Thursday, June 2, 2016

UTRGV Public Relations Street Team: Fall 2016 Applications


Applications are now closed.

The Street Team will assist the Public Relations Department in promoting different on-campus events. They will serve as the face of the university and engage with students and the general public at various events by handing out UTRGV promotional items, taking pictures and video, and actively engaging using social media.

We are looking for 5 students (2 primarily based on the Brownsville Campus, and 3 primarily based on the Edinburg Campus). The start date will be September 1st, 2016 and the end date will be May 31, 2017.
The work schedule is flexible.19 hours per week at $9.50.

Minimum Qualifications

To apply you must meet the UTRGV Student Employment Initiative (SEI) criteria:
  • Undergraduate pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree for the first time 
  • Be enrolled in a minimum of 15 credit hours each fall and spring semester 
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and above  
  • A minimum of 12 credit hours complete in residence as a university full time student 
  • A maximum of 90 credit hours completed for first time applicants

Additional Qualifications

In addition to meeting the SEI criteria, the ideal candidate must:
  • Have strong organizational and highly effective communication skills 
  • Be approachable to people 
  • Fun and outgoing personality 
  • Social Media savvy 
  • Responsible 
  • Creative/Take photos for social media 
  • Able to work efficiently as a team member 
  • Computer literate 
  • Video creation and editing is a plus 
  • Fluency in English and Spanish is a plus. 

How to Apply

Here are a couple of easy steps to follow in order to apply:
  1. To apply, you will need to log on to http://my.utrgv.edu and click on the Career Connection icon under Applications.
  2. Once you have successfully logged on, click on “jobs”, Advanced Search
  3. Type in the following Job ID to apply for the following: 
    1. Brownsville Campus: 22160
    2. Edinburg Campus: 22161
Note: Make sure you update your Career Connections Profile. If you do not meet the minimum criteria, you will not be able to see the job listing.

Best of luck!
For more information, contact us at socialmedia@utrgv.edu


Wednesday, February 3, 2016

UTRGV Study Abroad Programs 2016


Questions about Study Abroad? Contact the Office of International Programs and Partnerships.
Email: ipp@utrgv.edu | Brownsville: (956) 882-8955 | Edinburg: (956) 665-3572

Minimester & Summer I Deadline: Feb 29, 2016

Summer II Deadline: April 1, 2016



Minimester (Approximate dates May 16 to June 3, 2016)

  • Calabash Key, Belize
    • Coral Reef Ecology
      • BIOL 3416
      • Professor David Hicks
  • China
    • Language and Culture
      • ENGL 3370 & 6375
      • Pamela L. Anderson Mejias
    • Digital Photography
      • ARTS 4337
      • Ping Xu
    • Image and Illustration
      • ART 3330
      • Robert Gilbert
  • Germany
    • Topics in Marketing
      • MARK 4370
      • Reto Felix
  • Hacienda Baru, Costa Rica
    • Special topics in English-Environmental rhetoric
      • ENG 4300
      • Pamela Herring
  • Ireland
    • Seminar in Speech-Language Pathology
      • COMD 6370
      • Ruth Crutchfield
    • Introduction to English Literature
      • ENGL 2341 / 4300
      • Shoney Flores
  • Italy
    • Humanities Study Abroad
      • HONR 3388 / 4388
      • Christopher Keller
  • London & Scotland
    • Disability Policy and Services in the UK
      • REHS 4350 / 6380
      • Bruce Reed
  • London, England
    • Creative Non-Fiction
      • ENG 3352
      • Marianita Escamilla
    • Intro to British Literature
      • ENG 2305
      • Amy Becker-Chambless
  • Peru
    • Hiking the Incan Trail to Machu Picchu
      • ARTS 4359 / 6354
      • Robert Bradley
  • Prage, Czech Republic
    • Interpersonal communication in a multicultural context
      • COMM 1318
      • David Hinojosa
  • Saville, Granada, Cordoba 
    • Photojournalism
      • COMM 1318
      • Sharaf Rehman
  • Scotland & Ireland
    • US & Texas Government & Politics I
      • POLS 2301
      • Delina Barrera
    • Ethics, Happiness & The Good Life
      • PHIL 1310
      • Angelika Potempa
  • Seville, Granada, & Cordoba, Spain
    • Special Topics: Music of Spain
      • MUSI 2397
      • Kurt Martinez
    • Special Topics: Influence of Music of Spain on Mexican Folk Music
      • MUSI 2397
      • Francisco Loera
  • South Korea
    • International Project Management
      • MGMT 4300
      • Joo Jung
  • Vienna, Austria
    • Music in Vienna
      • MUSI 2310
      • Art Brownlow


