Impact Stories

UTSA announced today a $2 million gift from USAA to support students pursuing degrees in UTSA’s new college focused on artificial intelligence, cyber, computing and data science.

A total of 5,404 students are currently enrolled in artificial intelligence, cyber, computing and data science-related degree programs at UTSA, reflecting a 62% increase since 2019. The new college will position UTSA to lead in the rapidly evolving landscape of advanced technologies, reshaping its academic landscape and further strengthening San Antonio’s economic and workforce impact by producing a highly trained talent pipeline.

Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Michael “Mike” Anderson ’95 and his wife, Gloria, have combined their passion for education and deep respect for military service to establish the Purple Heart Endowed Scholarship at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). By giving through their donor advised fund (DAF) and directing qualified charitable distributions from their IRA, the Andersons maximized their impact while avoiding higher taxes. Their gift honors the sacrifices of Purple Heart recipients and empowers future generations of students.

The UTSA Division of University Relations and the Division of Advancement and Alumni Engagement have received five 2024 Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for their impact in philanthropy, communications and marketing.

UTSA Honors College student Elias Flores believes in making a meaningful impact across the university’s campuses and the San Antonio community. As a sophomore majoring in Management and Information Systems at the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, Elias balances his academic responsibilities with hands-on experience as a work-study student.

Former UTSA student-athlete Kendall Kloza ’22 earned her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science while breaking records as a top athlete for Roadrunner Women’s Soccer. As the team captain during the 2022 season, she led her team to a conference championship, earning the title of Conference USA Defensive MVP. This caught the attention of medical device company, Boston Scientific, who was actively seeking exceptional student-athletes to join their team. Kendall received a job offer and joined the company as an associate territory manager in November 2023.

UTSA alumnus and San Antonio business owner Jose Daniel “Joey” Asturias ’19 began to see his dream career take shape as a multidisciplinary studies student in the University College. While pursuing his degree focused on marketing and communications, Joey was also highly involved in campus life, which helped him develop essential leadership and business skills. These experiences ultimately led him to launch his own creative agency, Project Rare, and contribute his talents to the San Antonio Spurs as the NBA team’s digital content assistant.

For 1,969 minutes on Tuesday, April 9, and Wednesday, April 10, Roadrunners near and far gathered for the fourth annual UTSA Giving Day. While numbers are still being finalized, preliminary results demonstrate that UTSA supporters, once again, delivered impressive results with more than 2,014 gifts totaling $504,705 raised.

Contributions from students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and the broader community supported over 60 initiatives throughout the university, including academic colleges and schools, student initiatives...

UTSA has received a $1.25 million commitment from The Greehey Family Foundation to support its Be Bold capital campaign. Funds will be used to establish The Greehey Family Foundation Athletics Excellence Fund, which will provide scholarships to athletes who are first-generation college students as well as academic services to ensure students are successful in the classroom.

To date, the Be Bold capital campaign, which aims to enhance student success, research excellence and innovation, has raised over $380 million from more than 46,000 donors.

Rebecca “Becky” Anderson, senior associate vice president for operations and strategic initiatives in the UTSA Office of the Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement (VPAAE), has been honored with the 2024 Jan Richter Hopson Achievement Award. The award recognizes UT System employees who have demonstrated excellence and distinction in the field of development and advancement services for more than five years.

Anderson joined the UTSA staff over two decades ago and her career has seen remarkable growth. During her early career with the university, she served in a series of administrative and business-operations support roles.

Alumnus Devin Newkirk loved banking, traveling, playing the trumpet and UTSA. When he passed away in 2009 after a two-year battle with cancer, his family turned to UTSA to help establish a legacy for their son, the Devin Newkirk Memorial Endowed Scholarship.

Devin graduated from the College of Business in 1988, created a successful financial career, and became the senior vice president of Integra Bank in Indiana.

Several days before Devin’s death, Calvin contacted UTSA to inquire about memorial scholarships. Devin helped his father with scholarship criteria and thanked him for the tribute.

UTSA has announced it will name its Institute for Economic Development in honor of its founder, Jude Valdez ’72, to recognize his nearly 40-year tenure with the university and his generosity for establishing the Jude Valdez Economic Development Excellence Fund. The endowment will directly support the Jude Valdez Institute for Economic Development and its work driving business development at the local, state, national and international levels.

With a background in business and economic development, Valdez served in academic and leadership roles at UTSA, culminating in his service as the vice president for community services when he retired from the university in 2018...

UTSA has received a $1 million contribution from longtime university supporter and former AT&T CEO Ed Whitacre and his wife, Linda, to support the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design (Klesse College) and UTSA Athletics.

