Latest News contributing to Sustainability at UTRGV and Beyond


2024 - March

The UTRGV Chess Program will host the 2024 South Texas State Scholastic Championships March 16-17 on the Edinburg Campus. More than 1,000 K-12 students from across the region are expected to compete. The state tournament will crown winners in the elementary, middle and high school categories qualifying them for a play-off with the winners of the same sections of the 2024 North Texas State Scholastic Championships to determine the Texas representatives for the 2024 National Tournaments of State Champions in Norfolk, Virginia, July 27-30. (UTRGV Archival Photo by David Pike)
Alejandro Rayas (red) and Ian Lopez (blue) exchange attacks in the semifinals of the NCTA National Collegiate Sparring and Poomsae Team Trials. (Courtesy Photo)
The UTRGV School of Medicine’s Graduate Medical Education programs have been awarded a $17.5 million grant by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, marking a significant investment in alleviating the physician shortage in Texas and allowing for expansion of GME programs offered by the School of Medicine across the Rio Grande Valley. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
Dr. James L. Moore III, assistant director of the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) at the National Science Foundation (NSF), enjoys testing the CARLA Simulations project on autonomous vehicles while Teresa Garza, an undergraduate computer science student and research assistant at the NSF CREST MECIS center, presents her advancements on the project, which focuses on facial emotion recognition data collection. (UTRGV Photo by Jesus Alferez)
UTRGV Graduate Fair in Spring 2023 at the Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
Maria Alvarado, a UTRGV theater performance graduate from Edinburg, had a passion for acting. She opened her own acting studio to help children, teens and adults who are interested in acting. (UTRGV Video)
Dr. Can (John) Saygin, senior vice president for Research, dean of the Graduate College and principal investigator, said the awarding of the $5 million grant is a significant step in developing research capability and capacity to move UTRGV toward Carnegie R1 status. The grant, awarded by the Biden-Harris Administration, is part of a $93 million initiative funded under the U.S. Department of Education's Research and Development Infrastructure (RDI) program. (UTRGV Photo by María González)

2024 - February

Photo of UTRGV Hall of Fame Men’s Basketball Head Coach Sam Williams and UTRGV’s first Athletic Director Jim Brooks. (UTRGV Archive Photo)
UTRGV announced on Wednesday it has acquired H-E-B Park, designating the venue as the primary home for the upcoming Vaqueros football program. The sports and entertainment complex will now be referred to as UTRGV Stadium, which has a capacity of nearly 10,000 and boasts 20 acres of festival grounds, including an amphitheater that seats an additional 2,500. (UTRGV Digital Rendering)
UTRGV provost Dr. Luis Zayas has been awarded the Society for Social Work and Research book award. Zayas was recognized for research on effects of children living in immigration detention centers on the border.
Prospective UTRGV School of Medicine students participated in a clinical skills exercise. With the help of a current medical student serving as their mentor, students conducted a mock interview with a standardized patient and delivered a diagnosis presentation. (UTRGV Photo by Heriberto Perez-Zuñiga)
UTRGV Charreada on the Brownsville campus in February of 2020. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
UTRGV's annual Festival of International Books and Arts (FESTIBA) will host events through March 3. This year's theme, "Inspiring Hope and Prosperity through Arts and Literacy," is meant to promote endurance and freedom through cultural arts and literary events throughout the week.
UT System Student Regent John Michael Austin during his visit to UTRGV on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. Austin's goal was to familiarize himself with the diverse campus and engage in conversations with students and administrators about campus achievements and aspirations.
Dr. Carina Marques, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology and the School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, will lead an NIJ-funded forensic research initiative, pioneering advancements in forensic investigation. (UTRGV Photo by Jesús Alférez)
Olivia Mackey, UTRGV SOPM student, presented her work at the SOPM’s first Research Day in 2023. Her research, which she began at the Washington University School of Medicine, aims to improve maternal health and enhance readiness for potential readmissions using machine learning forecasting models. (Courtesy photo)
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UTRGV University Registrar Sofia Almeda Montes. (UTRGV Photo)
The sustainability network continues to expand in Texas, with UTRGV hosting the annual TRACS conference recently at the South Padre Island Convention Center. This year’s theme, “Sustainability, the Future of Texas.” (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
UTRGV’s Criminal Justice Online Master’s Degree Program has received recognition in the U.S. News 2024 Best Online Programs rankings, released Wednesday. The program ranked #26 of 98 U.S. institutions in the Best Online Master’s in Criminal Justice Programs. (UTRGV Archival Photo by Paul Chouy)
Drs. Subram G. and Elizabeth G. Krishnan with UTRGV President Guy Bailey at an unveiling event for the renaming of the university's simulation hospital in Harlingen, which will now be called The UTRGV Drs. Subram G. and Elizabeth G. Krishnan Simulation Hospital. Retired practitioners and longtime supporters of UTRGV, the Krishnans have prioritized improving healthcare in the Rio Grande Valley, primarily by supporting the enhancement of academic medicine and student success through the UTRGV School of Medicine. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
The UTRGV Chess Team dominated the competition this weekend in the fourth annual Kasparov Chess Foundation University Cup. UTRGV has won the university cup three out of the four times the tournament has been held. (UTRGV Photos)
Dr. Manohar Chakrabarti, assistant professor of Plant Functional Genomics at UTRGV, will lead a research project focused on enhancing cereal crop resilience to abiotic stresses. (UTRGV Photos by Jesús Alférez)
UTRGV Performing Arts Center. UTRGV archival photo

