It has been over 40 days since my last message, longer than I had hoped before sending this one. It really is a case of what Scottish writer Robert Burns meant when he wrote in 1785 that “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men” go awry.

There’s a lot to tell you about. I start with some much-deserved kudos to our colleagues in the College of Education and P16 Integration. Three faculty members — Professors Leticia De Leon, Rene Corbiel, and Maria Elean Corbiel (pictured left) — were awarded the 2024 AACTE Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology.

Additionally, the Educator Prep Program was newly presented with two commendations from the State Board for Educator Certification for “Rigorous and Robust Preparation” as well as “Preparing the Educators Texas Needs.” These are important recognitions of the work by our education faculty and the transformative changes we strive to achieve at UTRGV.

With every visit to our campuses, I am regaled with new learnings about UTRGV.  I recently had the privilege of touring the UTRGV Coastal Studies Laboratory with Professor David Hicks, and then the “Duck Head” facilities at the Brownsville campus (pictured below) with the help of Professors Bob Dearth, Karl Berg, Andrea Contina, and Fred Zaidin. I left these tours absorbed by both the depth and sophistication of our faculty’s research endeavors.

I was excited to be present for the announcements of the purchase of the football stadium and its subsequent naming, thanks to Mr. Robert C. Vacker and Mrs. Janet Vacker (pictured below). At each of these momentous occasions, the UTRGV Jazz Ensemble provided the soundtrack. You might recall the wonderful performance this group displayed at their first live event, my 2023 Fall Convocation, and I must say they continue to impress.

The Center for Mexican American Studies, led by Professor George Diaz, held an event on March 20, highlighting the work of journalist and anthropologist Cecilia Ballí who has written about high school mariachi bands in the RGV (Mariachi Country, The New York Times). The event consisted of a presentation by Ballí, a panel discussion, and a rousing performance by the Roma High School Mariachi (pictured right).

And yet again, our chess team participated in the Final Four of Collegiate Chess, and came in third place, behind the University of Missouri and Webster University, and ahead of fourth place finisher, UT Dallas. In February, the team won its third international Kasparov Chess Foundation University Cup tournament. As winners, the team earned an exclusive online team training session with Grand Master Garry Kasparov.

It certainly is an exciting time to be a part of all the success here at UTRGV. I continue to be amazed each day by all you do as faculty, staff, and students to bring honor, prestige, and excitement to our institution.

Sincerely,

Luis H. Zayas, PhD

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs