Susan Valverde’s background was in business and going to trade shows to attract jobs to McAllen. Working in business development, Valverde was on the staff of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation. It was a six-year stint that ran from 1997 to 2002. She began to understand that bringing in jobs to her community was dependent on having a better trained and educated workforce. That fact became even more apparent in…
The UTRGV School of Medicine has opened of its new, state-of-the-art Center for Human Genetics, headquartered on the Brownsville Campus. The new facility is dedicated to cutting-edge research that addresses major public health concerns in the Rio Grande Valley, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, liver cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and depression. The 17,246-square-foot facility, funded by a Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation grant and support from the UT System Permanent University Fund, will…
While in the Vocational Nursing Program at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen, Yvette Garcia attended an informational session conducted by the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement. Little did she know that day how much this session would impact her life. Founded nearly 30 years ago through a collaboration between Valley Interfaith and business leaders from across the Rio Grande Valley, VIDA has remained true to its original mission.…
Carlos Reyes opens an empty electrical box in one of the labs of the mechatronics technology program at Texas State Technical College. The box represents something of a starting point for students in the program. As the program progresses, students will be tasked with filling those empty boxes with the circuits, sensors and other components to make it a fully functional electrical unit. “We build them up from scratch,” said…
UTRGV is one of the best places to work in higher education, according to the prestigious Great Colleges to Work For program. The results are based on a survey of 216 colleges and universities. Only 75 institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies, placing UTRGV among a select group of top-performing schools in the country. UTRGV competes in the large university (more than…
Thanks to a new partnership, high school students from South Texas Independent School District’s Science Academy in Mercedes can now participate in a dual credit program in Welding Technology with Texas State Technical College. “The dual credit program pairs well with our hands-on approach to the engineering program of study,” said Vanessa Rivera, the school district’s career and technical education director. “We encourage our students to learn and earn stackable credentials…
According to College Factual, Texas State Technical College has the Best Lineworker Associate Degree School in the United States for 2024. College Factual, according to its website, was created to help students research colleges and careers. It gathers data from public and private sources, including the U.S. Department of Education. “TSTC’s Abilene campus is home to the newest Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology program, offering students a top-tier education with…
Linking Economic and Academic Development (RGV LEAD) will host the State of Education and Industry on Sept. 24, providing a platform for collaboration, discussion of Valley-area current and future workforce needs, and a showcase of partnerships that have a direct impact on students’ upward mobility. For more than 30 years, RGV LEAD has connected industry and educational leaders to address the workforce demands of the Rio Grande Valley. Our mission…
Since the inception of the South Texas College Foundation last year, it has given back nearly $500,000 to students in scholarships and funds to help create a college-going culture, especially among first-generation students, thanks to community sponsors and donors. With its second annual Foundation Gala on Oct. 16, the nonprofit organization is on the hunt for sponsors and donors at all levels, to help make this year’s event a success.…
For the second consecutive year, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has been recognized as the No. 1 university in Texas, according to the latest Washington Monthly college guide and rankings. Recognized as a top-performing institution of higher education in the state among all institutions – private and public – UTRGV took the lead in the 2024 rankings. Texas A&M University came in second and Rice University, third. “We…