Latest News contributing to Sustainability at UTRGV and Beyond

2023 - December

Maritza Flores, a cybersecurity major from Edinburg, won the 2023 President's Holiday Card Contest and received a $1,000 scholarship. Flores’s win shows that exercising your talents and perseverance pays off, as she participated in the contest in 2021 and 2022 and her designs were awarded runner-up placement both years. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

UTRGV showcases students’ artistic talents with the 9th annual holiday card contest

UTRGV for the ninth year is hosting its annual Holiday Card Contest, a holiday tradition designed give students a break from academics and encourage them to showcase their creativity. UTRGV President Guy Bailey and Provost Luis Zayas each chose their top...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 4 Quality Education

2023 - November

UTRGV Brownsville Campus. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

UTRGV to gain new master’s degree in Human Resources Management in 2024

A new Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management is set to start next year in the UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship (RCVCOBE). The new accelerated online program, or AOP, is slated to start...

UTRGV School of Medicine. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

UTRGV STDOI investigators receive $10M grant to establish an NIH Diversity Center for Genome Research

UTRGV recently was awarded $10.6M by the National Institutes of Health to support genetic research on depression and liver disease among Hispanics – a majority demographic in the Rio Grande Valley with high rates of...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 3 Good Health and Well-being

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 10 Reduced Inequalities

Theatre in Downtown Brownsville (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

UTRGV officially purchases Majestic Theatre in downtown Brownsville

It’s official! UTRGV now owns one of downtown Brownsville’s most iconic buildings – the Majestic Theatre. Built in 1948, The Majestic will be renovated to serve as a much-needed...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

On Monday, Nov 27, 2023, UTRGV hosted the City of McAllen at the Rio Bank in McAllen to announce several UTRGV events happening with the McAllen Holiday Parade. UTRGV Football Coach Bush will be the Grand Marshal at the parade. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

University’s new Marching Band slated to perform

The City of McAllen, in collaboration with UTRGV, today announced final details for the annual McAllen Holiday Parade. McAllen District 6 Commissioner Pepe Cabeza De Vaca, during a press conference at Rio Bank, revealed...

UTRGV Testing Center awarded CLEP Honors Achievement

UTRGV’s Edinburg Testing Center has been given the CLEP Honors National Achievement award for being a top 20 CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) honors test center. The center was recognized at the National College Testing Association Annual Conference in August in Las Vegas...

UTRGV SOM appoints assistant dean of Clerkships

Born in Weslaco to a family of migrant farm workers, Dr. Maria de Jésus Muñoz remembers one muddy day in the strawberry fields of California when she told her father, “This is not for me.” He encouraged her to educate herself so she could have a better life, so she sought out...

Abril Silva, UTRGV Nutritional Sciences student, in the Introductory Sommelier Course and Examination learns about the major wine regions and beverages of the world including tasting, describing and evaluating wine on Saturday, Oct. 21. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

Wine Not?

UTRGV students did not have to travel far to expand their wine knowledge thanks to a free two-day course that helped them gain the prestigious Court of Master Sommelier certification. The UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship’s Hospitality and Tourism program offered...

Nathaniel Primous, Isabella Strash, Abelardo Osuna, Peter Elvin, Garrett Edwards, and Alfonso Reyes, who recently presented their research at UTRGV SOPM’s first Research Day, went on to sweep the top four spots of the state-level poster competition of the Texas Podiatric Medical Association conference. (Courtesy Photo)

UTRGV SOPM hosts inaugural Research Day

One year since its founding, the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine’s research arm is fully operational, and second-year students already are working on new avenues for treatment and prevention under the guidance of their university mentors. Students recently shared their progress to date with each other...

Diana Wolf, in-coming president of the RGVQG, holds a quilt with Dr. Micheal B. Hocker, dean of UTRGV SOM and senior vice president of UT Health RGV, who served as a lieutenant commander and flight surgeon in the US Navy. He was stationed with the marine aviation wing for his last active-duty assignment in Kaneohe, Hawaii. (UTRGV Photo by Karen Villarreal)

RGV Quilt Guild presents five service quilts to military students, faculty at UTRGV School of Medicine

Five UTRGV School of Medicine students and faculty recently were recognized for their service in the U.S. Armed Forces by a local quilting organization. The Rio Grande Valley Quilt Guild made and presented five quilts at a small ceremony held in the School of Medicine...

Experience the arts like never before with "Artrageous" at the UTRGV Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. Watch world-class artists create stunning paintings live and feel the energy of vocalists, dancers, and musicians. Fun for the entire family. Tickets are $5 -$11. (Courtesy Photo)

UTRGV hosting ‘Artrageous’ this weekend

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will host “Artrageous,” a live art exhibition that features live painting, vocalists, dancers, and musicians, at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12 at the UTRGV Performing Arts Center in Edinburg. The show is part of the UTRGV College...

UTRGV Chess Team logs another national title, as 2023 US National Collegiate Rapid Chess co-champions

It’s another checkmate for UTRGV’s three-time national champion chess team, which just brought home a national win as the 2023 U.S. National Collegiate Rapid Chess Champions. The championship, held Sunday, Oct. 29, was played online on the lichess.org platform. After nine...

Hernán Aparicio, a master's student in Manufacturing Engineering, demonstrated an open-platform laser metal powder bed fusion machine designed and built by UTRGV's CAMICS student and faculty team. It is the only system in the United States, apart from another open-platform system at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (UTRGV photos by Jesús Alférez)

UTRGV awarded $5M grant to help revolutionize defense manufacturing

UTRGV hosted the inaugural meeting of its America's Additive Foundry (AAF) Consortium, an initiative funded by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense's Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) program. Partners discussed the consortium's vision...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 17 Partnerships for the Goals

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

The UTRGV Student Food Pantry’s shelves are stocked with non-perishable food items and canned goods. (UTRGV Photo)

UTRGV Student Food Pantry collects tons of food during Hunger Action Month

The UTRGV Student Food Pantry recently expanded its fight against hunger with a food drive that spanned the entire Rio Grande Valley and amassed 2.25 tons of food. The food pantry emailed representatives across the university to participate, and the call-to-action...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 2 Zero Hunger

October

From left, co-principal investigators Dr. Chu-Lin Cheng and Dr. Engil Pereira, and principal investigator Dr. Tian Y. Dong, will lead the transformational project to empower minority students at UTRGV. (UTRGV Photo by Jesús Alférez)

UTRGV receives $1.2M NASA award to boost STEM education and research

UTRGV has been awarded a three-year, $1.2 million grant from NASA's Office of STEM Engagement, to enhance focus on earth and planetary sciences. Funded by the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP), the initiative aims to develop a pilot model...

The UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine hosted their second white coat ceremony held Oct. 27 at the Harlingen Convention Center. This is the second cohort for the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine – which is the only one in Texas and one of only 10 in the United States. It has 36 students – 18 female and 18 male – and is 100 percent Texan. Nine are from the Rio Grande Valley. And half of the new SOPM Class of 2027 are the first in their families to attend graduate school. (UTRGV photo by David Pike)

UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine holds second White Coat ceremony

Nidhin John, a first-year student in the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine, achieved a first for his family. John was among the second cohort of future podiatrists officially welcomed to the medical community during a symbolic White Coat ceremony, held Oct. 27...

UTRGV’s Dr. Thomas B. Spencer has been selected a NASA Solar System Ambassador, to share the wonders of space exploration with the Rio Grande Valley community and UTRGV students. (UTRGV Photo by Jesus Alferez)

UTRGV’s Spencer selected as NASA Solar System Ambassador

Dr. Thomas B. Spencer, UTRGV associate vice president for Research Operations, has been selected as a NASA Solar System Ambassador. Spencer will serve as a volunteer representative to the Valley community, sharing captivating science, space exploration updates and discoveries...

AWM honors UTRGV’s Villalobos with Humphreys Award for Mentoring

UTRGV endowed professor Dr. Cristina Villalobos has been awarded the 2024 M. Gweneth Humphreys Award by the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM). She was selected “for her exceptional success in mentoring and its subsequent impact on the mathematical profession...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 5 Gender Equality

Gov. Abbott’s office gives UTRGV the Lex Frieden Employment Award

The Office of the Texas Governor has awarded UTRGV the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities’ annual Lex Frieden Employment Award, for work performed within the UTRGV Office of Human Resources, the UTRGV Enactus Group and the Sustainable Opportunities...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

Ayden Castellanos, a 2021 UTRGV alum who graduated with a degree in Public Relations, is the creator of Susto (fright, scare), a podcast dedicated to the preservation of his Mexican American culture through folklore – and sharing the spooky tales that were part of his childhood.

A Case of Susto

The Rio Grande Valley, with close proximity to Mexico, harbors a wealth of popular, culture-specific superstitions and folklore. So, if you’ve ever heard about La Llorona or the Devil at the Disco, Ayden Castellanos probably has a podcast episode about it. Castellanos, a 2021 UTRGV...

UTRGV among Top 10 contributors of alumni to newest Teach For America corps

Teach For America (TFA) has released a list of colleges and universities that are contributing the greatest number of alumni to its teaching corps. UTRGV is among the Top 10 large schools contributing the greatest number of alumni to the TFA teaching corps, with more than 19 graduates...

Dr. Stephanie Alvarez, principal investigator on the grant for the UTRGV CMAS Latinx Museum Internship and Fellowship Program and professor of Mexican American Studies. (UTRGV photo by Paul Chouy)

UTRGV CMAS awarded grant for museum internships, fellowships

UTRGV’s Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS) and the B3 Institute recently received a $741,469 grant for the UTRGV CMAS Latinx Museum Internship and Fellowship Program. The program, with goals to provide UTRGV students with paid undergrad internships and graduate...

UTRGV School of Medicine awarded $2.3M to open Valley’s first Maternal Health Research Center

The UTRGV School of Medicine has been awarded $2,275,863 to establish the first of its kind "Maternal Health Research Center" in the Rio Grande Valley. The "Maternal Health Research Network (MH-RN) for Minority Serving Institutes (MSIs) – Research Awards" grant – awarded...

UTRGV hometowns – Edinburg and Brownsville – make Top 10 list of most wallet-friendly college towns in the U.S.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is located in not one, but two of the most wallet-friendly college towns in the country according to WalletHub’s “Best College Towns & Cities in America.” According to WalletHub, the City of Edinburg ranked No. 1 and Brownsville...