Summer I (Approximate dates June 6 to July 12, 2016)


  • Barcelona, Spain
    • Special Topics: Politics of Debt
      • POLS 3394
      • Monica Clua-Losada
    • US & Texas Government II
      • POLS 2302
      • Angel Saavedra Cisneros
  • China
    • Chinese Culture and Civilization
      • CHNS 3302
      • Xin Zhang
  • Florence, Italy
    • Managerial Accounting
      • ACC 2302
      • Laura Silva
  • Ireland
    • Irish Plays and Playwrights
      • THTF 4304 / 6340
      • Brian Warren
    • Practical Script Analysis and Research
      • COMM 4303
      • Jennifer Saxton
    • Philosophy of Science
      • PHIL 4316
      • Thomas D. Pearson
  • Madrid, Spain
    • Philosophy of Art and Film
      • PHIL 1330
      • Erik Anderson
  • Oaxaca, Mexico
    • Contrastive Grammar
      • ENG 4362
      • John Foreman

Summer II (Approximate dates July 14 to August 19, 2016)

  • Barcelona, Spain
    • Special Topics: Crime & Justice; Colonialism & Imperialism in Cataluna
      • CRIJ 4362 / 6313
      • Rosalva Resendiz
    • Intro to Cultural Anthropology
      • ANTH 1323
      • Margaret Dorsey
    • Expressive Culture
      • ANTH 1354
      • Miguel Diaz-Barriga
  • Kyoto, Tokyo, Japan
    • Asian Philosophy
      • PHIL 2370
      • Stephen Leach
  • Munich, Germany
    • Intensive German Conversation
      • FORL 1391
      • John Isbell
    • Germany and Travel Writing
      • ENGL 4300
      • Margarita Isbell
  • Paris, France
    • French Civilization II - La France Contemporaine
      • FREN 4325
      • Megan Kruer
    • French Cinema, Discovering Paris
      • FREN 2323
      • Khalid Aada
  • Russia
    • Linear Algebra or Advanced
      • MATH 2318 / 4367
      • Virgil Pierce


Friday, December 4, 2015

MOU between UTRGV and Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas promotes strong collaboration

 
EDINBURG, TEXAS – DEC. 4, 2015 – A new Memorandum of Understanding signed Dec. 3 between The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, the state university of Tamaulipas, Mexico, will provide new collaborative opportunities to students, faculty and staff at both border institutions.

The MOU, signed by UTRGV President Guy Bailey and Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas Rector C. P. Enrique C. Etienne Pérez del Río, provides for cooperative efforts to promote academic interchange of faculty and students, joint research projects, exchange of academic publications, reports and other information, and collaborative professional development, among other activities as approved by both institutions.

Bailey said the signing formally continues a relationship that has been in place for more than 25 years.

“Our institutions share much in common. We both have medical schools and both of our medical schools will be dealing with similar kinds of issues,” Bailey said. “There is a synergy there. Also, each of our universities have programs that are attractive to faculty and students. So faculty and student exchanges are very strong. Finally, many of our students have connections across the border. This is a great opportunity for us to build for the future.”

Pérez del Río, who became his university’s rector in 2014, said he aims to lead his university from being “good” to “excellent,” and to produce graduates who not only are qualified, but also have strong values.

“We have established three goals or three areas of action – academic quality, research and internationalization of the institution,” he said, and cited some of their recent international awards and certifications for academic endeavors. “I am very proud to offer our university to you. We can do many great things together.”

The academic heads of both universities – Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Havidán Rodríguez and UAT’s Secretario Académico Dr. Marco Aurelio Navarro Leal – also spoke at the ceremony.

“We look forward to continuing to collaborate, expand and strengthen our partnerships,” Rodríguez said. “One of our core priorities is to become a gateway to the Americas. We are working hard to strengthen and expand our international programs to become a much more global institution.”

