal EDA official visits eBridge Center and Brownsville Campus
The collaborative eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization at UTRGV had a special visit from Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo, U.S. Economic Development Administration.The visit started with a tour of the site for the center, currently under renovation, in the heart of downtown Brownsville in the former Casa del Nylon...
Read More
UTRGV SEEMS faculty member published in high-impact journal, Science
Dr. Rafael Almeida, a new assistant professor in the School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences at UTRGV, has research interests that hit close to home in the Rio Grande Valley – specifically, sustainability and freshwater ecology. The Brazilian-born scientist recently joined UTRGV from Cornell University in New York, where he had spent the past three years working on his post-doctoral studies. While in Ithaca, he was part...
Read More
UTRGV home to doctoral program in Occupational Therapy
The UTRGV Department of Occupational Therapy has transitioned its master’s program into a doctoral program. As part of the university’s College of Health Professions, the OT program provides student-centered instruction to prepare future practitioners for working with people anywhere on the life span continuum who need physical, sensory or cognitive assistance...
Read More
UTRGV welcomes first students working toward doctorate in Physics
Eight UTRGV students are making history as the first to be accepted to the new Ph.D. program in physics at UTRGV. Moises Castillo, a Los Fresnos native and UT-Brownsville alumnus, has been with the university’s Physics program since he stepped onto the Brownsville Campus almost 14 years ago. Now a part-time lecturer in the astronomy and general physics labs at...
Read More
UTRGV receives $1 million to help enhance campus life
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley announced Friday that the UTRGV Foundation is allocating $1 million to the university to help support campus life initiatives that were approved last year by a student referendum. Last November, UTRGV students voted to approve an increase to the athletics fee that will help fund the expansion of spirit programs and the establishment of a marching band, women’s swimming and diving, and football. The allocation by the UTRGV Foundation will be used to...
Read More
UTRGV educational technologists, grads, rise to quarantine’s challenges
Nearly two years ago, when COVID-19 made its way to the United States, we had to put our everyday lives on pause – including education. Then, we adapted. We went about finding new ways of doing things. That is especially true for educators and their students. At UTRGV, what started off as an extended Spring Break transitioned into more than a year of virtual learning. But due to the efforts of educational technologists, edu...
Read More
UTRGV participating in Grow with Google to enhance digital training skills for students
UTRGV is one of more than 20 institutions of higher education to participate in the Grow with Google Career Readiness Program’s new expansion to better reach Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Google in 2021 announced the expansion as a commitment to economic equity for Latinos, with the goal of providing tools and resources that help students secure internships and jobs when they complete their education. Google is partnering with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and is investing $2 million...
Read More
UTRGV awarded $1 million to enhance Physician Assistant training for mental health, substance abuse resources to Webb County
Frank Ambriz and his students in the UTRGV physician assistant program know that, in medically underserved regions like the Rio Grande Valley, being prepared for some patients’ needs can be a challenge. “Due to a chronic shortage of mental health providers, much of the burden of mental healthcare has shifted to primary care clinicians,” said Ambriz, department chair and clinical associate professor in the Physician Assistant program at UTRGV...
Read More
UTRGV Ballet Folklórico presents Alegría 2022
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's Ballet Folklórico presents its annual concert series, Alegría 2022, with six shows at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex in Edinburg. Alegría brings to life Mexico’s beautiful art of folk dance. An energetic and spirited cast of 40 dancers, 15 musicians, colorful costuming, dramatic and exciting choreographies are supported by special theatrical lighting and lively music. A history of Mexico’s folk dance is unveiled through original works and choreographies of invited guest artists from a variety of Mexican states and regions...
Read More
UTRGV Racelis sole Texan appointed to national USDA subcommittee
Dr. Alexis Racelis, associate professor in the UTRGV School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences and director of Agroecology and Resilient Food Systems Program, has been appointed to the inaugural Agriculture Subcommittee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Equity Commission. Racelis is one of 15 appointees, and the only one from Texas, on the subcommittee, which is made up of industry individuals with diverse agriculture backgrounds, such as farming, civil rights and research...
Read More
Four UTRGV piano students selected as co-recipients for ‘Method Book’ project
The Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) has named four UTRGV piano students co-recipients for their project, “Creating Your Own Method Book: A Blueprint for Aspiring Young Pedagogues.” The pedagogical project also named the UTRGV MTNA the Collegiate Chapter of the Year The students – Elias Mendiola-Tagle, Christian Davila, Aaron Serna and John Hernandez – were awarded for work submitted in 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the awards were postponed until this year. Winning students will be recognized...
Read More
UTRGV’s Jamal one of just 7 women in country heading ENT department
Dr. Nausheen Jamal, chair of the UTRGV School of Medicine’s department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, admits she wasn’t always a leader. “I’m the daughter of immigrants from Bangladesh. I came to the United States at a young age. I didn’t speak English when we arrived, and we didn’t have a lot of financial means when I was growing up,” she said. “We were on WIC for groceries.” Today is an entirely different story for Jamal, now an associate professor in the School of Medicine and a practicing ear-nose-and...
Read More
UTRGV legacy alumna receives Humanities Texas Outstanding Teaching Award
UTRGV legacy alumna Cynthia Rios, who has taught English Language Arts at Faulk Middle School in Brownsville since 2018, has been named a 2021 Humanities Texas Outstanding Teaching Awardee. Humanities Texas presents its annual awards statewide to encourage excellence in teaching and to recognize Texas teachers who have made exemplary contributions to teaching, curriculum development and extracurricular programming. Just 15 teachers were selected from the more than 600 Texas teachers who were nominated...