UTRGV’s Yznaga honored with prestigious Young Center award for her work with immigrant children’s rights

Dr. Selma Yznaga, a UTRGV professor in the Department of Counseling, is the 2023 recipient of the esteemed Maria Woltjen Waymaker Award from the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. The Brownsville native is only the third person to receive the award. The first...

Dr. Everardo Cobos, M.D., F.A.C.P. will head up the UTRGV School of Medicine's new Medicine and Oncology department, encompassing eight subspecialties in complex and specialized care, with four local multispecialty clinics, in addition to heading the cancer care service line. Among the subspecialties is oncology (cancer care), his specialty as a practicing hematologist and oncologist.

UTRGV School of Medicine welcomes new Medicine and Oncology chair

The UTRGV School of Medicine is expanding its promise to elevate cancer care in the Rio Grande Valley, and now welcomes the new Medicine and Oncology Department lead, Dr. Everardo Cobos, M.D., F.A.C.P. Cobos will lead, train and oversee the next generation of medical doctors...

Dr. Noreen Rivera, UTRGV associate professor, Department of Literatures and Cultural Studies, recently delivered a presentation at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on her research about Mexican American writer Aurora Lucero White. The symposium, "Rewriting America: Reconsidering the Federal Writers' Project 80 Years Later," gathered contemporary perspectives from public scholars, documentary producers and curators on the legacy of the Federal Writers’ Project.

UTRGV’s Rivera presents at Library of Congress Symposium, sheds light on Mexican American writer

Dr. Noreen Rivera, associate professor in the UTRGV Department of Literatures and Cultural Studies, was invited to present her work in Washington, D.C. at a Library of Congress Symposium titled "Rewriting America: Reconsidering the Federal Writers' Project 80 Years Later."...

UTRGV President, Guy Bailey, with a UTRGV student

Hispanic Outlook gives UTRGV high rankings in multiple categories

The kudos for UTRGV just keep on coming this year. On the heels of being ranked the No. 1 university in Texas for 2023-2024 by Washington Monthly, UTRGV now has earned top rankings by Hispanic Outlook on Higher Education Magazine in several categories. The Hispanic Outlook...

UTRGV Student Food Pantry Collects Tons of Food During Hunger Action Month

The UTRGV Student Food Pantry recently expanded its fight against hunger with a food drive that spanned the entire Rio Grande Valley and amassed 2.25 tons of food. Last year, the Student Food Pantry distributed more than 16.8 tons of food over...

Chriselda Delgadillo, Palm Valley Animal Society lead foster coordinator, hold up a kitten as she works to clean the cage on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023 at the Palm Valley Animal Society Trenton Center in Edinburg, Texas. UTRGV has donated excess medical supplies including gowns, caps, face masks, face shields, gloves & cleaning wipes. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

Extending a helping paw: UTRGV Health services donates PPE to Palm Valley Animal Society

UTRGV’s commitment to the community extends beyond its human residents. UTRGV Health Services donated 20 pallets worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Palm Valley Animal Society (PVAS) on Sept. 21...

UTRGV announces arrival of university’s first drill team

The UTRGV Spirit Program earlier this month announced the search for UTRGV students – current and future – to be part of the university’s inaugural Drill Team. The drill team is another part of UTRGV’s efforts to expand the UTRGV...

UTRGV to celebrate 60th anniversary of UTRGV H-E-B Planetarium with special solar eclipse event, activities

UTRGV will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the UTRGV H-E-B Planetarium with an event on the Edinburg Campus on Saturday, Oct. 14, to view the annular solar eclipse, which will cross North America for the first time since...

Front row, from left to right: Dr. Susan Hubbard, deputy for Science and Technology at ORNL, and Dr. Can (John) Saygin, senior vice president for Research at UTRGV and dean of the Graduate College. Second row, from left to right: Dr. Yarom Polsky, ORNL director of the Manufacturing Science Division (MSD); Dr. Richard "Rick" Raines, ORNL interim associate laboratory director, Energy Science and Technology Directorate (ESTD); Moody E. Altamimi, founding director for the Office of Research Education (ORE) at ORNL; Dr. Ahmed Arabi Hassen, ORNL group leader and senior R&D staff scientist; Dr. Vlastimil Kunc, section head for Composites Science and Technology at ORNL; and Dr. Jianzhi (James) Li, UTRGV professor of Manufacturing Engineering and director of CA2REERs. (Photo courtesy by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy)

UTRGV signs MOU with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to foster STEM education and research opportunities

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Oct. 5 with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to establish a collaborative agreement aimed at enhancing undergraduate...

A 25-year culinary exploration thousands of miles away is now documented in the book, Eating Peru: A Gastronomic Journey. Written by Dr. Robert C. Bradley, associate dean of the UTRGV Honors College and associate professor for the School of Art and Design, the book is about his research into Peru’s unique geography and its many different ecosystems, all ingredients found throughout the country that contributed to its unique food culture today. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

UTRGV professor’s new book takes a big bite out of Peruvian cuisine

Written by Dr. Robert C. Bradley, associate dean of the UTRGV Honors College and associate professor for the School of Art and Design, the book is about his research into Peru’s unique geography and its many different ecosystems, all ingredients found throughout the...

UTRGV students from dance department. (UTRGV Archival Photo by Paul Chouy)

UTRGV granted accreditation from National Association of Schools of Dance for dance program

UTRGV has been granted accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD) for its dance program – which means the UTRGV Dance Department has met the highest standards in providing dance students educational services. The accreditation also means the UTRGV Dance Department officially meets national standards for schools of dance set by ...

September

Dr. Jianzhi (James) Li, CA2REERs Director and Dr. Ahmed A Hassen, Group Leader, Composites Innovation Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, discussed CA2REER’s mission to advance Additive Manufacturing, promote diversity in Energy-Related Systems careers, and integrate National Laboratories into student projects and internships. (UTRGV Photo by Jesus Alferez)

UTRGV CA2REERs Consortium helps prepare engineers for success

The second annual meeting of the UTRGV Consortium of Advanced Additive Manufacturing Research and Education for Energy Related Systems – known as the CA2REERs Consortium – was held Sept. 22 on the Edinburg Campus. The event featured discussions with ...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

UTRGV athletics at mcallen airport (Photo by UTRGV Athletics)

McAllen International Airport becomes the official airport of the UTRGV Vaqueros

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Department of Intercollegiate Athletics scored a touchdown today with a new partnership designating the McAllen International Airport as the official...

According to Dr. Curran, this grant is an excellent example of team science, where diverse scientists with different expertise come together to develop a novel project. This figure showcases the team management plan in the grant and highlights the team's experience. (Courtesy Photo)

UTRGV School of Medicine awarded $8M for first, largest genome modeling study

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently awarded the UTRGV School of Medicine's Department of Human Genetics $8 million to conduct the first and largest study of its kind into environmental impacts on genotype. This award – the...

Dr. Russell K. Skowronek, a history and anthropology professor at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, co-edited his third pirate book titled “Dead Man’s Chest: Exploring the Archaeology of Piracy.” (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

UTRGV history professor’s third pirate book plunges into depths of nautical history

Amidst tales of pirates, can archaeological records confirm their existence? Dr. Russell K. Skowronek, a history and anthropology professor at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, co-edited his third pirate book titled “Dead Man’s Chest: Exploring the Archaeology of Piracy,” which...

UTRGV climbs 72 positions in latest U.S. News and World Report college rankings

UTRGV’s reputation as one of the top value schools in the country just got another boost, jumping up 72 positions on the U.S. News and World Report 2023-2024 Best Colleges list, released Monday. One year after being ranked 299th in the country, UTRGV has climbed to 227th among all national...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 1 No Poverty

UTRGV named inaugural ‘Academic Institution of the Year’ by Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), has named UTRGV its inaugural Academic Institution of the Year for 2023. SHPE is the largest association in the United States representing Hispanics in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields...

Dr. Rupesh Kariyat with Emanuel Flores, Myranda de Leon Cantu, Geovanni Hernandez, and Ashley Madrigal. (Courtesy Photo)

UTRGV students study ag in Arkansas through USDA-funded collaboration

Myranda De Leon Cantu, a UTRGV junior in biology from Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, this summer realized her potential as a serious lab researcher. She learned advanced skills beyond her undergraduate lab classes – like polymerase chain reaction, electrophoresis and DNA analysis...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 15 Life on Land

From left, Dr. Nirakar Sahoo, principal investigator; co-principal investigators Dr. Robert Dearth, director of the School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences; and Dr. Bradley Christoffersen, assistant professor of Biology, gather at a UTRGV laboratory in the Edinburg Campus. Their collaborative efforts led to the successful securing of the NSF-MRI grant. Not pictured are senior personnel Dr. Jason Parsons and co-principal investigators Dr. Karen Lozano and Dr. Karen Martirosyan. (UTRGV Photo by María González)

UTRGV receives NSF grant for state-of-the-art electron microscope

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded UTRGV a Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award to acquire a special, cutting-edge microscope that will expand the possibilities for interdisciplinary molecular research at UTRGV and increase experiential learning for students in the STEM fields...

The Dr. Cristina Torres Memorial Astronomical Observatory. (UTRGV Archival Photo by David Pike)

NSF funds UTRGV - TSC partnership in multi-messenger astronomy

A new research and education partnership in astronomy, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), has developed between UTRGV and Texas Southmost College (TSC) to conduct research in multi-messenger and time domain astronomy. Dr. Mario Diaz, director of the UTRGV Center...

The UTRGV Department of Physician Studies welcomed the newest cohort to its annual white coat ceremony. This is the fourth cohort of the program. PACT allows high school students to enter the Early Assurance Program, which provides a seamless transition into the master’s program upon completion of a undergraduate degree. UTRGV’s PACT selects a limited number of high-achieving area students who begin their undergraduate career at UTRGV. (Courtesy Photo)

UTRGV admits newest cohort to Physician Assistant Career Track Early Assurance Program

The UTRGV Department of Physician Assistant Studies has admitted the five newest members of the Physician Assistant Career Track. The UTRGV Department of Physician Studies welcomed the newest cohort to its annual white coat ceremony. This is the fourth cohort of the program...