2024 - January

UTRGV alumna Raquel Perez, from Edinburg, has been a fourth-grade educator for more than five years at Blanca E. Sanchez Elementary School in the McAllen Independent School District. As a teacher, she said, she wanted to be relatable to her students and was open with them about her background growing up as a migrant worker. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
Dr. Khalid Benamar, professor in the Department of Neurology and Behavioral Health in the UTRGV School of Medicine and principal investigator on a series of NIH research grants, has focused his research on the neurobiology of chronic pain, on testing the efficacy and safety of novel pharmacological combination strategies in chronic pain and on the functional interaction between HIV and Alzheimer’s. (UTRGV Photo by Heriberto Perez-Zuniga)
(UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
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The inaugural members of Club Powerlifting at UTRGV include: (front row from left) Alexa Prado, Edgar Duran, Juventino Guerrero, Miguel Barrera and Brianna Saenz. Back row from left are Evan Sanchez, Orlando Morales Jr., Bryan Huffman, Ray Pecina, Allan Benavidez and Sergio Lerma. Six members of the team qualified for the 2024 USAPL Collegiate Nationals in Atlanta, Ga., in April. (Photo by Bryan Huffman)
utrgv-news-01-16-24.jpgEnthusiastic students from across the Rio Grande Valley attended UTRGV’s 'Energy & U' event on Friday, Jan. 12 in Edinburg. The award-winning event showcases the excitement of science and engineering to area K-12 students, focusing on the intersection of energy and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. (UTRGV Photo by Jesús Alférez)
UTRGV announced on Friday that Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque received a contract extension through 2028. Conque joined UTRGV in 2019 and has been instrumental in the growth and success of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, which kicks off football in 2025 and women’s swimming & diving in 2024-25. (Photo by UTRGV Athletics)
UTRGV students helped clean up the Restlawn Cemetery in Edinburg as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in January 2023. This year, the UTRGV community will participate in MLK Day of Service activities on Jan. 15 across various Rio Grande Valley locations. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
The multiple national champion UTRGV Chess Team again has advanced to the national championship of collegiate chess, the Final Four, also known as the President’s Cup. This is UTRGV’s ninth time advancing to the Final Four. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