Read More
UTRGV School of Medicine receives grant to meet healthcare needs of border residents
The UTRGV School of Medicine has been awarded a grant to help meet the healthcare needs of Hispanic communities on the South Texas border. The $5,000 grant from The University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine Academy of Health Science Education is for a nine-month certificate pilot program – “Better Teachers, Better Healthcare for Historically Underserved Hispanics at the Border: MedEd Teaching Certificate Program” – meant to focus on innovative medical education and best teaching practices...
Read MoreJanuary
UTRGV, City of Pharr, PSJA celebrate ribbon-cutting of new Natatorium in Pharr
UTRGV, in partnership with the City of Pharr and the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District, on Jan. 29 celebrated the opening of a natatorium designed to benefit the entire community with its state-of-the-art facilities.UTRGV President Guy Bailey said the natatorium, which will be used by the university’s women’s swimming and diving programs for training, has been made possible through the vision and collaborative...
Read More
UTRGV offers new vaccine incentive for employees
UTRGV employees who have received the COVID-19 vaccine booster/third dose are eligible to receive $100 or a UTRGV swag pack (valued at $100) through a new employee vaccine incentive. As part of UTRGV’s efforts to keep its campuses safe as it returns to normal operations this spring, the university is using federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) to incentivize employees to update their UTRGV Vaccine Portal. “This is our way of...
Read More
UTRGV’s Big Idea Competition supports local entrepreneurial spirit
The second annual Big Idea Competition, hosted by the UTRGV Center for Innovation and Commercialization (CIC), brought together students, staff, faculty, alumni and the Valley community to pitch innovative startup ideas to a panel of judges in a Shark Tank-like competition. The event, held in person in November, provided a chance to win prize money to further develop business ideas and provided a practical platform for aspiring entrepreneurs. Nine finalists from the student category and five from...
Read More
‘It felt like I was coming home’ UTRGV legacy alumna joins RCVCOBE’s marketing faculty
While she was teaching from coast-to-coast, Sunaina Chugani Marquez, Ph.D., now an assistant professor of marketing in UTRGV’s Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, picked up a range of lessons to integrate into her teaching. She has taught marketing at The University of Texas at Austin, San Diego State University, and Baruch College (City University of New York), and has co-authored several publications about consumers and...
Read More
UT Health RGV doctors urging awareness, check-ups
Research and data show that early detection of conditions caused by the thyroid gland can be imperative, as those conditions can worsen slowly over time. January is National Thyroid Month, and doctors at UT Health RGV have been encouraging the Rio Grande Valley population – where rates of thyroid disease are high – to be vigilant and not put off diagnosis and treatment. Area doctors say that, for the Rio Grande Valley and Texas as a whole, the number of thyroid-related cancers is cause for concern...
Read More
A new research facility in Brownsville
Construction on the new Center for Human Genetics Building on the Brownsville campus began Oct. 6 and is anticipated to be completed in December 2022. The 17,819-gross-square-foot building will serve as additional space for research. Marta Salinas-Hovar, associate vice president for Facilities Planning and Operations, said the total project cost is $15.8 million and is funded by various sources, including $8.92 million from the Permanent University Fund, a public endowment contributing to the support of eligible institutions, according to the University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Co. website...
Read More
UTRGV gives students another boost
UTRGV Spring 2022 students who have received the COVID-19 vaccine booster/third dose are eligible to receive $100 through a new vaccine incentive. As part of UTRGV’s efforts to keep its campuses safe as it returns to normal operations this spring, the university is using federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) to incentivize students to update their UTRGV Vaccine Portal. “This is our way of thanking our Vaqueros for...
Read More
Researcher at UTRGV investigating connection between diabetes, COVID-19 and tuberculosis
At UTRGV, Dr. Blanca I. Restrepo, Ph.D., is researching how tuberculosis in South Texas and adjacent border communities – where the disease itself and underlying conditions like diabetes are endemic – are complicated by COVID-19. Both COVID-19 and tuberculosis (TB) are infectious diseases that target the lungs, so healthcare personnel for TB essentially have had to act as first responders for their COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic...
Read More
RGV x Art for Change 2022 exhibit showcases UTRGV student, community artwork
Calling all artists! The UTRGV Center for Latin American Arts (CLAA) and the College of Fine Arts are inviting student and community artists to submit their artwork for the inaugural RGV x Art for Change 2022 Exhibition, which opens Feb. 1. The exhibition will run from Feb. 1 to March 13 and explore the theme of sustainability through the unique lenses of contemporary artists. Submitted artwork should help communicate the community’s collective reflection about the state of sustainability in the environment and culture, particularly how it relates to border identity...
Read More
UTRGV researcher investigating how pandemics spread
What can an intestinal tissue sample of a Philadelphia sailor who died of cholera in 1848 teach us about the current COVID-19 pandemic? According to UTRGV researcher Dr. Daniele Provenzano, coronavirus’s evolutionary progression into the Delta-, Delta-Plus and Omicron variants is similar to cholera’s mutation process that led to seven pandemics beginning in 1817, and continuing today. The sample of the now-extinct classical V. cholerae – preserved in formaldehyde for 172 years – may give scientists...
Read More
UT Health RGV expands COVID-19 testing sites to Harlingen and Brownsville
UT Health RGV, clinical arm of the UTRGV School of Medicine, will conduct two drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites in Cameron County. The testing in Harlingen will open Tuesday, Jan. 11. A Brownsville testing site is set to open Tuesday, Jan. 18. Following are the current dates of operation for all UTRGV drive-thru testing sites: Week of Jan. 10-14 Edinburg – Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., UTRGV CESS Building. By appointment only. Harlingen – Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., UTRGV Clinical Education Building parking lot at 2106 Treasure Hills Blvd. By appointment only...
