UTSA Update - The University of Texas at San Antonio

The dedication ceremony for the new Biotechnology, Sciences and Engineering Building at the UTSA 1604 Campus is 10 a.m., Friday, Feb. 10. A reception and open house follow the ceremony. The $84 million facility is one of the largest and most cutting-edge education and research facilities in Texas. The structure, which houses the College of Sciences and College of Engineering, was funded through the generosity of the University of Texas Board of Regents, the Texas Legislature and numerous special friends.

Ambassador Tony Garza speaks at commencement ceremony

For the first time, UTSA celebrated three days of commencement ceremonies December 15-17 as 2,811 candidates received degrees in five ceremonies at the Convocation Center and a sixth ceremony at the Recital Hall, all on the 1604 Campus. Previously, there were four ceremonies in two days. The College of Liberal and Fine Arts ceremony on Dec. 16, hosted Tony Garza, U.S. ambassador to Mexico, who addressed the college's degree candidates.

George Perry named dean of College of Sciences

UTSA’s new College of Sciences dean is George Perry, a former professor of pathology and neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University. An expert in Alzheimer’s disease research, Perry directed Case Western’s Department of Pathology and has authored more than 600 scientific publications and 500 abstracts. In 1998, he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

UTSA Concert Choir to tour Austria in May

The UTSA Concert Choir was invited by the cities of Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Graz, Austria, to represent Texas in the 2006 American Celebration of Music in Austria and the Mozart 250th anniversary celebration. The students' 10-day tour May 25-June 3 will include performances in historic venues. A highlight will be their Prague performance of Mozart's "Vespers" with the Prague Radio Symphony. Additionally, the choir will perform Hans Krasa's children's opera, "Brundibar," at the location it was presented during World War II by the children of the Terezin concentration camp. To fund the tour, the choir must raise approximately $190,000 through concerts and community support.

UTSA provides small business services, outreach

UTSA's Institute for Economic Development recently received $1.6 million from the U.S. Small Business Administration to fund seminars, research, information services and free one-on-one business counseling through the South-West Texas Border Small Business Development Center. The center based at the Downtown Campus supports a 79-county area and business service centers in Alpine, Corpus Christi, Eagle Pass, El Paso, Edinburg, Laredo, San Angelo, San Antonio, San Marcos and Victoria. Last year, businesses receiving professional training and consulting through the South-West Texas Border SBDC created more than 3,500 new jobs, saved about 3,000 existing jobs and generated more than $218 million in taxable sales.

Navarro Early Childhood Center opens downtown

The Navarro Early Childhood Center opened its doors in January as a collaborative effort between UTSA and the San Antonio Independent School District. The center, which began after sociology professor Harriett Romo earned a national grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is set to serve underprivileged families on the West Side. Located less than a mile from the UTSA Downtown Campus, the center also will serve as a learning tool for graduate students studying early childhood development. SAISD will maintain the day-to-day running of the school.

Sen. John Cornyn opens UTSA $10.6 million lab

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn joined UTSA President Ricardo Romo and community members in November to celebrate the opening of the $10.6 million Margaret Batts Tobin Laboratory Building at the UTSA 1604 Campus. The new lab is named for the local businesswoman who in 1947 became the third woman to serve on the UT System Board of Regents. The 22,000-square-foot facility, which houses six biology research laboratories, will accommodate faculty and graduate students researching emerging infectious diseases. The Tobin Endowment is providing $1 million to fund the Margaret Batts Tobin Distinguished Chair in Biotechnology in support of research in the new facility.

UTSA center will research infectious diseases

UTSA recently established a new center dedicated to researching infectious diseases, including potential bioterrorism agents. The South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases is comprised of 15 College of Sciences microbiologists studying a variety of diseases including anthrax, tularemia, cholera, lyme disease, desert valley fever and other parasitic and fungal diseases.

UTSA president, professor meet in Africa with First Lady

Misty Sailors, UTSA assistant professor of interdisciplinary learning, recently traveled to Africa along with President Ricardo Romo where the duo met with First Lady Laura Bush in Ghana. Five other university presidents joined Romo and Sailors to unveil the Textbooks and Learning Materials Program, which links minority-serving colleges in the U.S. with institutions in Africa to provide textbooks and school supplies for African students. Sailors earned a spot in the program during the fall semester.

Gib Denman’s legacy is strong at UTSA

A $250,000 gift from the George W. Brackenridge Foundation will be used to create the Gilbert M. Denman Opera Endowment in the Department of Music, said President Ricardo Romo. The endowment is just the latest tribute to Gib Denman, one of UTSA's most generous and dedicated friends who passed away in May 2004.

Jim Baxter remembers students in will

Jim Baxter was on his third career when he began teaching political science at UTSA. Retired from the Air Force and civil service, he earned a master of public administration degree at the university in 1995, then stayed on to teach a few classes. To help students in his department, he donated $15,000 in 2003 to establish the Jim Baxter Endowed Scholarship in Political Science. Baxter, who passed away in February 2004, also included UTSA in his will, and recently $108,000 was added to the endowment from that bequest.

Wachovia launches Signature Lecture Series with gift

A $90,000 gift from Wachovia Bank launched the College of Business' new Signature Speaker Series in November with what proved to be a very successful inaugural lecture by Yahoo! founder Jerry Yang. Some 400 alumni and other members of the San Antonio business community gathered Nov. 17 for the lecture and awards dinnser at the Marriott Rivercenter hotel.

ITC connects West with East at Asian Festival Feb. 4

UTSA’s Institute of Texan Cultures hosts the 19th Annual Asian Festival – Year of the Dog on Feb. 4. The fun-filled event brings together the Asian communities of San Antonio to share authentic food, music, dance and ancient traditions with area residents. This year's festivities include a Pug Parade, kickboxing demonstrations and a human chess game, which highlights a month-long exhibit on the Asian origins of everyday games. For more information, call (210) 458-2330.

Homecoming is Feb 9-11: Tradition - Spirit - Pride

UTSA celebrates its 21st Homecoming Feb. 9-11 with the theme "Tradition - Spirit - Pride." The celebration honoring UTSA and its 64,000 alumni kicks off with "Jazz in the Plaza" from 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9 at the Downtown Campus. At 6 p.m., Friday night, everyone is invited to the Student Government Association Golf Cart Parade at the UTSA track. Rowdy Rampage, in its second year, will feature live music and fireworks after the parade. The Roadrunner men's basketball team takes on Lamar at 2 p.m., Saturday to cap the weekend festivities.

See the Homecoming events schedule: http://www.utsa.edu/homecoming

Great Conversation! La Sobremesa is Feb. 16

UTSA's biggest dinner party of the year, "Great Conversation!," is Feb. 16 at UTSA's Institute of Texan Cultures -- an opportunity to share a meal and conversation with some of San Antonio's most celebrated professionals, South Texas' most esteemed citizens and UTSA professors involved in fascinating research. Last year nearly 500 guests helped raise scholarship dollars for UTSA Honors College students. For more information, table topics selections or reservations, call (210) 458-4129 or visit the Great Conversation! Web site.

Connections Breakfast features former Los Angeles Times publisher Feb. 28

The UTSA Alumni Association hosts the first Connections Breakfast of 2006 on Tuesday, Feb. 28 with Dick Schlosberg, award-winning former publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times and Denver Post and a member of of the eBay board of directors. The topic is "Making Connections in Today's World: The Role of Communications in Everyday Life." UTSA alumnus and San Antonio Express-News editor Bob Rivard will make the introduction. Event check-in is 7:15 a.m. at the Marriott Northwest hotel, Interstate 10 at Loop 410, with breakfast served at 7:45 a.m. and program at 8. The cost is $20, $15 for Alumni Association members.

Reservations: (210) 458-4133 or http://www.utsa.edu/alumni

Alumni Association hosts trips to Beijing, Washington, Europe

The UTSA Alumni Association's 2006 travel program is off to a great start. Twenty-one people will depart March 9 for an eight-day trip to Beijing with visits to the zoo, Great Wall and opera, among other sites. Alumni and friends will go on a nine-day visit to Ireland in June, while another trip hosted by the Smithsonian Institution will take travelers to Washington, D.C., in September. In November, there will be a European tour during Mozart's 250th anniversary celebration. Departing Nov. 26, the group will visit Salzburg, Linz, Vienna and Prague.

More information: http://www.utsa.edu/alumni/travel/index.htm