Courtney Austin, a d/Deaf third-year medical student at the UTRGV School of Medicine, said she loves the Valley's community, and having the chance to serve it makes the long days and nights of studying and research worth it. ‘I am blessed to attend a school, an academic medical learning institution, where I can hone my skills and work at being the best physician possible. There are many opportunities to learn from different specialties, which has given me a greater appreciation of medicine.’ (Courtesy Photo)

d/Deaf UTRGV medical student works toward impact on deaf community

Courtney Austin spent her childhood in the doctor's office, where they made her feel she could do anything she put her mind to. Oddly enough, she wasn't really aware that she was deaf and might have limitations. d/Deaf refers to an individual who...

Ida “Annie” Ambriz, valedictorian of HCH, and Nathali Martinez, salutatorian of HCH, might have started the semester as new Vaqueros, but they came well prepared with two years of university experience under their belts.

UTRGV Harlingen Collegiate High grads start Fall 2023 semester with two years of college credit

Two UTRGV Harlingen Collegiate High (HCH) graduates joined more than 32,000 students during the first week of the Fall 2023 semester last month. Ida “Annie” Ambriz, valedictorian of HCH, and Nathali Martinez, salutatorian of HCH, might have...

Simita Gaglani, a fourth-year UTRGV School of Medicine student, hopes to continue exploring urological research, which she considers an alluring field. Her research on transgender women has led her to seek treatment development for a specific market in the urological specialty. (Courtesy Photo)

UTRGV med student conducting urological research aimed at helping underrepresented community

A fourth-year medical student at the UTRGV School of Medicine is conducting urological research that may translate to better understanding and treatment for an underrepresented community. Simita Gaglani has always known her career path was in medicine, but it wasn't until she began...

UTRGV lecturer named to National Association of Social Workers

Astrid Gandaria, LMSW, a lecturer at the UTRGV School of Social Work, has been elected as the Region 11 representative to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Texas Chapter. NASW Region 11 consists of 19 counties from Webb to Aransas, and south to Hidalgo...

UTRGV introduces its new School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences

Starting this fall, the UTRGV College of Sciences is home to the newly created School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences. Dr. Robert Dearth, founding director of the school, said this will combine the former departments of Biology and Chemistry into one new school...

The UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine recently received an anonymous donation of $250,000 in honor of Dr. Lawrence Harkless (left), the interim dean of the school from 2019 to 2022 and a central figure in developing the podiatry program at UTRGV. He is shown here with Dr. Javier La Fontaine, inaugural and current dean of the SOPM, at a recent event naming a classroom in Harkless’ honor. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

Anonymous $250,000 gift to UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine honors Lawrence Harkless, interim dean

The UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine recently received its first financial donation to advance student education and research in the field. The gift of $250,000 was donated anonymously on behalf of Dr. Lawrence Harkless, who came out of retirement in 2019 to serve as interim dean...

August

UTRGV began the Fall 2023 semester on Monday, Aug. 28, with several accolades including being ranked sixth in the U.S. among all public and private higher education institutions in offering students high economic opportunity and mobility by Third Way, a national nonprofit think tank. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

Economic mobility report ranks UTRGV 6th nationally and 2nd in state

UTRGV has been ranked sixth in the United States among all public and private universities in offering students high economic opportunity and mobility. Third Way, a national nonprofit think tank, announced the ranking in a recent report – the 2023 Economic Mobility Index (EMI)...

UTRGV began the Fall 2023 semester on Monday with a first-day enrollment of more than 32,000 students. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

UTRGV ranked as No. 1 university in Texas by Washington Monthly

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on Monday started the 2023-24 academic year as the No. 1 university in Texas, based on Washington Monthly magazine’s annual college guide and rankings. According to Washington Monthly, instead of rewarding schools for their prestige...

UTRGV will hold its annual Day of Giving on Wednesday, August 30. Donations from the one-day event give students access to life-changing programs, scholarships and research initiatives, and help provide a solid foundation for their future. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

UTRGV to celebrate Day of Giving on Aug. 30

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will hold its annual Day of Giving on Wednesday, August 30. Donations that come in during the one-day event give students access to life-changing programs, scholarships and research initiatives, and help provide a solid foundation...

One of 24 new UTRGV Luminary Scholars celebrates the start of her higher educational journey with family during a welcome banquet held in Edinburg on Monday, Aug. 21, for the exclusive group. This will be the second cohort for UTRGV's prestigious scholarship program. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

UTRGV welcomes 24 new Luminary Scholars

Twenty-four students soon will join the exclusive group known as the UTRGV Luminary Scholars. Last year, 24 students also made up the first cohort of scholars for UTRGV’s prestigious scholarship program. The program was made possible thanks to the historic $40 million...

UTRGV School of Nursing students responded alongside EMS personnel and vehicles – police, fire, medical helicopter and ambulances – during a training exercise, Aug. 10, that was a collaboration between UTRGV School of Nursing students and Pharr and Weslaco first responders. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike.)

UTRGV School of Nursing hosts mass casualty simulation for students

As screaming bodies lay strewn across the PharrONE amphitheater, UTRGV School of Nursing students responded alongside city EMS personnel and vehicles – police, fire, medical helicopter and ambulances. Not to worry, though. The emergency was a simulation, held Thursday...

A new Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program will be offered at UTRGV starting Summer 2025. The 113-hour program will increase the number of trained therapists in the Rio Grande Valley and widen access to therapy services. (UTRGV archival photo)

UTRGV to offer Physical Therapy doctoral program, Summer 2025

UTRGV will offer a new Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program starting summer 2025, to increase the number of trained therapists in the Rio Grande Valley and access to therapy services. The program, organized under the UTRGV Department of Physical Therapy...

On Aug 4, 2023 the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine welcomed the second class to the school at the Harlingen Event Center. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine seats second cohort

A second cohort of future podiatrists has begun its journey at the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine – the first school of podiatric medicine in Texas and one of only 10 in the United States. Dr. Javier La Fontaine, inaugural dean of the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine...

The digital elevation map of the Rio Grande in South Texas demonstrates sinuous modern and relict channels. The relict channels of the Rio Grande Valley, known as 'resacas,' receive little to no water and sediment from the modern river. The study 'Lowland River Sinuosity on Earth and Mars Set by the Pace of Meandering and Avulsion' reveals that the Rio Grande's meandering nature is maintained by variable water discharge in a semi-arid climate. The brown-to-green coloring indicates decreasing elevation. (Courtesy photo)

Nature Geoscience journal publishes article on river behavior by UTRGV SEEMS Professor Tian Dong

Dr. Tian Y. Dong, assistant professor of Ocean, Coastal, and Earth Sciences at the UTRGV School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences (SEEMS), has been published as co-author of a research paper accepted for publication in the prestigious journal Nature Geoscience...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 6 Clean Water and Station

Hispanic Outlook ranks UTRGV #2 in biomedical degrees awarded to Latinos

UTRGV is second in the nation in awarding biological and biomedical degrees for the 2020-2021 academic year, according to Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine. The findings were released this month by the magazine using data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics...

Summer 2023

July

UTRGV School of Medicine Class of ’27 celebrates annual White Coat Ceremony

Excited medical students walked the stage at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex on the Edinburg Campus on Saturday to receive their white coats, in a special White Coat Ceremony that serves as a rite of passage and marks the start of their medical career. Jake Lanoue...

UTRGV Engineering Building in Edinburg. (UTRGV Photo)

THECB approves first doctoral degree program for UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) today approved the first Ph.D. program for the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science. The new Doctor of Philosophy degree program in Materials Science and Engineering is the ninth doctoral program to be approved...

An engineering student shares project insights with the visiting LANL team and UTRGV faculty at an Edinburg manufacturing facility. (UTRGV Photos by Jesus Alferez

Los Alamos National Lab reps visit UTRGV to help build opportunities for students

A team of representatives from the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) visited UTRGV July 13 in a goodwill mission designed to open up opportunities for students. The visit, organized by Dr. Hiram Moya, UTRGV associate professor of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering...

Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority in efforts accelerating Latino student success in higher education. UTRGV President Guy Bailey chose to be a partner to bring new analysis on Latino college completion and enrollment trends across the United States to the public. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

UTRGV demonstrates public leadership by supporting Excelencia in Education’s national research on Latino college completion

Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority in efforts accelerating Latino student success in higher education, announced today that University of Texas Rio Grande Valley President Guy Bailey has chosen to be a partner to bring new analysis...

From left: Dr. Thomas B. Spencer, UTRGV associate vice president of Research Operations; Dr. Ala Qubbaj, dean of the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science; Amy Hamilton, UTCRS advisory board member and principal engineer at Trinity Industries; Kim Bowling, UTCRS advisory board member and director of Wayside Diagnostics at CSX Transportation; Dr. Constantine Tarawneh, senior associate dean of the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science and UTCRS director; Dr. Gary Fry, UTCRS advisory board member and vice president at Fry Technical Services Inc.; and Dr. Heinrich D. Foltz, UTRGV electrical and computer engineering professor. Board members not pictured are Kari L. Gonzales, president and CEO of MxV Rail; Edward "Ed" Boyle Jr., vice president of engineering at Norfolk Southern Corp.; and Dr. Alan Calegari, president and CEO director at MERMEC Inc. (Courtesy Photo)

UTCRS: First advisory board meeting focuses on railway safety efforts

UTRGV's University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) recently hosted its inaugural advisory board meeting, marking an important milestone in its commitment to enhancing railway safety. The meeting brought together industry experts...

Christy McCoy (past president) and Dr. Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Gary Lee Shaffer Award recipient, at the 2023 National School Social Work Conference, held in March in Colorado. (Courtesy Photo)

UTRGV’s Dr. Leticia Villarreal Sosa receives 2023 Gary Lee Shaffer Award

Dr. Leticia Villarreal Sosa, LCSW, UTRGV associate dean of Research and Faculty Development and professor in the School of Social Work, recently was honored with the 2023 Gary Lee Shaffer Award presented by the School Social Work Association of America...

The UTRGV Team Mario Fun Friday Summer Camp, which is designed to help young students with Autism develop the social skills needed to participate in everyday life, on Friday, June 23, 2023 at the H-E-B Planetarium in Edinburg, Texas. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

Everything is awesome!

Summer months are the time when kids need fun, and what better fun than a camp! Team Mario, an organization dedicated to helping families and children affected by the autism spectrum disorder (ASD), hosted its four-week Fun Fridays Summer Camp at UTRGV...