Read More
UT Health RGV expands COVID-19 testing sites, vaccine clinics
This Saturday, UT Health RGV, clinical arm of the UTRGV School of Medicine, will host a COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinic at the men’s basketball game against New Mexico State, from 5-7:30 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on the Edinburg Campus. UTRGV students, faculty, staff and the general public can go to the pop-up site to get their first or second doses – or their booster – of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. “This is our way of keeping our UTRGV family safe, as well as the community we love so dearly,” said Dr. Linda Nelson, Doctor of Nurse Practice (DNP)...
Read More
UTRGV awarded $625,000 mental health training grant
A group of UTRGV professors have been awarded a five-year, $625,000 mental health awareness training grant to help with a project called Bridging the Way. Project Bridging the Way will train school personnel – such as teachers, counselors, administrators, school law enforcement and human resources personnel – to identify signs of mental illness. The grant was awarded to Dr. Suzanne Maniss, project director; Dr. Nancy P. Razo, co-project director...
Read More
UT Health RGV opening COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in Edinburg
Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 4, UT Health RGV, clinical arm of the UTRGV School of Medicine, will have a drive-thru COVID-19 testing location in Edinburg. Drive-thru tests will be available by appointment, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, at the UTRGV CESS Building, 1407 E. Freddy Gonzalez Drive and Expressway frontage. The drive-thru site will be open to employees, students and the public, for COVID-19 testing by appointment for those 5 years of age or older. Children 17 and younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. To make an appointment, call the UT Health RGV COVID-19 line at (833) 888-2268, or register on the patient portal at uthealthrgv.org/health-care-news/coronavirus/covid-19-testing/...
Read MoreFall 2021
December
UTRGV School of Medicine’s free telehealth mental health program expands to nine school districts
For Dr. Alcides Amador, the challenges of accessing mental healthcare in the Rio Grande Valley hit close to home. “My brother has Autism, and growing up, I’ve always been aware that there aren’t enough clinicians for children,” said Amador, an assistant professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry with the UTRGV School of Medicine. “It can be difficult. Sometimes, you have to wait months to see a mental health provider.” Amador is directly addressing the lack of available mental health care as the medical director for UTRGV’s arm of the Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) program...
Read More
UTRGV receives $1.5M federal NSF grant to boost math and science students’ education
The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education has awarded UTRGV a $1.5 million grant to support a growing need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers and technicians. The UTRGV grant is now active and goes to a five-year project that will fund scholarships for 60 full-time, first-generation college graduates who are pursuing a graduate degree in mathematics or physics. Incoming graduate students can receive up to two years of financial support...
Read More
UTRGV home to new doctorate degree in School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
UTRGV now offers a doctorate in Mathematics and Statistics with Interdisciplinary Applications in the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences and is designed to provide a strong mathematics and statistics background that supports intense quantitative work in a wide range of disciplines. The curriculum is designed to prepare scholars to work on problems at the intersection of mathematics, science, engineering, medicine, finance, computer science and other quantitative disciplines, and aims to be the most inclusive and broadly interdisciplinary in the state...
Read More
UTRGV’s women faculty attend WISE meeting, hear empowerment message
Faculty and students in the UTRGV College of Sciences were able to attend, virtually, the second annual Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) meeting in November. Keynote speaker Dr. Geraldine Richmond, undersecretary of Energy for Science in the U.S Department of Energy, addressed the issue of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields and the need for continued progress. “When we’re facing biases, we can’t be productive,” Richmond said. “But I think things are changing.”...
Read More
UTRGV ranks eighth in Forbes’ 2021 Top 25 Colleges for Your Money
UTRGV was recently named a 2021 Top Colleges for Your Money by Forbes.com, joining a prestigious list that also includes Stanford, Princeton, Georgia Tech, Harvard and MIT. The online publication ranked the top 25 schools nationwide that deliver the best return on investment, as determined by the Price-to-Earnings Premium. UTRGV ranked eighth on the list (5th among public schools) and was the only Texas university ranked among the top 10...
Read More
UTRGV awarded collaborative federal grant for undergrad STEM education research
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded UTRGV $619,660 for collaborative research on inclusive instructional strategies designed to increase student success in undergraduate STEM programs. The project – “Collaborative Research - Building Educational Theory Through Enacting Reforms - BETTER in STEM” – focuses on creating and implementing an instructional framework for inclusive, student-centered STEM teaching and learning...
Read More
UTRGV’s free prenatal and preventative reproductive care program expands
Edinburg resident Maluisa Gonzalez has been a patient of UTRGV’s mobile OBGYN project, Healthy Mujeres, for almost a year. “No hay como la salud,” she said. Nothing can replace good health. Without a car of her own or the financial means for healthcare, she said, she is grateful that Healthy Mujeres – which operates once a month out of UTRGV’s Area Health Education Clinic (AHEC) in San Carlos – is free of charge and only two buildings away from a bus stop...
Read More
UTRGV part of historic educational partnership, Center for Urban Ecology
In a climate where sustainability practices and agricultural research are increasingly crucial, one of the best ways to teach younger generations about important ecological elements is by encouraging them to get their hands dirty. A new, 14-acre research center – the Center for Urban Ecology (CUE) – will promote the concept of providing hands-on workspaces and a discovery center where K-12 students, higher education students and the community can all learn about biodiversity, and much more. The $35 million, state-of-the-art research center will be located at Quinta Mazatlán in McAllen, where it will promote science and sustainability education...