December

Top three winners in the student category (left to right) include UTRGV students: Jennifer Olivos (3rd place), a double major in Finance and Economics; Daisy Belmares (1st place), a junior and social work major; and Karla Medrano-Faz (2nd place), marketing major. (Courtesy Photo)
A two-day conference, hosted by the UTRGV Community Resilience Research Innovation and Advocacy Center (CCRIA), gathered academia, the public sector and local community organizations to discuss the topic of community resilience. (Courtesy Photo)
During the year of 2023, UTRGV saw impactful growth and recognition. The university welcomed it's first-ever marching band. The Vaquero Marching Band performed at the McAllen Holiday Parade in early December. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
A tree planting ceremony commemorating Texas Arbor Day organized by the UTRGV Office for Sustainability on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 at the Chapel Lawn in Edinburg, Texas. The City of Edinburg presented a proclamation marking the occasion and UTRGV is designated Tree Campus USA for the 10th year in a row by the Arbor Day Foundation. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
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The Center for Urban Ecology (CUE), located in McAllen, Texas, is a 14-acre nature destination that will foster ecological education programs and help promote ecotourism. UTRGV and the City of McAllen have partnered with the McAllen school district and Texas Parks and Wildlife for this project, which is slated for completion within the next 24 months. (Artist rendition by Overland Partners)
Approximately 2,844 Vaqueros walked the stage on Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Bert Ogden Arena to celebrate the second day of Fall 2023 Commencement ceremonies. During this commencement UTRGV surpasses 50,000 graduates to date since its first ceremonies in 2015. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
Nearly 3,000 Vaqueros are graduating this semester, marking a landmark 50,000 graduates to date since the first University of Texas Rio Grande Valley commencement in 2015. The first 642 grads of Fall 2023 walked the commencement stage in an outdoor ceremony on the Brownsville Campus today, Dec. 15. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
Dr. Bruce Reed, dissertation chair, places the hood over doctoral candidate Michael Herold during the inaugural Doctoral Hooding Ceremony at the Performing Arts Center on the Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Photo by Jesús Alférez)
A celebration honoring the first cohort of graduates, made up of 76 UTRGV employees, from the UTRGV Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration program was held in November. Pictured are program graduates from the Division of Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs with Dr. Magdalena Hinojosa (center), senior vice president for Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
Maria (Mary) Evensen, 67, will graduate this Saturday, Dec. 16, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art degree. For Evensen crossing the stage to accept her diploma has been a lifelong dream that began in 1975 when she started attending legacy institution UTPA. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
UTRGV communications major Claire Lee kicks up some dust during a barrel racing competition during a Willacy County Riders and Ropers event in July 2023. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
Jonah Goldberg, senior associate athletic director of Communications and Championships with UTRGV Athletics, will earn a second master's degree this Saturday as he is part of a group of employees who will be the first to earn a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration degree. He earned his first master's degree at UTRGV in Fall 2019. (Courtesy Photo)
Spring 2023 Commencement held in May at Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
Genesis Carpio, head band director at Sen. Eddie A. Lucio Jr. Middle School in Brownsville, will earn a Master of Education in Educational Technology degree at UTRGV this weekend. Carpio is mother to daughter Mayte, 1, and son Mateo, 5. Carpio will be one of UTRGV's 50,000 graduates since its first commencement in 2015. (Courtesy Photo)
Osiel Fernando Garcia (left) and Sebastian Melendez (right), seniors at the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship at UTRGV secured seventh place in the National Sales Challenge (NSC), held Nov. 15-17. The students were under the guidance of UTRGV lecturer Jesse Jones. (Courtesy Photo)
Dr. Alcides Amador is a board-certified Child and Adolescent psychiatrist at the Department of Psychiatry at the UTRGV School of Medicine who believes anyone experiencing holiday blues can find the help they need to enjoy the holiday season. (UTRGV Photo by Jennifer Galindo)
Battle of the Brands judges present the first place winners with prize money during the Spring 2023 competition. The Fall 2023 Battle of the Brands competition will be held Friday, Dec. 8, in Weslaco. (Courtesy Photo)
The 2023 International Center for Sustainability Across Curriculum Conference (ICSAC), held Nov. 11-12 at the Embassy Suites in McAllen, brought together UTRGV faculty for a weekend of learning and exchange. (UTRGV Photo from UTRGV Office for Sustainability)
Dr. Murad Moqbel, assistant professor in the UTRGV Department of Information Systems, has published numerous research papers on the impact of excessive smartphone use on health, wellbeing and performance at work and school. His research also aims to identify intervening mechanisms to reduce the negative impacts of excessive smartphone use, and recommends activities – like meditation practices, book clubs and athletic groups – to replace idle scrolling. (UTRGV Photos by Paul Chouy)
(UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
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)

November

UTRGV Brownsville Campus. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
UTRGV School of Medicine. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
Theatre in Downtown Brownsville (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
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)
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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)
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)
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)
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 Chess Team
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)
The UTRGV Student Food Pantry’s shelves are stocked with non-perishable food items and canned goods. (UTRGV Photo)

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)
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’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 endowed professor Dr. Cristina Villalobos has been awarded the 2024 M. Gweneth Humphreys Award by the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM). (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
UTRGV Edinburg Visitor's Center
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.
UTRGV Brownsville Campus
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 School of Medicine Sign
UTRGV Sign
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.
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.
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 President, Guy Bailey, with a UTRGV student
UTRGV Food Pantry Canned Food supply
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)
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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)
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 students from dance department. (UTRGV Archival Photo by Paul Chouy)