June

Abby Guillory was recently appointed the new assistant vice president for Research Enhancement at UTRGV. Formerly the director of Research and Sponsored Programs at UL Lafayette and director of Education and Training at North Carolina State University, Guillory assumes her new position at UTRGV on Aug. 7. (Courtesy Photo)

UTRGV appoints new AVP for Research Enhancement

The UTRGV Division of Research has announced the appointment of Abby Guillory as the new assistant vice president for Research Enhancement. Guillory, who holds a Master of Library and Information Science from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations...

Group photo at the press conference where Janet and Robert Vackar announce the Janet Ogden Vackar Spirit of Philanthropy Endowed Scholarship for students in the UTRGV College of Liberal Arts on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at the Rio Bank Building in McAllen, Texas. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

Vackars gift $1 million to the UTRGV Department of Communication

Robert C. and Janet Vackar have gifted $1 million to the UTRGV College of Liberal Arts to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a degree in mass communication. The gift, which was presented to UTRGV on Wednesday in McAllen, is an addition to the existing...

Dr. Karen Lozano, UTRGV professor of Mechanical Engineering and Julia Beecherl Endowed Professor, was named a “Great Immigrant, Great American” by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. (Courtesy photo from Carnegie Corp.)

UTRGV’s Karen Lozano named ‘Great Immigrant, Great American’ by Carnegie Corp. of New York

The Carnegie Corporation of New York has named UTRGV’s Dr. Karen Lozano, professor of Mechanical Engineering and Julia Beecherl Endowed Professor, a “Great Immigrant, Great American.” Each Fourth of July, Carnegie celebrates contributions by immigrants...

Jenika Montes, a UTRGV junior and national winner of the Jarritos Mariachi USA Talent Search Competition, performed at the 34th annual Mariachi USA concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California in front of 17,000 fellow mariachi fans. (Courtesy Photo)

UTRGV Mariachi student winning soloist in national contest

The loudest grito heard at the 34th annual Mariachi USA concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California was belted by Jenika Montes, UTRGV junior and national winner of the Jarritos Mariachi USA Talent Search Competition. Montes, an Integrated Health Science major...

Established in 2016, the UTRGV Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Scholars Program is training about 90 students to help increase access to healthcare in underserved communities in Cameron, Starr and Hidalgo counties. AHEC Scholars serve at each of the UT Health RGV AHEC sites located in rural and medically underserved areas in the Rio Grande Valley. (Courtesy Photo)

UTRGV’s AHEC Scholars Program aims to create culturally competent healthcare workers

UTRGV’s Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Scholars Program is training about 90 students to help increase access to healthcare in underserved communities in Cameron, Starr and Hidalgo counties. Established in 2016, the Scholars Program prepares UTRGV students in health-related...

Sherron Jernigan, director of the Office of Civil Rights Diversity and Inclusion at the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, talks with 12 area high school students, who were accepted into the new AgDiscovery Program at UTRGV. Dr. Christopher Gabler (right), principal investigator on the project and UTRGV associate professor of Plant Ecology & Sustainability, said the program will serve as a bridge for students to experience the profession and pave the way for future agricultural careers. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

UTRGV event launches AgDiscovery Program

UTRGV held a special event June 11 to kick off its new AgDiscovery Program, in which 12 area high school students will engage in hands-on learning workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, laboratory and field exercises, and a variety of character- and team-building activities...

Hector Trejo, a UTRGV School of Medicine third-year medical student, who is pictured with his son Gabriel, encourages other medical school applicants to stay strong and motivated. Medical school, community and fatherhood are difficult to juggle, he says, but none is burdensome. (Courtesy Photo)

DR. DAD: How a UTRGV School of Medicine student and father balances both roles

For Hector Trejo, a third-year UTRGV School of Medicine student and a father, the hours are long and the responsibilities great. This Father's Day, Trejo reflects on his dual role as a man of medicine and as a dad to 3-year-old Gabriel "Andres" Trejo, and ponders thriving in both...

The UTRGV College of Education and P-16 Integration (CEP) was recently awarded a $1 million grant by three foundations – the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, and The Meadows Foundation – in support of a teacher residency program. Pictured is Dr. Alma Rodriguez, dean of the UTRGV College of Education and P-16 Integration, who along with Dr. Zulmaris Diaz, professor and director of Field Experiences in the CEP, earned the grant. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

UTRGV College of Education and P-16 Integration awarded $1M grant to develop teacher residency program

Dr. Alma Rodriguez, dean of the UTRGV College of Education and P-16 Integration (CEP) and Dr. Zulmaris Diaz, professor and director of Field Experiences in the CEP, recently were awarded a $1million grant to launch a sustainable, affordable teacher residency program...

Spring 2023

May

UTRGV Sustainability Fellows recognized for research efforts

The UTRGV Office for Sustainability (OFS) held a reception May 4 to recognize students from its Graduate Sustainability Fellowship program, which engages students in research for sustainable development. In addition to their program of study, fellows are expected to connect their work to the...

Over 250 AHEC scholars, School of Medicine students, UTRGV nursing, physician assistants, social workers, and other disciplines have gone through the UT Health RGV AHEC clinics to see rural medicine's realities for the first time. In addition, over 20 medical residents have learned and continue to practice at the AHEC, and all first-year medical students join AHECs for shadow and observation opportunities. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Choy)

UT Health RGV, Hidalgo County Precinct 4 celebrate new Primary Care Annex in San Carlos

The community partnership between the UTRGV School of Medicine, UT Health RGV and Hidalgo County Precinct 4 hosted a ribbon-cutting Tuesday morning for the new UT Health RGV AHEC Primary Care Annex Building. The new facility will increase availability for primary healthcare for the underserved...

UTRGV Sustainability Ambassador reception showcases students’ impact

UTRGV students and faculty were part of an afternoon of exchange at the Sustainability Ambassador reception, held May 5 at the Ballroom on the Edinburg Campus. The reception, hosted by the university’s Office for Sustainability, brought together six sustainability ambassador programs...

UTRGV's involvement in the USDA-funded Climate-Smart Initiative will promote sustainable agriculture practices in the Rio Grande Valley. (Courtesy photo)

UTRGV awarded $1.4M to spearhead Climate-Smart Initiative in Valley

Researchers from the UTRGV College of Sciences have joined forces with lead partner Texas A&M AgriLife Research and other major agriculture entities on a $65 million grant to assess greenhouse gas fluxes and conduct soil analyses. Awarded as part of a historic $2.8 billion federal invest...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 13 Climate Action

UTRGV’s Office of Workforce and Economic Development expanded its network recently with the opening of a third satellite office in the City of Mission, located at the Center for Education and Economic Development (CEED) at 801 Bryan Road. (Courtesy Photo)

UTRGV creates partnerships across region to expand economic development footprint

With a mission to advance regional economic, workforce and business development, UTRGV’s Office of Workforce and Economic Development is expanding its network and reach to cities across the Rio Grande Valley through satellite offices. UTRGV opened its third office in the City of Mission...

2023 - April

UTRGV hosted its first Food Summit event during Earth Fest week at the university. The three-day Food Summit began on Wednesday, April 19, and featured a panel on the "Future of Food." Moderator Mackenzie Feldman, director of Re:Wild Your Campus, spoke to “Future of Food” panelists (L-R): Eric Niño, Marcos Cano, Andre Gianelli Muñiz Cavazos and Carlos Wong. The students shared their experiences with farming and plans for their careers. (UTRGV Photo by Karen Villarreal).

UTRGV “Future of Food” panel hosts young agriculturists

Carlos Wong, a freshman in the UTRGV Agroecology program, wants to empower the next generation of growers to implement change. So he is calling upon today’s lawmakers, teachers and consumers to jumpstart the process. “We can have a more secure food system in the future...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

UTRGV’s award-winning early college program, the Mathematics and Science Academy (MSA), will host information sessions in May for prospective scholars. (UTRGV Archival Photo)

UTRGV Mathematics and Science Academy helps students get a head start on college

For Rio Grande Valley high school students looking to get a jumpstart on college life, UTRGV’s award-winning early college program, the Mathematics and Science Academy (MSA), will host information sessions in May for prospective scholars. Dr. Wilma Garza, MSA principal, said the goal...

Pollinator Garden at UTRGV Brownsville Campus in 2021.

UTRGV to host first Food Summit event in honor of Earth Day

This year’s UTRGV Earth Fest will host the first ever Food Summit, in commemoration of Earth Day. The Food Summit, which runs from April 19-21, is designed to bring together farmers, consumers, businesses, artists, educators and activists to network with policymakers...

DOE official Shalanda H. Baker to visit UTRGV for keynote on energy justice

The Honorable Shalanda H. Baker, director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, will deliver the keynote address at an upcoming stakeholder engagement session at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The keynote, "Energy Justice...

March

Laredo College and UTRGV partnership to create limitless opportunities for students

With more than 150 miles separating Laredo College and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, distance is still no barrier to collaborating and providing Laredo students with expanded higher education opportunities. Today, March 30, both institutions signed a joint admission...

UTRGV Luminary Scholars – Victoria Gutierrez, David Franco and Jarrett Quezada – sign acceptance agreements on April 22, 2022 at the UTRGV Visitors Center in Edinburg during a special signing ceremony. (UTRGV File Photo by Paul Chouy)

UTRGV Luminary Scholars prepare to welcome new cohort to one-of-a-kind program

Last year, 24 UTRGV students made campus history when they became the first members of a unique breed of Vaqueros known as the Luminary Scholars. The Luminary Scholars belong to a one-of-a-kind scholarship program that offers incoming undergraduate students room...

UTRGV and the HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division announced on Monday morning an agreement to bring 30 resident physicians to Brownsville and McAllen by summer 2024, with plans to seat 150 total resident physician positions by 2029. This is the first time UTRGV will have a residency program in Brownsville. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

UTRGV and HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division announce creation of physician residencies at Brownsville, McAllen hospitals

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division have announced an agreement to bring 30 resident physicians to Brownsville and McAllen by summer 2024, with plans to seat 150 total resident physician positions by 2029. Residents...

Dr. Amy Hay, professor in the Department of History at UTRGV (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

UTRGV’s Hay highlights woman-led activism against Agent Orange chemical

Environmental historian Dr. Amy Hay draws hope for the future from this country’s troubled past. “Activism can be sparked by individuals who raise consciousness and inspire people to take action,” said Hay, professor in the Department of History at UTRGV...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 6 Clean Water and Sanitation

Brownsville artist Gracie Rodriguez stands next to her artwork during a UT Health RGV Pachanga event, as part of the Vida Saludable initiative. Vida Saludable is a healthy lifestyle campaign that showcases local artists and their talents. The goal is to promote health and well-being by showcasing the talents of community members for positive health outcomes. (Photo Courtesy of South Texas Health Disparities Project)

The Art of Health: UT Health RGV bringing wellness to the community in art form

Amanda Garcia, program specialist for the South Texas Health Disparities Project, said she thought of combining the arts with healthcare education through a program called Vida Saludable. “Vida Saludable is a healthy lifestyle campaign that showcases...