Read More
RSTEF awards UTRGV $5M endowment for scholarships, to be matched by university
The Rio-South Texas Education and Community Development Foundation (RSTEF) on Wednesday announced it will establish a $5 million endowment on behalf of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The endowment will be funded annually over the next five years, with each annual payment matched by UTRGV to establish a total endowment of $10 million by 2026...
Read More
UTRGV Community Engagement, Staff Senate collaborate in literacy event for elementary students
In a fun, holiday-themed collaborative effort to promote literacy, the UTRGV Office of Community Engagement and the UTRGV Staff Senate partnered to read books to elementary school students at Roosevelt Elementary School in McAllen on Dec. 14. The activity was designed to help uphold one of UTRGV’s core priorities – community engagement...
Read More
UTRGV MSA alum is first graduate of the Vaquero MD Early Assurance Program
Isabella Rodriguez has been waiting for this moment for a long time. When she graduated in March 2020 from the UTRGV Math and Science Academy, high school graduations everywhere and the usual parties and ceremonies were reflections of the COVID-19 pandemic – remote, virtual events lacking the warmth and excitement of in-person celebrations. Now, though, as she walks the stage for morning commencement at...
Read More
UTRGV, HCISD partner to guide students toward medical careers
UTRGV is partnering with the Harlingen School of Health Professions on a special academic program designed to help students make informed decisions about health-related studies at the university when they graduate high school. A ceremonial signing for the partnership was held Dec. 7 at the Harlingen School of Health Professions. UTRGV President Guy Bailey said...
Read More
Writers, artists highlight impact of arts and letters at UTRGV CLAA summit
Young artists and writers had an opportunity to share their thoughts on and experiences with immigration through storytelling, art and other creative works, during the CLAA Artists’ and Writers’ Summit and Workshop: Cultivating Compassion for Migrants through Fine Arts and Prose. The summit, held in November on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus and coordinated by the university’s Center for Latin American Arts, included workshops...
Read More
Graduating UTRGV student reflects on setting example for family
Samantha Colunga, a UTRGV environmental science major, said she chose her major because math and science were always her strengths.“I was a founder of the Green Team at my high school in Monte Alto. It was a fun experience. We learned different ways to recycle, and learned about climate change, all of which sparked my interest and helped me finalize my choice for college,” she said...
Read More
UT Health RGV to provide free Health and Wellness Fairs for the public
UT Health RGV’s Area Health Education Centers, known as AHECs, will offer free healthcare screenings to the community from Dec. 9-14, as part of its health and wellness fairs. UT Health RGV is the clinical arm of the UTRGV School of Medicine, and the healthcare fairs are part of their efforts to provide essential medical services in the Valley’s rural areas. Briana Gonzalez, UT Health RGV community health worker, will...
Read More
Washington Monthly ranks UTRGV nationally among best, most affordable universities
UTRGV once again has been recognized as one of the best and most affordable public universities in the United States and Texas.Washington Monthly recently released its annual national 2021 College Guide and Rankings, and ranked UTRGV high in the following categories: First in Texas and second nationally among public universities for...
Read More
UTRGV Chess hosts first Collegiate Women's Team Cup
The UTRGV Chess Team recently hosted the first 2021 Collegiate Women’s Team Cup, drawing women from universities across the country for an online tournament endorsed by the U.S. Chess Federation. The event had a total of 18 women competing and was designed to boost and support female participation in collegiate chess through competition...
Read MoreNovember
SGA urges increase in campus security: Committee to review resolution
The Student Government Association has proposed a resolution calling for greater security measures on all campuses, especially at night, amid recent incidents of sexual assault, burglary and aggravated assault by deadly weapon. During its Nov. 16 meeting on the Brownsville campus and via Zoom, the senate said it would send the resolution to the Campus Life and Community Affairs standing committee for review. Senate Resolution 06 Security Measure notes that the SGA has re...
Read More
Two UTRGV psychology faculty acquire NIH grants to advance their research
Two UTRGV professors in the Department of Psychological Studies have attained new grants from the National Institutes of Health. Laura Seligman, professor of Psychosocial Sciences, received a grant from the NIH’sNational Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), to study ways to prevent dental phobia. And Dr. Mario Gil, assistant professor of Psychological Sciences, was award...
Read More
UTRGV faculty studying role of pharmacists in opioid treatment
Two UTRGV faculty are researching why pharmacists haven’t played a much bigger role in federal efforts to combat nationwide misuse of opioids. Dr. Tamara Al Rawwad, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor in the UTRGV School of Social Work, said that is changing, however, and the national strategy recommends that pharmacists – who are trained in medication management – be included on opioid abuse care teams...
Read More
UTRGV School of Medicine hosting “Purple Night” to increase pancreatic cancer awareness
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and the UTRGV School of Medicine will host “Purple Night” on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021 – Pancreatic Cancer Day – to raise awareness about the disease. The event will take place both online and in-person and will feature discussions on pancreatic cancer and how it has become the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States...
Read More
UTRGV business students take first place in restaurant competition
Three students representing the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at the UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship earned first place at the Restaurant Finance and Development Conference held Nov. 8-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team of Andrea Garza, Paulina Martinez and Abelardo Villarreal earned first place in the “Restaurant of the Future” competition. Their restaurant concept, “Wonder,” was an immersive, multisensory culinary experience using augmented and virtual reality technology...
Read More
UTRGV celebrates Texas Arbor Day virtually
UTRGV Facilities Planning and Operations, in collaboration with the Office for Sustainability, on Nov. 5 held a Texas Arbor Day celebration to mark the university’s seventh consecutive Tree Campus Higher Education designation. Arbor Day is observed on Nov. 5 in Texas, to emphasize the importance of trees and inspire the community to plant, nurture and celebrate what trees can contribute to our environment...