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 athletics at mcallen airport (Photo by UTRGV Athletics)
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)
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 Photo by Paul Chouy)
(UTRGV Archival Photo By Paul Chouy)
Dr. Rupesh Kariyat with Emanuel Flores, Myranda de Leon Cantu, Geovanni Hernandez, and Ashley Madrigal. (Courtesy Photo)
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)
The Dr. Cristina Torres Memorial Astronomical Observatory. (UTRGV Archival Photo by David Pike)
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)
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)
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.
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)
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. (Courtesy Photo)
(UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
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)

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)
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 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)
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 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.)
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)
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)
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)
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. A total of 10,329 biological and biomedical degrees were conferred to Hispanics/Latinos in that time period. Of the more than 10,000 degrees, UTRGV conferred 608 in biological and biomedical sciences, with 551 of those awarded to Hispanic/Latino students. (UTRGV Archival Photo)

July

The UTRGV School of Medicine officially welcomed the Class of 2027 with a White Coat Ceremony on Saturday, July 29, in Edinburg at the UTRGV Edinburg Campus - Performing Arts Complex. The ceremony marks a significant first step in the career of future physicians, symbolizing a rite of passage at medical schools nationwide. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
UTRGV Engineering Building in Edinburg. (UTRGV Photo)
An engineering student shares project insights with the visiting LANL team and UTRGV faculty at an Edinburg manufacturing facility. (UTRGV Photos by Jesus Alferez
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)
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)
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)
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)

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)
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)
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.)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)

May

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. UTRGV Chief Sustainability Officer Marianella Franklin gave the opening remarks. (Courtesy Photo)
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)
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. (Courtesy Photo)
UTRGV's involvement in the USDA-funded Climate-Smart Initiative will promote sustainable agriculture practices in the Rio Grande Valley. (Courtesy photo)
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)

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’s award-winning early college program, the Mathematics and Science Academy (MSA), will host information sessions in May for prospective scholars. (UTRGV Archival Photo)
Pollinator Garden at UTRGV Brownsville Campus in 2021.
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 UTRGV for a stakeholder engagement session, 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 12, 2023. (Courtesy Photo)

March

Laredo College President Dr. Minita Ramirez and UTRGV President Guy Bailey signed agreements on Thursday, March 30, to facilitate the admissions process and a seamless transfer of courses for Laredo College and UTRGV students. The signing ceremony was held at the Laredo College Ft. McIntosh campus. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike).
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 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)
Dr. Amy Hay, professor in the Department of History at UTRGV (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
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 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)
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. (Courtesy Photo)
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).
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 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)
UTRGV 2023 Graduate Fair (UTRGV Archival Photo by Silver Salas)
Student looking at a test tube through a fume hood (UTRGV File Photo by Paul Chouy)

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)
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)
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)
The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
Engineering Building at the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
UTRGV Sign (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
The Justice Challenge (Illustration by UTRGV Honors College)
Dr. Jianzhi Li, UTRGV professor of manufacturing engineering and principal investigator on the I-DREAM4D and CA2REERS projects. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
UTRGV Sign (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
Dr. Stephanie Alvarez, UTRGV associate professor of Mexican American Studies and director of the Center for Mexican American Studies. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

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)
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-news-1-26-23.jpgDr. Nancy Razo, UTRGV professor of practice in the Department of Human Development and School Services.
McAllen ISD and Associates digging together as a first step towards Collegiate Academy
UTRGV School of Medicine Sign
UTRGV students volunteer at the Restlawn Cemetery in Edinburg on Monday, Jan. 16, during MLK Day of Service.
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)
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)
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)
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)

December

UTRGV Edinburg Campus (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
Engineering Building on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Photo by Silver Salas)
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 Brownsville Campus.
Dr. Thomas Spencer, UTRGV associate vice president for Research Operations; Suchitra Acharjee, UTRGV graduate sustainability research fellow; and Marianella Franklin, UTRGV chief sustainability officer.
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.

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)
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 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)
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)
The Center for Latin American Arts on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus.
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.
Twenty-seven students from the Class of 2026 recited the Hippocratic Oath in front of loved ones and school administrators.

