APRIL 26, 2023H-E-B makes $2 million gift to support UTSA workforce development program
A longtime supporter of public higher education initiatives, H-E-B has made a $2 million gift to support experiential learning and workforce development programs at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) School of Data Science (SDS) and the university’s Prefreshman Engineering Program (PREP).
The gift will advance H-E-B and UTSA's shared vision to provide students with equitable access to opportunities in STEM fields, transforming the local workforce infrastructure and developing an innovation network that strengthens and diversifies the local economy.
While the emerging field of data science is expected to see 28% job growth by 2026, the industry ranks lowest in diversity among tech fields, with fewer than 3% of data scientists being women of color, 5% Latino, 4% Black, and 0.5% Native American, according to Forbes. H-E-B’s gift will expand educational opportunities in the School of Data Science and accelerate graduation rates among underrepresented groups at UTSA, a distinguished Hispanic Serving Institution that awards nearly two-thirds of its undergraduate degrees to students who identify as Hispanic/Latino or other minorities.
UTSA ranks no. 33 in the nation for social mobility, according to the 2022 Best College Rankings report by U.S. News & World Report.
The UTSA School of Data Science is located less than a mile from H-E-B’s headquarters. It is the first of its kind in Texas and the only School of Data Science in the nation at a Hispanic Serving Institution.
H-E-B’s gift will be instrumental in preparing our Roadrunners for the high demand, high-paying jobs in data sciences.