The RGVHCC committee selected 10 honorees from across the Valley, all experts and professionals in a range of categories from education to health to the military. Maria Leonard had been selected as an honoree for education. (Courtesy Photo: Maria Leonard)

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...

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...

March is Women’s History Month, and each year, the UTRGV International Admissions and Student Services (IASS) office hosts a celebration on International Women’s Day to recognize the achievements of the international female population at the university. Pictured are Nora Cruz Dole, IASS associate director; Dr. Samantha Lopez, IASS director; Suchitra Acharjee, Outstanding International Female Student in the master's category.; Uzoamaka Okori, Outstanding International Female Student in the doctoral category; Ingridy Nicoleti Foltran, Outstanding International Female Student in the undergraduate category; and Dara Newton, associate vice president for strategic enrollment. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy).

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)...

Dr. Constantine Tarawneh, senior associate dean of the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science and director of UTRGV’s University Transportation Center for Railway Safety, instructs future engineers during the UTCRS Summer Camp in 2018. During this camp, Rio Grande Valley students work together in groups to build a project that deals with transportation engineering. Recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded UTCRS a $10 million grant to focus on promoting safety in railway transportation systems. (UTRGV Archive Photo by Silver Salas)

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...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infastructure

UTRGV President Guy Bailey is shown here with student Victoria Gutierrez and her family, from Port Arthur, at a signing event for Luminary Scholars recipients in 2022, at the UTRGV Visitors Center on the Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

UTRGV 2023 Graduate Fair (UTRGV Archival Photo by Silver Salas)

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...

Student looking at a test tube through a fume hood (UTRGV File Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

February

Dr. Esther Akindayomi, a McAllen resident, earned her master’s degree in Business Administration from UTRGV in October 2020. After years of schooling and nursing experience, she founded her own health company R.G.VGita Infusions. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 10 Reduced Inequality

Mecia Duru, a 2018 UTRGV alumna and a professional loctician, is the founder and owner of the Dread House in Edinburg, where she helps clients start, maintain and style their dreadlocks. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

The W. B. Ray High School team celebrates a win during the UTRGV Regional Science Bowl 2023 on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023 at the Mathematics & General Classrooms building in Edinburg, Texas. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

Engineering Building at the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

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...

The Justice Challenge (Illustration by UTRGV Honors College)

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...

Dr. Jianzhi Li, UTRGV professor of manufacturing engineering and principal investigator on the I-DREAM4D and CA2REERS projects. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

UTRGV 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...

Dr. Stephanie Alvarez, UTRGV associate professor of Mexican American Studies and director of the Center for Mexican American Studies. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

January

The Legislative Tour of the Rio Grande Valley made a stop on Saturday at the eBridge Center in Brownsville for a Workforce and Economic Development Ecosystem panel discussion, hosted by UTRGV. Border security, culture, tourism, education and workforce in the Valley were the topics of discussion. RGV Partnership welcomed elected officials to a four-day tour of the Valley to help them get acquainted with the area. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

The Energy and U live show featuring science demonstrations on the theme of interconverting different forms of energy on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023 at the Performing Arts Complex in Edinburg, Texas. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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....

utrgv-news-1-26-23.jpgDr. Nancy Razo, UTRGV professor of practice in the Department of Human Development and School Services.

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...

McAllen ISD and Associates digging together as a first step towards Collegiate Academy

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...

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...

UTRGV students volunteer at the Restlawn Cemetery in Edinburg on Monday, Jan. 16, during MLK Day of Service.

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...

Dr. Hooman Mir, SOPM assistant professor of medicine and faculty senator at UTRGV, recently led workshops on amputation attended by 250 student-doctors from medical schools around the world, including Oxford and Cambridge. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

Pictured (left) are Las Huellas Association board members Ronald Humphrey and Nick Tipton, Vice President and Treasurer Russell Adams, Steve Garza, President Edward Mathers, Secretary Monica Garza, UTRGV President Guy Bailey, and board members Ricardo Adobbati, Rusty Young, Brad Wolfe, Ross Bland and Bryant Kennedy. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

UTRGV was presented with a banner officially recognizing the university as one of just three Special Olympics National Unified Champion Schools in Texas, during halftime of a women’s basketball game Dec. 15, 2022, on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (Photo by UTRGV Athletics)

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...

During the fall semester, UTRGV students took part in the the Precinct 4 Community Forest Restoration Planting Event in San Carlos. The students lent a helping hand as part of the service-learning and community engagement component of their classes. (UTRGV Photo by Regina Perez)

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...

Fall 2022

December

UTRGV Edinburg Campus (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

Engineering Building on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Photo by Silver Salas)

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...

UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship students selected for the Kemper Scholars Program with faculty on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022 in Edinburg, Texas. From L to R: Dr. Jorge Vidal, Kayla Flores, Fatima Mancia Mendoza, Alejandra Avilez, Itzel Rojas, Josiah Gonzalez, Lizbeth Ramirez, & Maria Leonard. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

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...

Dr. Thomas Spencer, UTRGV associate vice president for Research Operations; Suchitra Acharjee, UTRGV graduate sustainability research fellow; and Marianella Franklin, UTRGV chief sustainability officer.

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...

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund chose UTRGV as a stop on the 2023 national The Wall that Heals tour. A 375-foot-long replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall will be on display in Edinburg on April 20-23, 2023.

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...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 11 Sustianable Cities and Communities

November

The UTRGV Office of Sustainability held their annual Arbor Day planting of a tree on the Brownsville and Edinburg Campuses. The event was held on Nov. 14, 2022 on the Brownsville Campus, and will be in Edinburg on the 15th. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

The UTRGV School of Medicine's pipeline programs, Vaquero's MD and the Joint Admissions Medical Program (JAMP) welcomed an estimated 30 students for their summer program. (UTRGV Photo by Raul Gonzalez)

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...

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. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

Dr. Hamidreza Ramezani, associate professor in the UTRGV Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been awarded an NSF ExpandQISE award to advance quantum research and create new opportunities for the education of underrepresented minority groups in Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) education. (UTRGV Photo by María González)

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...

The Center for Latin American Arts on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus.

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...

Two UTRGV engineering students, Madelyne Martínez and Lindsay Salazar, were able to participate this summer, as interns at the ARL Aberdeen Proving Ground in a 10-week internship program, supported by the new agreement between UTRGV and the U.S. Army Research Lab.

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...

Twenty-seven students from the Class of 2026 recited the Hippocratic Oath in front of loved ones and school administrators.

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...

October

Students register to vote through UTRGV's Civic Engagement Alliance, a student organization that strives to increase political awareness and participation among the university community through voter registration, on campus voting sites, political and civic education, and other various forms of engagement.

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...

UTRGV Science Building on Edinburg Campus.

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...

UTRGV’s Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship Building in Edinburg

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...

UTRGV was awarded a nearly $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support low-income, Pell-eligible student parents at UTRGV needing assistance with child care services. Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced the grant at a press conference on Oct. 14 at the UTRGV Starr County Campus.

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...

Dr. Lin (Helen) Jiang, UTRGV School of Social Work researcher and assistant professor.

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...

Dr. Chris Smith, a chemistry professor, and co-director and program manager with the College of Sciences for the UTRGV UTeach program, shares the impact the program has had on students and the Rio Grande Valley community over the last 10 years during a banquet held Thursday, Oct. 6, in Edinburg.

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...

UTRGV alumna and Harlingen educator Dr. Jessica Hruska graduated from UTRGV in 2018 with a doctorate in curriculum and education. She currently works with Harlingen CISD as its Blended Learning Specialist.

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...

September

The UTRGV Institute for Neuroscience, ION, conducts clinical and scientific research to help create better treatments and improve people’s life. Some of these studies include Addiction and Mood Disorders, Bipolar Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder, Depression and Alcohol Use Disorders, Spinal Cord Injury, Alzheimer’s Disease and Neuromodulation Research.

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...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 17 Partnership for the Goals

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. (UTRGV Photo by Raul Gonzalez)

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...

Renowned Mexican American labor activist Dolores Huerta visited UTRGV on Monday, Sept. 19, for a special panel hosted in honor of her pioneering work. The daylong symposium, titled “The Pursuit of Social Justice – Past, Future and Present,” featured three separate panel discussions by LUPE and local activists. (Photo by David Pike)

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)...

The UTRGV School of Medicine's Office of Student Health & Wellness provides Counseling and Crisis Intervention Services to medical students. For UTRGV students, the Counseling Center also provides resources on campus for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Resources. (UTRGV Photo by Silver Salas)

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...

The Physician Assistant Career Track (PACT) Early Assurance Program at UTRGV recently accepted eight new high school students, the largest number to be accepted into the program. PACT is geared toward South Texas high school students interested in pursuing a future career as a physician assistant. (UTRGV Photo)

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...

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....

UT Rio Grande Valley and South Texas College signed a joint admissions agreement to create an easy pathway for STC students to transition to UTRGV on Wednesday in McAllen. STC President Ricardo Solis and UTRGV President Guy Bailey celebrate the partnership, called "STC 2 UTRGV," during the signing ceremony. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

Two female students by the BMAIN on the Brownsville Campus

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...

UTRGV kicked off the Fall 2022 semester on Monday, Aug. 29. For a third straight year, the university hit a first-day record enrollment of more than 32,000. In addition, UTRGV was ranked second as one of the best public universities in Texas by the 2022 Washington Monthly College Guide and Rankings.

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

August

An art piece from Jessica Monroe's series of paintings currently on display at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex on the Edinburg Campus. The free exhibit, titled "Sophia's Song," will be on display through December.

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...

UTRGV and the Texas Tribune hosted a panel, titled “Serving Hispanic Students in Texas,” on Tuesday at the UTRGV Brownsville Campus.

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...

The UT Health RGV Student Health at Edinburg

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...

Dr. Vivian Incera, dean of UTRGV College of Sciences; Villalobos; and Javier Bustos, constituent field representative of Congressman Vicente Gonzalez.