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 Science Building on Edinburg Campus.
UTRGV’s Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship Building in Edinburg
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.
Dr. Lin (Helen) Jiang, UTRGV School of Social Work researcher and assistant professor.
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 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.

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.
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)
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)
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)
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)
Students on the Brownsville Campus
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)
Two female students by the BMAIN on the Brownsville Campus
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.

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 and the Texas Tribune hosted a panel, titled “Serving Hispanic Students in Texas,” on Tuesday at the UTRGV Brownsville Campus.
The UT Health RGV Student Health at Edinburg
Dr. Vivian Incera, dean of UTRGV College of Sciences; Villalobos; and Javier Bustos, constituent field representative of Congressman Vicente Gonzalez.
Ivette Chavarria Torres, Graduate Medical Education (GME) program coordinator for the UTRGV School of Medicine's psychiatry department
Engineering Building at UTRGV Edinburg Campus.
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.
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, 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.

July

Dr. Dimah Dera, assistant professor in the UTRGV Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
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.
Maria Villegas M.D. at a booth dedicated to teaching others about the importance of protection against UV Rays.
A group of CAMP scholars are seen here at the UTRGV Brownsville Campus for a monthly student group meeting.
Dr. Engil Isadora Pereira, assistant professor in the UTRGV School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences
UTRGV Brownsville Campus Fountain
UTRGV Brownsville Campus
Two Kids from the Team Mario Summer Camp in a bouncy house
Dr. Juliet V. Garcia recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award

June

Art work from the Uncovered Spaces exhibition shown at the International Museum of Art and Science in McAllen
Dr. Can Saygin was named the new senior vice president for Research and dean of the Graduate College, effective Aug. 1, 2022.
Dr. Javier La Fontaine has been appointed the inaugural dean of the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine, effective July 1, 2022.
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.
UTRGV Classroom
Juneteenth Freedom Day Regional Material at the Library
UTRGV Polling Place Sign
UT Health Rio Grande Valley Banners
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)
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.
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.
Campus Food Security Initiative

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)
Denise De Los Santos, MD, FACOG, OB-GYN (UTRGV Photo by Jennifer Galindo)
Lesley Chapa, a medical student at the UTRGV School of Medicine.
Dr. Jesus Gonzalez, Eugenio "Gene" Reyes, and Dr. Immanuel Edinbarough standing in front of the building where they installed solar panels.
A student harvests plants in the field.
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.
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.
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 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 Student Media and UTRGV’s Gallery Magazine brought home a total of 53 wins at the 2022 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Convention. (Courtesy Photo)

April

UTRGV and the UT Education and Research Center at Laredo on April 28 signed a ceremonial Memorandum of Understanding at The UT Center at Laredo to expand UTRGV’s social work program both at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Laredo. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
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)
UTRGV Day of Giving April 26, 2022
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 Sign
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.” (Photo by David Pike)
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)
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. Members of Enactus helped put together Thanksgiving meal bags for our annual Cansgiving drive. (Photo Credit: Enactus RGV Instagram)
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 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)
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.
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
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)
Black pawn and white knight on Brownsville Campus (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

March

UTRGV Brownsville Campus (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
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)
Dr. Jianzhi Li, UTRGV professor of manufacturing engineering and principal investigator on the I-DREAM4D project. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
UTRGV School of Medicine Institute of Neuroscience in Harlingen (ION). (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
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)
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)
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.
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)
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. (Courtesy Photo)
Dr. Gladys Maestre, director of the UTRGV School of Medicine’s Alzheimer's Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research. (Courtesy Photo)
Promise+ UT System
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)
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)
Dr. Nausheen Jamal, chair, UTRGV School of Medicine Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
Dr. Luis Torres-Hostos, Ph.D., founding dean and professor, UTRGV School of Social Work. (Courtesy Photo)
UTRGV Brownsville Campus (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

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
Mario Valadez, a UTRGV mechanical engineering student, was presented with a $25,000 check for being one of four Bimbo USA College Grant Sweepstakes grand prize winners on Feb. 21 at the Edinburg Campus. Dr. Ala Qubbaj, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, was on hand to present the check to Valadez from the largest bakery company in the United States. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Brownsville Campus Photo. by David Pike
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)
Kamara Jackson, director, UTRGV Career Center. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
Frank Ambriz, department chair and clinical associate professor, UTRGV Physician Assistant program. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
Three UTRGV Ballet Folkorico dancers
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)
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)
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 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. (Courtesy Photo Credit: Brownsville Independent School District)
Dr. Karina Madrigal, EdD, MA, assistant professor of Pediatrics and director of Faculty Development, UTRGV School of Medicine. (UTRGV Photo by Jennifer Galindo)

