UTSA ranked No. 3 in degrees awarded to Hispanics in STEM fields

UTSA Chemistry Students

By Kris Rodriguez
Public Affairs Specialist

(Jan. 11, 2010)--The University of Texas at San Antonio ranks No. 3 among the nation's leading Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI's) in the number of degrees awarded to Hispanics in science, technology, engineering and math, otherwise known as STEM fields.

The rankings are based on a National Science Foundation funded study at the University of Southern California Center for Urban Education. The center surveyed the 2005-2006 academic year for the Top 25 predominately Hispanic serving colleges and universities with the largest Hispanic populations in California, Texas, Florida, New York, Arizona and New Mexico.

UTSA earned the No. 3 national ranking for awarding 357 degrees to Hispanics in the STEM fields or 44 percent of the total of STEM degrees awarded.

UTSA's success in awarding degrees in the STEM fields to Hispanics goes hand in hand with President Barack Obama's new "Educate to Innovate" initiative, designed to improve the participation and performance of America's students in STEM fields to compete in a global economy.

HSI's are defined as institutions in which Hispanic students constitute 25 percent or more of the full-time equivalent enrollment. At UTSA, Hispanic enrollment stands at 12, 432 or 43 percent of the student body.

According to the study, only eight percent of all postsecondary institutions are HSI's but half of all Hispanic college students are enrolled in these institutions. HSI's are responsible for awarding nearly 40 percent of all bachelor's degrees conferred to Hispanics.

In 2008, federal funding to HSI's in the United States surpassed $93 million. UTSA is one of more than 200 HSI's in the United States.

Events

Wednesday, April 24, 11:30 a.m.

Denim Day

Join the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.

Student Union Window Lounge, Main Campus

Wednesday, April 24, 5:00 p.m.

Simplifying Citations With Zotero

Learn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.

Virtual Event

Friday, May 3, 11:30 a.m.

McNair Scholars' Spring Celebration

This event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.

North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140), Main Campus

Wednesday, May 15, 6:00 p.m.

Doctoral Conferral Ceremony

At this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.

Arts Building Recital Hall, Main Campus

Thursday, May 16, 3:00 p.m.

Roadrunner Walk

Roadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.

Student Union Paseo, Main Campus

Friday, May 17, 10:00 a.m.

Commencement: Ceremony One

Celebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.

Alamodome, 100 Montana St.

Friday, May 17, 4:30 p.m.

Commencement: Ceremony Two

Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.

Alamodome, 100 Montana St.

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Spotlight

UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.