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...

Ivette Chavarria Torres, Graduate Medical Education (GME) program coordinator for the UTRGV School of Medicine's psychiatry department

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 ...

Engineering Building at UTRGV Edinburg Campus.

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...

UTRGV’s School of Podiatric Medicine – the first in Texas and one of only 10 in the country – welcomed its very first cohort of 27 students on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, at a special reception at the Harlingen Convention Center.

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...

Dr. Tamara Al Rawwad, assistant professor in the UTRGV School of Social Work, earned the Abstract of Distinction Award for a collaborative research paper at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Society of Prevention Research. The research paper investigated how community-clinic networks may help increase the preventive use of prophylaxis among men of color to help stem the spread HIV.

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...

UTRGV, the City of Brownsville and the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art collaborated to bring a special Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit, “DOLORES HUERTA: Revolution in the Fields / Revolución en los Campos.” The exhibit will be on display at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts through Oct. 1.

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...

Summer 2022

July

Dr. Dimah Dera, assistant professor in the UTRGV Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

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...

From left to right are Sergio Contreras, president and executive director for the RGV Partnership; Veronica Gonzales, senior vice president for UTRGV Governmental and Community Relations; JD Salinas, AT&T External & Legislative Affairs vice president; Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, state senator for District 20; Linda Ufland, director of UTRGV Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Commercialization; Marivel Mata, business advisor for UTRGV Small Business Development Center; and Ron Garza, UTRGV associate vice president for Workforce and Economic Development.

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....

Maria Villegas M.D. at a booth dedicated to teaching others about the importance of protection against UV Rays.

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...

A group of CAMP scholars are seen here at the UTRGV Brownsville Campus for a monthly student group meeting.

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...

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...

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...

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...

Two Kids from the Team Mario Summer Camp in a bouncy house

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...

Dr. Juliet V. Garcia recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award

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...

June

Art work from the Uncovered Spaces exhibition shown at the International Museum of Art and Science in McAllen

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...

Dr. Can Saygin was named the new senior vice president for Research and dean of the Graduate College, effective Aug. 1, 2022.

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...

Dr. Javier La Fontaine has been appointed the inaugural dean of the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine, effective July 1, 2022.

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)...

Pictured are 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 of a medical student’s final year of schooling.

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...

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...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 17 Partnerships for the Goal

Juneteenth Freedom Day Regional Material at the Library

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...

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...

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...

Third-year UTRGV medical student Isha Mittal and Dr. Michael Hocker, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine, display Mittal's recent U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Award. (Photo by Raul Gonzalez)

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+...

Campers test their robotic vehicle during the 2019 University Transportation Center for Railway Safety Summer Camp. This year, UTRGV will again offer a variety of camps for elementary to high school students.

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...

Dr. Michael R. Dobbs, chair of the Department of Neurology, UTRGV School of Medicine, and Dr. Kelsey Baker, assistant professor, Department of Neuroscience, UTRGV School of Medicine, were a awarded a grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to study the motor recovery, along with the brain and spine degeneration, of 30 stroke survivors over the next three years.

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)...

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...

Spring 2022

May

The first cohort of the ASLI program includes: Alexis Exinia, of Harlingen; Ana Lilia Hernandez, of Pharr; Kaitlyn Morales, of Brownsville; Cristela Garcia, of Edinburg; Delia Landeros, of Mission; Rebecca Villareal, of Brownsville; and Lizeth Garcia, of Monterrey, MX, who is not photographed. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

Denise De Los Santos, MD, FACOG, OB-GYN (UTRGV Photo by Jennifer Galindo)

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...

Lesley Chapa, a medical student at the UTRGV School of Medicine.

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...

Dr. Jesus Gonzalez, Eugenio "Gene" Reyes, and Dr. Immanuel Edinbarough standing in front of the building where they installed solar panels.

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...

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...

Dr. Brian Cheslik, assistant professor and program coordinator for the American Sign Language and Interpretation (ASLI) degree program at UTRGV.

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...

2021 - 2022 UTRGV Faculty Excellence Award Winners From top left to right: Horacio Vasquez, Salma Mahmoud, Karl Berg, Kathryn Perez, Robert Dearth, Pushpa Soti, Christopher J. Vitek, Sylvia A. Robles, Mohammed Faroqui, Alejandro Lopez-Juarez.

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...

UTRGV Mechanical Engineering students and faculty members who invented and licensed the patent for railroad industry improvement. From left to right are Lee Roy Cantu, POI guest; Dr. Constantine Tarawneh, senior associate dean for Research and Graduate Programs and director of the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety; Danna Capitanachi, student academic assistant; Dr. Robert Jones, professor of mechanical engineering; and Prince Evans Mensah, student project associate. Hum Industrial has exclusively licensed the rights to the safety invention from the UT System Board of Regents and is working with Tarawneh and his team to develop it into a real-world product.

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...

The Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine ranked UTRGV on its first list of top 10 schools in the country for Hispanics/Latinos in STEM careers. UTRGV ranked in the Top 10 Schools for Mathematics and Statistics and Top 10 Schools for Health Professions and Related Programs . During Spring Break 2021, UTRGV nursing students volunteered to inoculate Rio Grande Valley citizens at UT Health RGV COVID-19 vaccination sites. (UTRGV Archival Photo by David Pike)

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. ...

UTRGV graphic design and communication students won a total of 85 awards (gold, silver, bronze) in the AAF-RGV competition. All students were recognized at a celebration event in April on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

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...

April

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...

Martin Alejandro Galicia Avila, a UTRGV graduate student from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, is currently an intern with Tesla. Galicia, who is posing in front of the new Tesla Gigafactory in Austin, has interned with four other manufacturing companies during his time at UTRGV. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

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...

UTRGV Dept of Sustainability celebrated Pollinator Day by planting a new native tree by the Brownsville Campus Pollinator's Garden. Students were invited to help with the planting, and listen to a couple of the SEEMS professors talk about the importance of native plants and insects. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

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 ...

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...

UTRGV was recently recognized as the Institutional Catalyst of the Year by Teach for America Rio Grande Valley. President Guy Bailey accepted the award on April 8 at the Teach for America Rio Grande Valley Honor Roll Gala. The honor is in recognition of UTRGV's overall performance as a university, but especially for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by David Pike)

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...

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...

The UTRGV I-DREAM4D Consortium hosted its first National Manufacturing Exhibition in Edinburg on April 7 and 8 where middle school and high school students explore the field of manufacturing engineering.

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...

UTRGV RCVCOBE’s Enactus Chapter was recognized by AACSB International (AACSB) in its Innovations That Inspire member spotlight program for Enactus’s Sustainable Opportunities for Advancement and Recruiting (SOAR) project. The SOAR Project is a program that prepares young adults with autism for professional careers in business. (Photo Credit: EnactusRGV Instagram)

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...

Family members of Gloria Anzaldúa pose with the literary landmark honoring the university alumna at an unveiling event hosted by the UTRGV Center for Mexican American Studies on March 28 at the UTRGV Edinburg Campus.

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...

The Brownsville City Commission approved the authorization of a term sheet for a fiber-optic network that could deliver 100% broadband internet connectivity coverage within the city. Without broadband, the average person in Brownsville receives 25 megabits (network speed). With broadband, network speed would increase to 100 megabits. Roxanna Miranda/THE RIDER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

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...

From left, Dr. Erwin Suazo, PI and Associate Professor of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Dr. Tamer Oraby, SMSS Associate Professor and Co-PI, Dr. Hansapani Rodrigo SMSS Assistant Professor and NSF REU mentor, and Dr. Josef Sifuentes SMSS Assistant Professor and Mentor. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

Black pawn and white knight on Brownsville Campus (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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 ...

March

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 ...

Adriana Saavedra-Simmons (center), a UTRGV School of Medicine fourth-year med student, is headed to Massachusetts General Hospital - Harvard Medical School, after matching on March 18 to that institution’s internal medicine residency program. Saavedra-Simmons is pictured with colleagues in 2019 at the first student-run clinic at Proyecto Desarrollo Humano in the city of Peñitas. (UTRGV Archival Photo by David Pike)

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...

Dr. Jianzhi Li, UTRGV professor of manufacturing engineering and principal investigator on the I-DREAM4D project. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

UTRGV School of Medicine Institute of Neuroscience in Harlingen (ION). (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

UTRGV on March 21 officially announced the appointment of Dr. Ihsan Salloum as the endowed chair in the Institute of Neuroscience, benefiting the UTRGV School of Medicine. Mid-Valley physicians Dr. Subram Krishnan and Dr. Elizabeth Krishnan established the Sujata G. Krishnan Endowed Chair in Neuroscience benefitting the UTRGV School of Medicine, in honor of their daughter. From left are UTRGV President Guy Bailey; Dr. Michael Dobbs, chair of the UTRGV School of Medicine’s Department of Neurology; Dr. Michael Hocker, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine and senior vice president for UT Health RGV; Mid-Valley physicians Dr. Elizabeth Krishnan and Dr. Subram Krishnan; Dr. Ihsan M. Salloum, director of the UTRGV School of Medicine’s Institute of Neuroscience and chair of the UTRGV Department of Neuroscience; and Dr. Kelly Nassour, executive vice president for Institutional Advancement. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

Edinburg CISD and McAllen ISD signed Memorandums of Understanding with UTRGV in support of establishing Collegiate High Schools in their areas. Two separate signing ceremonies were held on Wednesday, March 23, in Edinburg and McAllen. (UTRGV Photos by David Pike and Paul Chouy)

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...

Three UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship students were selected for the Kemper Scholars Program; two faculty members were selected to assist the students. 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. In the photo: (L) Maria Leonard, Assistant Professor of Practice in Management, Fatima Mancia Mendoza, a sophomore majoring in accounting, Alejandra Avilez, a junior majoring in finance, Diego Fonseca, a junior majoring in finance, and Dr. Jorge Vidal, Lecturer in Finance.

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...

The UTRGV School of Medicine’s Class of 2022 celebrated Match Day on Friday, March 18, with 51 students matching to residency programs across the country. Adriana Saavedra-Simmons, a fourth-year medical student, is all smiles as she opens her letter surrounded by family and loved ones. She matched with the internal medicine program at Massachusetts General-Harvard. (Photo Credit: Paul Chouy)

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....

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...

Dr. Gladys Maestre, director of the UTRGV School of Medicine’s Alzheimer's Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

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...