Navarro Leal said the border relationships that already exist in terms of families, the economy and growth already make this a strong region, and that there will be growing opportunities for students to fill needed positions in areas like technology and the space industry. Research will be important in medical technology, he said, and in meeting the countries’ common challenges of maintaining clean air and water.

“We need to start working together in terms of how we are going to prepare our students to face these new challenges,” he said.

The Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, based in Cd. Victoria, Tamps., has the highest enrollment in the state of Tamaulipas, serving about 40,000 students in 26 academic units, colleges and schools located in Reynosa, Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, Tampico, Cd. Mante and Valle Hermoso. In addition to a medical school, it also has research and knowledge transfer centers.

The UTRGV Office of Global Engagement hosted the MOU ceremony, which was attended by deans and academic leaders from both institutions. The OGE oversees International Programs and Partnerships, International Admissions and Student Services and the Language Institute.

Dr. Dennis Hart, UTRGV associate provost of the OGE, said UTRGV is looking for strategic partnerships.


“We want partners that are aligned carefully with our goals and our needs and where we can fit with them,” he said. “What we are hoping for here is an effective relationship with our medical schools, our business schools and other schools, as well. They are a strategic partner.”

Thursday, December 3, 2015

UTRGV holding town hall meetings with deaf community to learn their healthcare needs


By Jennifer L. Berghom
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS –DEC. 3, 2015 – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is reaching out to the deaf community to find out how it can better serve Valley residents with hearing challenges.

Linda Nelson, UTRGV senior director of Clinical Operations, and Dr. Shawn Saladin, associate dean for Research and Graduate Programs and associate professor of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling for the UTRGV College of Health Affairs, have been conducting town hall meetings with deaf and hard of hearing residents throughout the Valley to find out what services they would like to see offered in the community. On Dec. 1, they met with residents at José De Escandón Elementary School in McAllen.

UTRGV plans to use the information to determine how to best serve the community in health clinics it plans to open with its hospital and other healthcare partners.

Previous meetings were held in Rio Grande City and Edinburg, Saladin said, and about 20 people attended each session.

“They’ve been very productive meetings,” he said.

In addition to having Sign interpreters available for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing, some residents also suggested a speaker series and other health education events.

“A lot of people want education from us,” he said.

MEETING SCHEDULE

All the meetings are from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

DEC. 3: Harlingen - Regional Academic Health Center Auditorium, 2102 Treasure Hills Blvd.

DEC. 17: Mission - Speer Memorial Library Community Room, 801 E. 12th St.

JAN. 7, 2016: Port Isabel - Port Isabel Community Center, 213 Yturria St.

JAN. 12, 2016: Brownsville - UTRGV Brownsville Campus, Salon Cassia Room 2.402.

JAN. 19, 2016: Raymondville - Raymondville Rural Technical Center, 700 FM 3168.


JAN. 26, 2016: Weslaco - Location to be determined.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Communication students address sexual assault, rape prevention at Gender Comm Expo

By Vicky Brito
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS –DEC. 2, 2015 – Sexual assault and rape are difficult topics for discussion for many people. But the communication department at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley got the conversation going in Brownsville on Wednesday, during the Gender Comm Expo for the Prevention of Sexual Assault and Harassment.

Dr. John Cook, associate professor and chair of the UTRGV Communication Department, said the goal of the event was to spread awareness through a difficult dialogue event.

Difficult dialogue events promote religious, cultural and political pluralism, he said, as well as academic freedom on campuses.

“Sexual assault is not a crime of passion, it is a crime of violence,” Cook said. “Our event is about the awareness and prevention of sexual assault.”

The event began with a free speech alley held on the Main Patio. Students had a two-minute platform to speak on the issue.

Senior English major Kendall Banda and junior psychology major Brisa Gonzalez presented facts and statistics on sexual assaults on college campuses:
  • About 20 percent of women and 4 percent of men will be sexually assaulted while attending an institution of higher education.
  • The assailant is more often than not someone the victim knows.
  • An estimated one-third of people who were sexually abused as children will be assaulted as an adult.
  • About 32,000 pregnancies occur as a result of rape.
  • Most of these crimes often go unreported.
Danielle Banda, a UTRGV junior communication major, shared some common misconceptions about sexual assault and rape, and stressed that assailants will use a variety of manipulation tactics to commit their crime.
“People make statements like, ‘Look at the way she is dressed. Or, look how much she drinks. She’s asking for it.’ Those are false statements,” Banda said. “No one asked to be abused, injured or violated.”