Read MoreUTRGV vaccinates 200 children in first week
UT Health RGV has begun distributing the Pfizer vaccine to children ages 5 to 11. In a campsite email sent by UT Health RGV on Oct. 4, it was announced that “following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation, UT Health RGV will now offer pediatric doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer) COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 5-11, starting Friday, November 5.” As of last Friday, about 200 children had been vaccinated at UTRGV, according to Dr. Michael Dobbs, chief medical officer for UT Health RGV...
Read More
A helping hand: UTRGV to offer HEERF Cash Grant in spring
Students have another HEERF Cash Grant to look forward to in the Spring 2022 semester. UTRGV is estimating that all students at the university next semester will be able to receive the grant, according to Griselda Castilla, UTRGV’s associate vice president for Strategic Enrollment. The cash grant will be similar to the one offered at the beginning of this semester in that two different grant amounts will be available...
Read More
UTRGV Healthy Vaqueros 5k motivates university community to get fit
With the holiday season upon us and thoughts of all the delicious food – tamales, turkey, pies, buñuelos – that will be filling our bellies, the UTRGV University Recreation (UREC) and the School of Medicine are encouraging the university community to get a head start on their exercise goals by signing up for the UTRGV Healthy Vaqueros 5k...
Read More
UTRGV awarded $2.8 million grant to study obesity-reducing curriculum in elementary schools
UTRGV researchers have been awarded $2.8 million over four years by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, for a study aimed at reducing childhood obesity in preschool children. Principal Investigator Dr. Roberto Treviño, director for the Social and Health Research Center in San Antonio, will work with four professors/researchers from UTRGV to help educate local school districts about physical activity and nutrition...
Read More
UT Health RGV to offer COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5-11
UT Health RGV starting Friday, Nov. 5 will offer pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 through 11. The CDC on Nov. 2 approved the Pfizer vaccinations for that age group. Parents/guardians interested in getting their 5- to 11-year-old children vaccinated may want to consult with their pediatrician or family physician before making an appointment... To make an appointment to have your child vaccinated against COVID-19, log onto uthealth.org/vaccine or call 1-833-UTRGVMD...
Read More
More than 3,200 immigrant toe tags focus of pop-up exhibit at UTRGV
A pop-up installation featuring more than 3,200 handwritten toe tags representing immigrants who have lost their lives crossing the Sonoran Desert of Arizona currently is on display at UTRGV. The global pop-up exhibit, Hostile Terrain 94 is sponsored by the UTRGV College of Liberal Arts and is organized by the Undocumented Migration Project. The exhibit pays homage to the thousands of people who have died while crossing the U.S.-Mexico border since the mid-1990s as a direct result of the U.S. border enforcement policy known as “Prevention Through Deterrence”...
Read More
Math lovers invited to talks at SIAM Texas-Louisiana Section meeting at SPI
If you love math and want to take that knowledge to the next level, make some time to attend the 4th Annual Meeting of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) Texas-Louisiana Section, hosted by The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Nov. 5-7 at South Padre IslandThe three-day conference, taking place at the Courtyard by Marriott South Padre Island, is an opportunity for faculty experts and university students to share recent results, projects, and future directions in Applied Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences, said Dr. Vesselin Vatchev...
Read More
Heart of Gold: UTRGV professor writes newest children’s book about border life
Dr. David Bowles can relate. An associate professor of Literature and Cultural Studies at UTRGV, his latest book, My Two Border Towns, reminisces about life on the border through the eyes of an empathetic child. That’s close to home for Bowles, who grew up half Anglo, half Latino in the predominantly Latino Valley town of McAllen...
Read MoreOctober
Seal of Excelencia certification
UTRGV’s commitment to ensuring the enrollment and success of its more than 27,000 undergraduate students through innovative educational programs, grant initiatives and enrollment strategies has propelled the university to earn the coveted Seal of Excelencia certification. For its efforts in accelerating Latino student success in higher education, UTRGV on Friday was named among 10 universities from across the United States to receive the 2021 distinction...
Read More
Staff employee becomes first in UTRGV history to be elected and serve as Chair of UT’s Executive Employee Advisory Council Committee
Helping students and building communities within UTRGV is nothing new for Peter James J. Ehimika. Now, director of Student Success Initiatives, he began representing employees as UTRGV Staff Senate parliamentarian in 2016. A year later he became vice president of Staff Senate, and president the following year. As part of the Staff Senate...
Read More
Ribbon cutting officially opens UTRGV Institute of Neuroscience in Harlingen
The UTRGV School of Medicine, together with its clinical arm UT Health RGV, officially opened its Institute of Neuroscience (ION) with a ribbon-cutting event on Tuesday. The institute, which broke ground in 2019, is an all-encompassing research, education, clinical care and community partnership facility with the goal of transforming brain health for the Rio Grande Valley community...
Read More
UTRGV promotes sustainability in the community
The Office for Sustainability aims to become a model for the community in integrating the objectives of a healthy and sustainable ecological system, developing viability and searching for social justice. It seeks to involve all corners of the university to create an environment in which all members of the campus community promote sustainability in their personal and professional lives. “We have been here for 12 years now and in those 12 years, we have been trying to help the institution integrate sustainability into all its products and services,”...
Read More
Never alone: Federal grant to raise domestic violence awareness
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the Office for Advocacy & Violence Prevention received a federal grant of $550,000 from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women to help reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking on campus, according to an email sent last Wednesday by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. Cynthia Jones, a professor of philosophy and director of OAVP, said...