January

Ribbon Cutting Event at the new natatorium in pharr
UTRGV sign on Brownsville Campus
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)
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)
School of Medicine Sign
Sign on a fence at the Brownsville Campus that shows information about the new Center for Human Genetics
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)
Dr. Blanca Restrepo, whose research centers around TB in South Texas-Mexico border communities (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
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
Dr. Daniele Provenzano, professor of bacterial genetics, UTRGV Biology department. (Courtesy Photo)
UT Health RGV COVID-19 testing site in Edinburg on January 4, 2022. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
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)
Education Complex at UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Photo by Silver Salas)
UT Health Rio Grande Valley Covid Testing sign taken by Paul Chouy

December

Student on a virtual Telehealth session
Dr. Timothy Huber, professor and director of the UTRGV School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)
Mathematics and General Classrooms Building on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Archival Photo by Silver Salas)
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 sign taken by David Pike
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’s Area Health Education Clinic (AHEC) in San Carlos. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
Courtesy design of the Urban Ecology Center photos provided by Quinta Mazatlán.
UTRGV Sign taken by Paul Choy
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)
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.
Photo of President Bailey, other people and eight grade students from the harlingen school of health professions photo by David Pike
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)
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)
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.
UTRGV Vertical Sign in front of Brownsville Campus main entrance
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)

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
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)
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)
Purple Night Pancreatic Caner Awareness Event
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 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. One special tree donation was made by the Department of Teaching and Learning to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Dotti Shelton, a faculty member who lost her battle with cancer this year in July. (Courtesy Photo)
UTRGV Sign
UTRGV Financial Aid Office
Healthy Vaqueros 5K Valley Strong
Dr. Zasha Romero, associate professor in the UTRGV Department of Health and Human Performance. (Courtesy Photo)
Picture of a needle going into an arm by Paul Chouy
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.
Picture of Sunset by David Pike
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)

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)
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)
The UTRGV School of Medicine, together with its clinical arm UT Health RGV, officially opened its Institute of Neuroscience (ION) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday. The state-of-the-art facility is located in Harlingen at 2902 Haine Drive.
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
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
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)
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 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)
Picture of someone holding a vaccine needle
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
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
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 sign
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)
MRI inside UTRGV's new 32,000-square foot institute of Neuroscience
UTRGV News

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)
4 UTRGV Graduates wearing masks, UTRGV Archival Photo by Paul Chouy
The UT Health Rio Grande Valley Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Primary Care Clinic in San Carlos.
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 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.
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)
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)
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
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 Sign
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.

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)
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)
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)
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 Engineering Building on the Edinburg Campus. (UTRGV Archival Photo by Silver Salas)
School of Medicine (UTRGV PHOTO by David Pike)
Dr. Joanne Curran, professor at the UTRGV School of Medicine’s South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)

July

the brownsville sports park football/soccer stadium as the background with the words UTRGV soccer at brownsville sports park on top
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.
the eight utrgv faculty members who were recognized with faculty excellence awards
Dr. Ala Qubbaj, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science
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)

June

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.
drone photo of the main building at the brownsville campus taken by David Pike
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)
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 RGV citizens. Some of the initiatives they helped with during the previous year were the Sustainable Opportunities for Advancement and Recruiting (SOAR) project, “Cansgiving” and a financial literacy program. (Courtesy Photo)
the school of medicine sign in front of the school of medicine building
6 students with V's up in front of an orange wall at UTRGV. Photo taken by David Pike
a woman walking on the stage and Dr. Linda Matthews,

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

April

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..
one of UTRGV's Express Care Locations
UTRGV's brownsville campus the tower
ninth grade students from the Region One ESC GEAR UP who participated in the first day of HESTEC online on Tuesday, April 13.
UTRGV's Summer Liftoff Program.

March

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

February

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.
trees and grass in front of a UTRGV building
Imagining tomorrow virtual event banner for engineers week
UT Health RGV Clinical Laboratory

January

UTRGV's school of medicine building and sign
engineering student