International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. On Tuesday, the UTRGV International Admissions and Student Services office in the Division of Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs hosted a luncheon to celebrate the achievements of the international female population at the university. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

The first concert on Feb. 17 for the series “Music in the Park: A Festival of Music and Nature in the Rio Grande Valley,” a collaboration between the UTRGV School of Music and Quinta Mazatlán in McAllen. (Courtesy Photos by Dr. Krista Jobson)

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...

Dr. Nausheen Jamal, chair, UTRGV School of Medicine Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

Dr. Luis Torres-Hostos, Ph.D., founding dean and professor, UTRGV School of Social Work. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

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...

February

A 24,000-cubic-foot capacity underground storage tank will be installed in the Quad on the Edinburg campus. The storage tank will help mitigate drainage issues that the campus has experienced in the past, university officials say. Diana Alvarez-Tovar/The Rider Photos

$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...

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....

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo (right), U.S. Economic Development Administration, toured the site of the collaborative eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization at UTRGV on Tuesday in Brownsville. The center is a collaboration between UTRGV, the UTRGV Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center, Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, Lower Rio Grande Valley Economic Development Council, City of Brownsville, U.S. Economic Development Administration and U.S. Small Business Administration. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

Dr. Rafael Almeida recently joined the faculty at the UTRGV College of Sciences, School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences (SEEMS), as an assistant professor, teaching environmental and energy sustainability. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

The first cohort of the UTRGV College of Health Professions’ new Doctorate in Occupation Therapy program was admitted June 1 to the student-centered instruction program that prepares future practitioners for working with people anywhere on the life span continuum who need physical, sensory or cognitive assistance. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

Shown in the photo are Dr. Mario Diaz, director of UTRGV’s Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy and Moises Castillo, a part-time lecturer in the astronomy and general physics labs, at the UTRGV Observatory at Resaca de la Palma park. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

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...

Dr. Rene Corbeil, UTRGV professor in the Teaching & Learning Department and program coordinator for the Master of Education in Educational Technology, participating in a webinar on "The Frontier: E-Learning in the Age of COVID-19," hosted by the UTRGV Graduate College in October 2020. (UTRGV Photos by Paul Chouy)

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...

Kamara Jackson, director, UTRGV Career Center. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

Frank Ambriz, department chair and clinical associate professor, UTRGV Physician Assistant program. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

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...

Dr. Alexis Racelis (right), associate professor in the UTRGV School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences and director of Agroecology and Resilient Food Systems Program, pictured in this file photo is one of 15 appointees to the inaugural Agriculture Subcommittee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Equity Commission. Racelis is 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. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

From left are UTRGV piano students Sven Jeppesen, John Hernandez, Elias (Jacques) Mendiola-Tagle, Christian Davila and Gabriela Mayorga-Kintanar; Dr. Brendan Kinsella, associate professor of piano; and students Juan Pablo Hernandez, Manuel Mata, Paola Garcia and Jose Hernandez. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

As Feb. 3 marks National Women Physicians Day, Dr. Nausheen Jamal, chair of the UTRGV School of Medicine Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, stands as an example of perseverance and empowerment for girls and young women everywhere. (UTRGV Photo by Jennifer Galindo)

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...

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...

Dr. Karina Madrigal, EdD, MA, assistant professor of Pediatrics and director of Faculty Development, UTRGV School of Medicine. (UTRGV Photo by Jennifer Galindo)

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...

January

Ribbon Cutting Event at the new natatorium in pharr

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...

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...

Shown are winners in the second annual Big Idea Competition, hosted by the UTRGV Center for Innovation and Commercialization (CIC). The event allowed aspiring entrepreneurs to pitch innovative startup ideas to a panel of judges in a Shark Tank-like competition. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

Sunaina Chugani Marquez, Ph.D., now an assistant professor of marketing in UTRGV’s Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, graduated from UTPA with a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA. (Courtesy Photo)

‘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...

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...

Sign on a fence at the Brownsville Campus that shows information about the new Center for Human Genetics

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...

Sleeves Up V's Up. Attention Spring 2022 Students: Here's your shot at $100. Get your booster shot. Upload your vaccine card to the portal. Get $100. (UTRGV Illustration by Creative Services)

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...

Dr. Blanca Restrepo, whose research centers around TB in South Texas-Mexico border communities (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

Call for artists RGV X ART FOR CHANGE. Deadline January 23rd. An exhibition on cultural and environmental sustainability. Eligibility: Artists and Poets of the Rio Grande Valley. Juror: Sarita Westrup Please submit images and artist's CV to: rgvxartforchange@gmail.com UTRGV Center for Latin American Arts and UTRGV School of Art and Design

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...

Dr. Daniele Provenzano, professor of bacterial genetics, UTRGV Biology department. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

UT Health RGV COVID-19 testing site in Edinburg on January 4, 2022. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

UT Health RGV drive-thru COVID-19 testing location in Edinburg on Tuesday. The testing site in Edinburg will continue its operation next week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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)...

Education Complex at UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Photo by Silver Salas)

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...

UT Health Rio Grande Valley Covid Testing sign taken by Paul Chouy

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/...

Fall 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...

Dr. Timothy Huber, professor and director of the UTRGV School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

Mathematics and General Classrooms Building on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Archival Photo by Silver Salas)

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...

Dr. Geraldine Richmond, undersecretary of Energy for Science in the U.S Department of Energy who served as the keynote speaker for the second annual Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) meeting in November.

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.”...

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...

Dr. Sarawathy Nair, chair of the UTRGV Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences and principal investigator on the "Collaborative Research - Building Educational Theory through Enacting Reforms - BETTER in STEM" project

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...

UTRGV’s Area Health Education Clinic (AHEC) in San Carlos. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

Courtesy design of the Urban Ecology Center photos provided by Quinta Mazatlán.

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...

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...

Dr. Doris Mendiola, UTRGV director of Community Engagement, talks to students at Roosevelt Elementary School in McAllen on Dec. 14 as part of the literacy promotion event organized by the UTRGV Office of Community Engagement and UTRGV Staff Senate. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

Nineteen-year-old Isabella Rodriguez, from Edinburg, will be the very first graduate of the Vaqueros MD Early Assurance Program this fall. Rodriguez will graduate Saturday morning at the Bert Ogden Arena.

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...

Photo of President Bailey, other people and eight grade students from the harlingen school of health professions photo by David Pike

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...

Rigoberto Gonzalez, Olga Alanis, Luis Corpus, and Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen host an Artists' Workshop for students during the CLAA Summit. (Courtesy Photo by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen)

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...

Samantha Colunga, a UTRGV environmental science major, will be earning her bachelor’s degree at UTRGV’s in-person commencement on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, at the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

Pictured is the AHEC in San Carlos, located at 230 N. 86th St., where a Health and Wellness Fair will be held this Friday from 8 a.m.- 12 p.m.

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...

UTRGV Vertical Sign in front of Brownsville Campus main entrance

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...

The UTRGV Women’s Chess Team competed in the first Collegiate Women’s Chess Cup on Oct. 31 this year. The event, hosted by the UTRGV Chess Team, consisted of 18 collegiate chess players, all women, from across the United States. Pictured left is Maria Malicka (FIDE Master), a freshman computer science major from Warsaw, Poland and Maili-Jade Quellet (Woman Grandmaster), a freshman management major from Quebec, Canada. (UTRGV Courtesy Photo)

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...

November

Members of the Student Government Association welcome new appointees, Kimberly Moran and Mariana Estevan during the Nov. 16 senate meeting on the Brownsville campus. Moran will serve as senator-at-large for Edinburg, and Estevan (seated, third from left), as sergeant-at-arms. Valeria Henderson/The Rider

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...

Dr. Laura Seligman, professor of Psychosocial Sciences, received a grant from the NIH’s National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), to study ways to prevent dental phobia. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

Dr. Tamara Al Rawwad, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor in the UTRGV School of Social Work, and Dr. Adrian Sandoval, a practicing clinical pharmacist in the UTRGV School of Medicine, are collaborating on research involving "The Role of Community Pharmacists in the Provision of Medication-Assisted Treatment in Rio Grande Valley." (UTRGV Photos by Paul Chouy)

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...

Purple Night Pancreatic Caner Awareness Event

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...

Pictured are Paulina Martinez, Abelardo Villarreal and Andrea Garza, all UTRGV students who earned first place in the “Restaurant of the Future” competition at the Restaurant Finance and Development Conference in Las Vegas on Nov. 8-10. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

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...

UTRGV 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...

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...

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...

Dr. Zasha Romero, associate professor in the UTRGV Department of Health and Human Performance. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

Picture of a needle going into an arm by Paul Chouy

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...

The global pop-up exhibit Hostile Terrain 94 is currently on display at both UTRGV campuses in Edinburg and Brownsville. Sponsored by the UTRGV College of Liberal Arts and organized by the Undocumented Migration Project, the exhibit features more than 3,200 handwritten toe tags representing immigrants who have lost their lives crossing the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Pictured is a UTRGV student, on Nov. 1, taking in the exhibit at the Rusteberg Gallery in Brownsville.

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”...

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...

Dr. David Bowles, associate professor of Literature and Cultural Studies at UTRGV, recently released his latest book, "My Two Border Towns," which reminisces about life on the border through the eyes of an empathetic child. (Illustration by Erika Meza)

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...

October

Dr. Magdalena Hinojosa, senior vice president for Strategic Enrollment; Dr. Janna Arney, executive vice president and provost; Dr. Guy Bailey, president; and Veronica Gonzales, senior vice president of Governmental and Community Relations. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

Peter James Ehimika, director of Student Success Initiatives and past president of the university’s Staff Senate, spoke during the UTRGV Fall Convocation in 2018. Most recently, he was elected chair for the UT System Employee Advisory Council (UT EAC), making him the first UTRGV employee to serve in that position. (UTRGV Archival Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

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...

Edinburg resident and legacy institution University of Texas-Pan American alumnus Paola Encina (left) and her daughter Salma Kliampel plant broccoli last Wednesday at the Agroecology Research Community Garden on the Edinburg campus. Encina is homeschooling Kliampel this year and wanted her to learn hands-on about how plants work for her biology class. Omar E. Zapata /The Rider Photo

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,”...