Read More
Burkhart Estate gifts $1 million to UTRGV for endowed academic scholarships
UTRGV has announced $1 million in endowed academic scholarships bequeathed by the Burkhart family. The legacy gift was announced during a press conference Wednesday, Oct. 13, at Rio Bank in McAllen. It is awarded in perpetuity through the estate of Jon and Elizabeth Burkhart, and establishes a permanent fund to open doors to success for students in South Texas...
Read More
UTRGV Center for Multidisciplinary Research Excellence in Cyber-Physical Infrastructure Systems: Training the Next Generation
Researchers at UT Rio Grande Valley have been awarded a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program to establish a Center for Multidisciplinary Research Excellence in Cyber-Physic al Infrastructure Systems (MECIS). “CREST MECIS will raise the research profile of the institution with state-of-the-art research projects...
Read More
UTRGV unveils Luminary Scholarship program for undergrads
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley today announced a one-of-a-kind, merit-based scholarship program – the Luminary Scholarship – for undergraduate students. The new scholarship program is made possible thanks to the historic $40 million gift to UTRGV this summer from philanthropists MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett...
Read More
UT Health RGV distributing COVID-19 vaccine boosters until Wednesday
Earlier today, UT Health RGV announced that it will distribute boosters of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday and Wednesday at the Community Engagement and Student Success Building, Room 1.300, in Edinburg and at the Clinical Education Building, Room 1.203, in Harlingen to those eligible...
Read More
Covering tuition: UTRGV’s plan to assist more students
UTRGV’s Tuition Advantage Program, which facilitates the university’s tuition guarantee, will expand in Fall 2022 to support a larger portion of the student population. “Every year, we continue to assess the different programs that we have available to our students,” said Griselda Castilla, UTRGV’s associate vice president for Strategic Enrollment...
Read More
The results are in: Firm provides details of Campus Climate survey
Last Wednesday and Thursday, UTRGV and ModernThink LLC hosted a town hall meeting to reveal the results from a campus climate survey conducted earlier this year. The overall response rate for students was 7% and 54% for faculty and staff. The firm first surveyed the campus in 2018. ModernThink is an organizational development and management consulting firm with particular expertise in improving workplace quality, stakeholder engagement and overall outcomes, according to its website....
Read More
UTRGV biology assistant professor receives Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation 2021 Field Biology Award
Dr. Karl Berg, assistant professor of biology in the UTRGV College of Sciences, has been awarded international recognition for his innovative parrot vocalization research. Berg is one of five recipients of the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation 2021 Field Biology Award, for his study of how birds communicate...
Read MoreUTRGV students embark on internships via The Archer Center
Two UTRGV students spent the summer away from the Lone Star State, soaking up Beltway politics and culture as part of the Graduate Archer Fellowship Program. The Archer Center, located in Washington, D.C., provides students in the UT System the opportunity to develop their skills within local, state, federal...
Read More
UTRGV recognized in City of Brownsville proclamation recognizing astronomical research
UTRGV has been acknowledged in an official proclamation by the City Commission of Brownsville for its efforts to study the stars and for its multiple contributions to the fields of space, science and astronomy.The city officially designated Oct. 4 – 10 as Space Week, with Oct. 9 set as Astronomy Day by the Astronomical League...
Read More
UTRGV’s Institute of Neuroscience poised to provide innovative medical services for South Texas
The UTRGV School of Medicine is expanding crucial medical services for the Rio Grande Valley with its Institute of Neuroscience (ION), set to open Oct. 26 in Harlingen. ION will act as a hub for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary clinical care, research, education and community partnership...
Read MoreNew UTRGV Early Assurance programs provide pathways for future physicians
UTRGV’s Early Assurance Programs are now accepting applications for the next cohort of the Vaqueros MD and PACT programs – dedicated pathways from high school to health professions for students in 13 South Texas counties. The Early Assurance Programs at UTRGV, which accepted 11 students in its first cohort in Fall 2020, provide freshmen with conditional acceptance into the UTRGV School of Medicine...
Read MoreSeptember
The Dream Continues: UTRGV expands I-DREAM4D summer consortium
Area high school students this summer had a chance to participate in hands-on learning at UTRGV’s newly expanded I-DREAM4D virtual summer camp. Last year, the camp – a Department of Defense consortium known formally as Innovation Driving Research / Education for Advanced Manufacturing for the Defense – was inaugurated....
Read More
UTRGV expands Tuition Advantage program to $100,000
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley announced today an expansion to its already highly competitive Tuition Advantage program. Beginning Fall 2022, the program will cover cost of tuition and mandatory fees for eligible students with a family income of $100,000 or less and with unmet financial need....
Read More
UTRGV SOM awarded federal grant to train behavioral health consultants
Dr. John Ronnau, PhD, senior associate dean for Community Health Partnerships with the UTRGV School of Medicine, has been awarded a grant for an education and training program focused on increasing the number of behavioral health professionals in the Valley...
Read More
UTRGV Athletics gets head start on National Cleanup Day
The UTRGV Department of Intercollegiate Athletics celebrated National Cleanup Day a day early on Friday, as 146 student-athletes and coaches from the baseball, men’s soccer and men’s and women’s basketball, golf and track & field teams, as well as UTRGV Athletics staff, spent the morning beautifying the Brownsville and Edinburg campuses...
Read More
UTRGV and Universidad Luterana Salvadoreña sign MOU for international collaboration
UTRGV and the Universidad Luterana Salvadoreña (ULS) in San Salvador, El Salvador, met Wednesday at the UTRGV School of Social Work in Edinburg to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. The signing ceremony marks a cooperative agreement between...