The second part of the event continued in Salón Cassia, where a five-person panel answered questions about rape and sexual assault posed by student communication major moderators Ann Jacobo and Esai Torres.

The panel consisted of UTRGV Chief of Police Raul Munguia; Associate Professor of Philosophy Cynthia Jones; Valley Baptist Medical Center Forensic Nurse Examiner Laura Dominguez R.N.; UTRGV Director of the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX Coordinator Alicia Morley; and Cameron County Assistant District Attorney Omar Saenz.

Munguia fielded the first question, which was about the number of sexual assault and rape cases during the school year at UTRGV.

“The numbers are mostly very low,” he said. “However, one of the things that we don’t track are assaults occurring outside of our jurisdiction. That is an issue and a challenge that we have.”
Munguia then was asked what steps a student should take to report an assault.

“If a victim is not comfortable with calling the police department, there are other avenues they can use,” he said.

A good alternative is to contact Student Health Services, or Student Rights and Responsibilities.

Moderators asked panelist Jones what steps an individual can take to prevent sexual assault or rape.

“I think that is a bad question,” Jones said, because the problem is with the rapist, not the victim.

“If you get assaulted, it’s not your fault,” she said. “We need to address the people who rape.”

Panelist Dominguez stressed the importance of seeking medical attention quickly after a sexual assault, and cited a 96-hour window for gathering medical evidence after a sexual assault or rape.

“There are studies that say maybe 120 hours, but the sooner the better,” she said.

ADA Saenz spoke to the long-term impact on the victim, and encouraged reporting rapes so the process of healing can begin.

“The number of ways it effects your life is major,” Saenz said. “I think what we can do as a panel, and as a service to young people, is to inform you.”

Saenz said many do not know what “consent” is; he defined it as two individuals who make a rational decision. 





Wednesday, November 11, 2015

UTRGV honors veterans in Brownsville, Edinburg campus ceremonies

By Jennifer Berghom and Vicky Brito



BROWNSVILLE & EDINBURG, TEXAS – NOV. 11, 2015 – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley honored veterans with two simultaneous ceremonies on its Brownsville and Edinburg campuses on Wednesday.

Students, faculty, staff and veterans gathered at the Chapel Lawn on the Edinburg Campus and on the Main Lawn of the Brownsville campus.
The events were sponsored by the ROTC, Student Involvement, Student Veterans of America (SVA), Veterans Services and Veterans Upward Bound (VUB), a federally funded program to prepare and assist eligible veterans to access and pursue higher education.
“It’s a great honor to honor our veterans, and we have a number of our veterans here from World War II, the Korean War, and from all of our conflicts since that time. Thank you so much for being here,” UTRGV President Guy Bailey said at the Brownsville ceremony.
He pointed out that the ceremony began at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, to commemorate the date and time of the ending of World War I in 1918.
“We should always remember that we’re here because they were there, and it’s very important,” Bailey said. “We can't honor them enough.” 
UTRGV Vice President for Student Success Dr. Kristin Croyle, who spoke at the Edinburg ceremony, expressed her appreciation for veterans and praised UTRGV’s student veterans for the contributions they make to the campus community.
“When they come to campus, our student veterans make campus a better and richer place for all of us,” she said. “They bring a level of discipline and dedication to their work here that is an inspiration to our students and to our faculty and our staff. They support each other and support other students, and advocate for what they know is right, and the right way that we should treat our students.”
Eloisa Tamez, a U.S. Army veteran, UTRGV professor of nursing and keynote speaker at the Brownsville event, said the nation’s veterans symbolize the freedom we enjoy. Tamez, whose father was a veteran, served as a nurse for 27 years when she joined the nursing service workforce.
“It is my belief that we nurses are the best patient advocates and must take this role seriously, so our veterans receive optimal healthcare, always,” she said. “This has always been my commitment to our veterans, and I assure that all personnel in my work of service knew that and practiced it.”
Those at the Edinburg event heard from guest speakers, Capt. David Weiss of the U.S. Army National Guard, and former U.S. Army Sgt. Lynette Linn, who talked about their experiences in the military and about the importance of taking time out to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country.
“When you live your lives, make sure it’s a testament to those who are no longer able to live theirs,” Weiss said.
Both campus ceremonies had the presentation of colors and a 21-gun salute. At the Brownsville ceremony, three cannon salutes honored those currently serving in the military, those who served in the past and those who died while serving.
Students said they appreciated that UTRGV was honoring veterans and that the university is providing services for student veterans and their loved ones.
Patrick Roberts, UTRGV’s chapter president of the SVA, served eight and a half years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He said it is important for student veterans to have resources available to them, to help them adjust from military to college life.
“There’s a huge transition phase that many veterans go through, getting out of the military. And having a department like the Veterans Services Center and an organization like the Student Veterans of America chapter here at UTRGV and at other campuses across America, helps bridge that gap,” he said. “It helps that transition process. It gives veterans a place to go to, other veterans to talk to and feel welcome, to feel like they can be themselves until they get used to being around everyone else.”
Quentin Cammack, a U.S. Navy veteran who earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from UTRGV legacy institution UT Brownsville, said Veteran’s Upward Bound helped him with a variety of needs when he was a student, like helping him enroll in classes and submitting paperwork for the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill.