Program Coordinator Patricia Ramirez and graduate assistant Francisco Zamago are shown last Thursday in the Office for Advocacy & Violence Prevention (OAVP) at the Learning Center on the Edinburg campus. OAVP received a $550,000 federal grant from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women for the Texas Stalking Project. The grant will provide resources to educate, raise awareness and understand signs of stalking and training for local law enforcement, community and campus advocates. Omar E. Zapata/The Rider Photos

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...

Family members of Jon and Elizabeth Burkhart gather to celebrate the announcement of the $1 million in endowed academic scholarships bequeathed by the Burkhart family to UTRGV on Wednesday. The legacy gift 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. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

From left to right (first row): Manuela Cantu (Program Assistant), Constantine Tarawneh (Founding Director, PI), Angela Chapman (Diversity and Education Coordinator, Co-PI), Fatemeh Nazari (Co-PI), Nicholas Dimakis (Senior Personnel), Tohid Sardarmehni (Senior Personnel), Jianzhi Li (Co-PI). From left to right (second row): Mohamadhossein Noruzoliaee (Founding Deputy Director, Co-PI), Madhab Pokhrel (Senior Personnel), Satya Akundi (Senior Personnel) and engineering undergraduate and graduate students.(Photo by David Pike)

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...

UTRGV President Guy Bailey unveiled the Luminary Scholarship program on Tuesday. The scholarship program, which was made possible thanks to the historic $40 million gift to UTRGV this summer from philanthropists MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett, will offer full tuition and fees for up to four years for the professional or undergraduate program to which the student was provisionally admitted, including the UTRGV School of Medicine and the School of Podiatry. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

Picture of someone holding a vaccine needle

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...

Hiram Martinez, a UTRGV enrollment generalist, explains financial aid requirements to art freshman Andi Provincia last Wednesday at the Financial Aid Office on the Brownsville campus. The UTRGV Tuition Advantage grant will launch in Fall 2022 and will cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees for students with a family income of $100,000 or less who have unmet financial need. Luis Martinez Santillano/The Rider Photos

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...

Students walk to the Main Building on the Brownsville campus. ModernThink hosted town hall meetings last Wednesday and Thursday to share the results of the Transforming our World Campus Climate Survey with students and employees. Luis Martinez Santillano/The Rider Photo

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....

Dr. Karl Berg, assistant professor of biology in the UTRGV College of Sciences, is one of five researchers awarded the international 2021 Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation Field of Biology Award, for his innovative green-rumped parrotlet vocalization research. (Photo by Soraya Delgado)

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...

UTRGV 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...

The Observatory at Cordón Macón, in the remote Atacama region of northwestern Argentina, houses the state-of-the-art TOROS research telescope and camera at one of the best astronomical sites on earth. (Photo by Horacio Rodriguez, IATE)

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...

MRI inside UTRGV's new 32,000-square foot institute of Neuroscience

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...

New 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...

September

Area students participated in UTRGV’s newly expanded I-DREAM4D summer programs, which included an internship program. As part of the summer event, 38 undergraduate students had the opportunity to work with special machinery on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Courtesy Photo)

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....

4 UTRGV Graduates wearing masks, UTRGV Archival Photo by Paul Chouy

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....

The UT Health Rio Grande Valley Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Primary Care Clinic in San Carlos.

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...

Jena' Williams and Jessica Martino, UTRGV Women's Basketball players, help clean up the Edinburg Campus on Friday as part of National Cleanup Day. While Saturday is National Cleanup Day, the entire month of September is National Cleanup Month. (UTRGV Photo)

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...

UTRGV and the Universidad Luterana Salvadoreña (ULS) in San Salvador, El Salvador signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday, Sept. 15, in Edinburg to expand educational opportunities for students and faculty on both campuses. Pictured are Dr. Luis Torres-Hostos, founding dean, UTRGV School of Social Work; Ada Ruth Gonzalez, director of International Relations, ULS; and Dr. Janna Arney, UTRGV deputy president and interim provost. Gonzalez presented Arney and Torres-Hostos with a special painting to commemorate the day.

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...

Noel Bernal, city manager for the City of Brownsville, and Jayshree Bhat, UTRGV’s assistant vice president for Office of Professional Education and Workforce Development. (Courtesy Photo)

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)...

Alyssa Cerroni, lecturer III for the UTRGV Department of Communication, has spearheaded UTRGV’s efforts for bringing attention to the nonprofit organization, Be the Match. Be the Match, operated by the National Marrow Donor program and in partnership with the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, helps increase the chance of finding a match for more patients from all ethnic backgrounds. In the photo, Cerroni and her students would hold Be the Match drives for the UTRGV community to learn about Be the Match. (Courtesy Photo)

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...

TOP ROW: Dr. Parwinder Grewal, Ph. D., executive vice president for Research, Graduate Studies and New Program Development and principal investigator of the project; Dr. Maritza De La Trinidad, Ph. D., associate professor of Mexican American Studies; Dr. Jose J. Gutierrez, Ph. D., professor, Department of Chemistry; Dr. Mayra L. Ortiz Galarza, Ph. D., assistant professor, School of Mathematical and Statistical Science. BOTTOM ROW: Dr. Olga Ramirez, Ph.D., professor, School of Mathematical and Statistical Science; Dr. Nicolas A. Pereyra, Ph. D., associate professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy; Dr. Stephanie Alvarez, Ph.D., associate professor of Mexican American Studies; Juan Salinas Jr., Ed., CEO, AVE Frontera

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...

A UTRGV biology student checks a paper from a mosquito larvae trap as part of a research project. UTRGV’s Center for Vector-Borne Disease will host a free online community seminar on Sept. 29, from 4-5 p.m., to inform the public about the basics and risks of arboviral diseases – viruses contracted from an infected mosquito; vector-borne diseases that are considered arboviral include West Nile, chikungunya, Zika and dengue. (UTRGV Archival Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

UTRGV 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)...

UTRGV President Guy Bailey and City of Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D., celebrate the UTRGV School of Nursing expansion at a signing ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 2, in Pharr, Texas.

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...

August

UTRGV recently received a $2.5 million CPRIT grant for an Integrated Cancer Research Core facility that will serve as a foundation for building the region's growing cancer research network. Overseeing the core will be faculty from the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the UTRGV School of Medicine – Dr. Meena Jaggi, professor; Dr. Subhash Chauhan, professor and chair of the department; and Dr. Murali M. Yallapu, associate professor. (UTRGV Photo)

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....

Top left: NGC 5139 (Omega Centauri cluster) located about 17,000 light years away. Top right: a field in the disk of the Milky Way, near the open cluster NGC 3766 (the Pearl cluster), with most stars about 8,000 light years away. Bottom left: NGC 6752, a globular cluster named the Great Peacock at 14,000 light years from Earth. (Images by Dario Grana, Horacio Rodriguez, and Dr. Matias Schneitter, IATE UNC. Images processed by Dr. Lucas Macri, TAMU)

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...

TRIO program students at South Padre Island in 2019 as part of community service project. UTRGV's Talent Search Program was recently awarded a combined $5.78 million for three grant proposals submitted to the U.S. Department of Education for the Talent Search grant competition. (UTRGV Archival Photo by David Pike)

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...

PREM students at UTRGV present their research posters during a National Science Foundation visit in 2017. The UTRGV PREM program and its research is funded by a $4.2 million grant from the NSF and is made possible for a third six-year cycle starting July 2021. (UTRGV Archival Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

UTRGV Engineering Building on the Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Archival Photo by Silver Salas)

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...

School of Medicine (UTRGV PHOTO by David Pike)

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...

Dr. Joanne Curran, professor at the UTRGV School of Medicine’s South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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...

Summer 2021

July

the brownsville sports park football/soccer stadium as the background with the words UTRGV soccer at brownsville sports park on top

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...

Dr. Sandy Magallan, Au.D., UTRGV clinical assistant professor of Communication Disorders, who works with Eden Davila of Rio Grande City at the UT Health RGV Surgical Specialty in Edinburg. Eden has a cochlear implant and requires hearing services and consultations.

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...

the eight utrgv faculty members who were recognized with faculty excellence awards

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...

Dr. Ala Qubbaj, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science

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...

Dr. Bilal Bin Hafeez, principal investigator and assistant professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the UTRGV School of Medicine, recently received at $1.45 million NIH grant for his research proposal – “Targeting ribosome biogenesis and desmoplastic tumor microenvironment for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer.” (UTRGV Photo by Office of Research & New Program Development)

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...

Dr. Murali Mohan Yallapu, associate professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology in the UTRGV School of Medicine, who is the principal investigator on ongoing research that was recently awarded a $1,453,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to study aggressive and late-stage prostate cancers.

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...

drone photo of the main building at the brownsville campus taken by David Pike

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...

Veronica Gonzales, senior vice president for Governmental and Community Relations, who was recently named a 2021 Woman of Distinction by the Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

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...

the school of medicine sign in front of the school of medicine building

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....

6 students with V's up in front of an orange wall at UTRGV. Photo taken by David Pike

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...

a woman walking on the stage and Dr. Linda Matthews,

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...

May

Dr. Alyssa Guadalupe Cavazos, a UTRGV associate professor in the Department of Writing and Language Studies and director for the Center for Teaching Excellence, who is one of four UT System faculty members to be inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Teachers for 2021. Only past recipients of the prestigious Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award are eligible for the membership. (UTRGV Archival Photo by Paul Chouy)

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...

New 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...

Haimanti Majumder, a UTRGV graduate student from Bangladesh, who won the 2020-2021 UTRGV Family of the Year Essay Contest.

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...

avier Camacho, a member of the UTRGV Class of 2021 and a Harlingen native, who is among the first to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems from UTRGV's Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems program.

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)...

A team of UTRGV School of Medicine students, Master of Social Work students, and resident physicians who earned the Association of American Medical Colleges AAMC Nurturing Experiences for Tomorrow’s Community Leaders (NEXT) Award to assist in the improvement of healthcare messaging to underserved communities in the region..

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...

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...

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...

ninth grade students from the Region One ESC GEAR UP who participated in the first day of HESTEC online on Tuesday, April 13.

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...

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...

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...

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Honors International Women's Day.

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...

Dr. Karen Lozano, the Julia Beecherl Endowed Professor in mechanical engineering and director of the UTRGV Nanotechnology Center of Excellence, demonstrates a fun and interactive experiment in March 2017 during a symposium hosted by the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science.

‘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...

trees and grass in front of a UTRGV building

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...

Imagining tomorrow virtual event banner for engineers week

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...

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...

UTRGV's school of medicine building and sign

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...

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...