Read More
UTRGV to launch Workforce Development Innovation Challenge to help mitigate skills gap
To help offset the rapid pace of changes in technology and the skills gap it has created, UTRGV has developed a way to help mitigate this by developing a more highly prepared and adaptative workforce. The university’s Office of Professional Education & Workforce Development (PEWD)...
Read More
UTRGV students helping bring attention to importance of ‘Be the Match’
Did you know a blood stem cell transplant from a matched donor can be a cure for blood cancers, sickle cell and other diseases? Not all patients have an equal chance of finding a match, though. To help level the playing field, a nonprofit organization called Be the Match...
Read More
UTRGV researchers awarded NSF grant to enhance undergraduate STEM education
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has been awarded a five-year, $3 million grant for research focused on enhancing the success of undergraduate Hispanic students in STEM disciplines. The National Science Foundation awarded the funding to a team of UTRGV researchers for a project called...
Read More
UTRGV Center for Vector-Borne Disease to host community seminar on prevention, safety
UTRGV’s Center for Vector-Borne Disease is taking charge of the wet months that generate an explosion in the mosquito population in the Rio Grande Valley and the diseases they bring, using community outreach and education...
Read MoreUTRGV and UT Health Science Center San Antonio selected as NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, working in close collaboration, were announced today as a new National Institute on Aging (NIA)-designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC)...
Read More
UTRGV, City of Pharr celebrate signing agreement on new building for the university’s School of Nursing
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Nursing on Sept. 2 celebrated its expansion during a signing ceremony with the City of Pharr, at the site of the school’s future facility at 2800 N. Cage Boulevard. The U.S. Department of Commerce in May awarded the School of Nursing a $2 million grant...
Read MoreAugust
CPRIT awards $2.5 million to UTRGV to help support cancer research
UTRGV has received its first CPRIT grant – $2.5 million in funding for an Integrated Cancer Research Core facility that will serve as a foundation for building the Rio Grande Valley’s growing cancer research network. The core also will support the established South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research to address disproportionate, cancer-related health issues in the area. Dr. Michael B. Hocker, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine, said the CPRIT grant is extremely competitive....
Read More
UTRGV TOROS Telescope makes ‘First Light’
To the untrained eye, a glittering orange firework from space may not have much significance. But for astronomers, the image can provide significant information in the understanding of the cosmos. The UTRGV TOROS (Transient Optical Robotic Observatory of the South) telescope in April made “first light” – a term used to describe obtention of the first calibrated image of the sky...
Read More
UTRGV’S Talent Search Program grant proposals awarded $5.7M from U.S. Department of Education
More than 2,000 Rio Grande Valley students from disadvantaged backgrounds will have a better chance to go on to college with assistance from UTRGV’S Talent Search Program. Three grant proposals submitted to the U.S. Department of Education for the Talent Search grant competition have been awarded to UTRGV’S Office of College Access and K-12 Partnerships in the Division of Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs...
Read More
UTRGV awarded national PREM grant to broaden cutting-edge materials research
UTRGV engineering students and faculty will be one of eight collaborative research teams around the United States dedicated to developing cutting-edge nanomaterials – materials manufactured and used on a very small scale and developed to exhibit increased performance characteristics, like strength or conductivity. The research at UTRGV is funded by a $4.2 million grant...
Read More
Federal industrial engineering grant awarded to UTRGV’s ST-IAC
A new federal grant will help UTRGV recruit up to 150 engineering students over the next five years. The $2.12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy was awarded to UTRGV’s South Texas Industrial Assessment Center (ST-IAC), as part of a nationwide $60 million investment for university-based Industrial Assessment Centers. The five-year grant will start Fall 2021...
Read More
UT Health RGV to build Cancer and Surgery Center
UT Health RGV is expanding its healthcare offerings in South Texas with a new Cancer and Surgery Center, with oncology advisory services provided by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center — a world leader in cancer care and research. The center is part of the phase 1 development of UTRGV’s McAllen Academic Medical Campus on the newly acquired 38 acres...
Read More
UTRGV’s diabetes institute awarded $2M to study risk in Hispanic families
Dr. Joanne Curran, a professor at the UTRGV School of Medicine’s South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute (STDOI), has been awarded a $2 million, four-year federal grant to identify rare gene mutations in large families in South Texas, including in the Rio Grande Valley. Curran, principal investigator on the study, said their focus is to identify individuals at greater risk for developing Type 2 diabetes and contribute to treatment options for this disease...
Read MoreSummer 2021
July
UTRGV Athletics set to host clinics and matches in Brownsville
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and City of Brownsville announced on Friday a partnership to host youth clinics and athletic events, all of which is presented by Chick-fil-A Boca Chica.The women’s soccer team will host a free...
Read More
UT Health RGV opens hearing centers in Edinburg and Harlingen
UT Health RGV has opened its UT Health RGV Hearing Center in two clinical locations, one in Edinburg and another in Harlingen. The purpose of the center is to provide all patients from infants to senior citizens with high quality...
Read More
Eight UTRGV faculty members recognized with Faculty Excellence Awards
The annual UTRGV Faculty Excellence Awards this year recognize eight faculty members for their accomplishments inside and outside the classroom. The awards highlight the work of UTRGV faculty in the areas of teaching, online teaching...
Read More
UTRGV part of NSF grant research team to study tenure processes in Higher Ed
Achieving tenure can be one of the most rewarding accomplishments in a professor’s career and can provide job security in a competitive environment. But, is it always a fair process? To help examine this question, UTRGV has been selected...