“I don't normally look back at people that helped me, but I appreciate them helping me,” an emotional Cammack said. “Looking back at me attaining a bachelor’s degree was a very important thing. My mom and dad never finished college and, for me, it was a big feat to prove that I can do it, and to also help show my daughter that she can do this, too. Just put your mind to it and focus hard, and one day you can attain your goals.”


In honor of those who have taken a term of military service, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the Student...

Posted by The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

UTRGV seeks community’s votes to win Tree Campus USA Service Learning Project Award

VOTE: www.ArborDay.org/vote

By Karen Perez
EDINBURG, TEXAS – NOV. 4, 2015 – The Office for Sustainability at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is looking at the possibility of bringing its award-winning tree care practices to the community.

UTRGV is one of three universities selected as a finalist in the Tree Campus USA Service Learning Contest by an internal judging committee from the Arbor Day Foundation, a nonprofit conservation and education organization.
Voting to select the winning campus begins Nov. 9 and ends Nov. 13. The public is encouraged to vote once a day by visiting www.arborday.org/vote.

The winning school will receive $10,000 and Tree Campus USA swag to create a service learning project that engages its students in a tree planting or maintenance project in a low- to moderate-income area of the community.
The other contenders in the large-school category are the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and the University of Pennsylvania.

The contest follows the UTRGV Edinburg Campus’s recent designation from the Arbor Day Foundation as a 2014 Tree Campus USA university for meeting five core standards of tree care and community engagement – including creation of a campus tree-care plan and a service-learning project.

Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation and sponsored by Toyota.

If awarded, the Office for Sustainability will provide each resident of the Lynchburg Neighborhood of Edcouch with a tree, a tree care kit, and bilingual training at a workshop to foster a beautiful, livable community. An additional three trees will be planted inside the upcoming community center area, which includes a playground.

The project would be a collaborative effort with Proyecto Azteca, a local, nonprofit, self-help housing program. Proyecto Azteca placed 32 families from the colonias and housing authorities into energy-efficient, affordable homes they helped build in 34 lots purchased in the Lynchburg Subdivision. The subdivision is the first silver LEED-certified neighborhood in South Texas. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices.

The service learning project would provide students with hands-on learning on environmental issues, maintaining tree health, and working with diverse community values, said Marianella Franklin, UTRGV’s chief sustainability officer. Additionally the trees would add energy efficiency, aesthetic appeal, and increase the economic value of the houses in the neighborhood.

“This community service project is intended to help us all come together, and what greater way to come together than to plant trees,” Franklin said. “Trees exemplify unity, and that’s what we’re trying to create here – that collaborative unity of one region, which is the Rio Grande Valley, extending a hand to help each other.”


The winner will be announced the week of Nov. 16. Vote for UTRGV Nov. 9-13 by visiting www.arborday.org/vote

For more information on UTRGV’s Office for Sustainability like its Facebook page.