Read More
UTRGV earns $1.45M NIH grant for pancreatic cancer research
The UTRGV School of Medicine was recently awarded a $1.45 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support its goal of developing a treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer...
Read MoreJune
Ongoing prostate cancer research at UTRGV School of Medicine gets boost from HHS grant
UTRGV School of Medicine was recently awarded a $1,453,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to research aggressive and late-stage prostate cancers.The principal investigator...
Read More
UTRGV launches financial assistance initiatives for Fall Semester
Building on its efforts throughout the pandemic, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has launched several initiatives aimed at providing students financial support for the upcoming Fall 2021 semester...
Read More
Veronica Gonzales named a Woman of Distinction by RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Veronica Gonzales, senior vice president for Governmental and Community Relations, was recognized by the Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (RGVHCC) as a 2021 Woman of Distinction in government...
Read More
UTRGV Enactus organization ranks in Top 16 at national expo competition
The Enactus chapter at UTRGV finished in the top 16 of the 2021 Enactus U.S. National Expo for its community projects and initiatives to improve and enhance the lives of their fellow Vaqueros and Rio Grande Valley citizens...
Read More
UTRGV School of Medicine receives provisional accreditation status from national accrediting authority
The UTRGV School of Medicine is one step closer to obtaining full accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the national accrediting authority for the U.S. and Canada....
Read More
UTRGV receives historic $40 million gift!
Today is a momentous day in the history of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley as it received a transformative $40 million gift from philanthropists MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett to enhance its mission of student success and expanding educational...
Read More
UTRGV named one of the Best Business Schools for Women by College Consensus
The UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship has been named one of the Best Business Schools for Women for 2021 by College Consensus, a unique new college review aggregator...
Read MoreSpring 2021
May
Associate professor earns UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers honor
Dr. Alyssa Guadalupe Cavazos, UTRGV associate professor in the Department of Writing and Language Studies and director for the Center for Teaching Excellence, was recently inducted into The University of Texas System Academy of Distinguished...
Read MoreNew UTRGV program to generate registered dietitian nutritionists in the RGV
Beginning this fall, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will now offer a new graduate program in dietetics for students wishing to become registered dietitian nutritionists...
Read More
UTRGV graduate student writes winning ‘Family of the Year’ essay
“It is said that a mother’s love is the heart of a family. In my case, my grandmother was my family,” Haimanti Majumder, a UTRGV graduate student, wrote in her winning essay...
Read More
New degree program leads UTRGV student to dream career with Texas Department of Agriculture
A passion for food and helping his fellow Texans live healthier lives has led Javier Camacho, a member of the UTRGV Class of 2021, to his ideal job with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)...
Read MoreApril
UTRGV School of Medicine receives AAMC Award to improve healthcare messaging to underserved communities
A team of UTRGV School of Medicine students, Master of Social Work students, and resident physicians are the recipients of the Association of American Medical Colleges...
Read More
UT Health RGV to launch V Express Care Clinics at two H-E-B locations in the Valley
UT Health RGV will open two clinical sites at H-E-B Plus! locations in Brownsville and MissionThe clinical sites, V Express Care Clinics by UT Health RGV, mark a new opportunity...
Read More
UTRGV receives reskilling grant to help eligible students finish undergrad work
UTRGV is offering former university students the opportunity to come to UTRGV to complete their degrees in one year. The UTRGV Recruitment and Scholarships Department received a $112,500 grant...
Read More
UTRGV hosts annual HESTEC in virtual format for GEAR UP students
This month more than 700 UTRGV and Region One ESC GEAR UP students will take part in the university's annual HESTEC (Hispanic, Engineering, Science and Technology) program, which is being...
Read More
UTRGV offers students up to $500 under Summer Liftoff program
All eligible UTRGV students who enroll in at least six credit hours or more for Summer 2021 may receive up to $500 for tuition and mandatory fees, as part of the university’s Summer Liftoff program...
Read MoreMarch
UTRGV extends Tuition Advantage deadline to March 15
The UTRGV Tuition Advantage deadline has been extended through March 15 for undergraduate students attending classes in Fall 2021...
Read More
UTRGV commemorates International Women’s Day with virtual event
International Women’s Day has been celebrated across the globe today in celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women...
Read MoreFebruary
‘Energy & U’ virtual show debuts with more than 9,000 guests during UTRGV Engineers Week
As part of Engineers Week 2021, a special “Energy and U” show will be available to the community on Saturday, Feb. 27, at various times throughout the day...
Read More
UTRGV ranks among highest in Texas for teacher production, retention
UTRGV is among the top universities to produce the largest number of teachers in Texas, and has among the highest retention rates, according to the 2020 Performance Analysis for Colleges of Education (PACE) study...
Read More
This year’s E-Week features virtual events for students K-12
Today marks the first day of Engineers Week 2021 – a week full of virtual events led by the UTRGV College of Engineering & Computer Science faculty geared toward students throughout the community ranging in ages from Kindergarten through 12th grade...
Read More
UT Health RGV Clinical Lab expands testing services to increase capabilities, decrease wait time for results
The UT Health RGV Clinical Laboratory this month is expanding as a comprehensive diagnostics lab with a range of testing capabilities well beyond COVID-19 samples...
Read MoreJanuary
UTRGV and Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium partner to address added challenges of the pandemic
UTRGV and the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium (TCMHCC) are partnering to help area adolescents address the mental health challenges they may be facing, especially amid the challenges of the pandemic...
Read More
UTRGV students cross disciplines to help build local superfood business
The Rio Grande Valley is abundant with a superfood that can be used as a natural sweetener – important in an area with high rates of obesity and diabetes...
Read More