A commitment of $500,000 will establish an endowment directly supporting the Klesse College’s Student Success Center, which was established in 2016. The center provides students with opportunities that help drive their personal and professional growth and development. It also serves as the central point of contact for industry professionals in engineering, architecture and related fields to connect with students regarding...

In a spirited effort to boost support for Roadrunners Football, UTSA Campaign Leadership Council member and local philanthropist Harvey E. Najim has committed $2 million to the program. In addition, Najim has purchased more than 7,100 tickets for over 60 organizations in San Antonio and surrounding areas to enjoy the season home opener on Saturday, September 9 at the Alamodome.

Najim’s charitable gift will go toward an unrestricted fund managed by Head Football Coach Jeff Traylor, with $1 million donated toward the current season and $1 million pledged for next season.

The Small Business Development Center National Information Clearinghouse (SBDCNet) serves as a driving force for entrepreneurial achievement and innovation at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). With its wealth of knowledge, guidance, and student support, SBDCNet has become an indispensable resource for UTSA students, providing them with the necessary tools and insights to excel in the competitive world of business. Spearheading this initiative is Matthew Jackson '10, '16, a devoted alumnus of UTSA and the Director of SBDCNet, whose passion for business and entrepreneurship has propelled the program to new heights, personally hiring and training over 100 UTSA students to work within the center.

For first-generation college student, Nia Jaramillo, a sentiment from her former art professor at Texas State University continuously played in her mind as she was preparing to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in Public Relations.

“You could have been an art major,” she was told.

Nia loved creating art in middle and high school but was always given the impression that it would never lead to a “real career.”

Founding dean of UTSA’s College of Liberal and Fine Arts and art history professor, Jacinto Quirarte, spent 36 years with the university. As one of the first scholars to write about the Chicano art movement, Jacinto left a lasting legacy at UTSA, changing the landscape of art history curriculum by leading the movement to have pre-Columbian art and the architecture of the missions become included in the art history mainstream. He received his own education by working multiple jobs to put himself through school, ultimately attaining his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Jacinto’s daughter, Sabrina Quirarte McGowan ’93, inherited his passion for learning and higher education.

Born in Misawa, Japan, The University of Texas at San Antonio graduate student, Ashley Aguilar, lived in three different countries before moving to San Antonio with her military family in 2006. With a childhood full of traveling, she developed an affinity for geology and solving environmental problems in countries across the world. In 2018, she took the risk of leaving her full-time job as a high school math teacher to pursue her graduate degrees at UTSA.

UTSA Campaign Leadership Council member and influential local philanthropist Harvey E. Najim has committed a $2 million gift to expand The Najim Center for Innovation and Career Advancement to the UTSA Downtown Campus. The new center expands the reach of the inaugural Najim Center, which debuted on the UTSA Main Campus in 2019 via a $3 million gift from Najim. UTSA expects that between the two campuses, the Najim Center will double its reach—from providing experiential learning opportunities to 500 students to serving over 1,000 students aspiring to be entrepreneurs and future workforce leaders.

Wanda Guntz has served as a staff member at The University of Texas at San Antonio for over 21 years, and has spent 14 of those years proudly giving back to the university. She began her career as an administrator in the College of Education and Human Development’s Kinesiology Department and is now the Senior Academic Administrative Manager in the College of Sciences’ Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology. She has worked with and mentored many students over the years, and she says they inspired her to begin giving back to UTSA through the College of Education and Human Development’s Dean’s Fund for Excellence.

For 1,969 minutes on April 6 and 7, the Roadrunner community united for the first UTSA Giving Day. The results exceeded expectations in a number of areas, thanks to participation from across Roadrunner Nation. Approximately $350,000 was raised from almost 1,900 donors. Gifts supported more than 50 programs across the university, including colleges, student activities, athletics, the UTSA Libraries, UTSA Alumni Association scholarships, and much more.

There’s no shortage of innovative and entrepreneurial students at UTSA. For years UTSA students have pitched their startup ideas at business plan competitions, participated in tech showcases and attended entrepreneurship boot camps, receiving support primarily through the university’s Center for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship. Beginning today, creative Roadrunners will be able to tap into a new network that will provide additional experiential learning opportunities to improve their career readiness.

To help relieve some of the stress that students might be facing due to coronavirus-related changes to their daily lives, UTSA has created key funds that support Roadrunners' most prevalent needs during this time.

UTSA, Whataburger and the San Antonio Food Bank today announced a partnership to ensure that healthy food, free of charge, is made available to students in need across all of the university's campuses.

The University of Texas at San Antonio today broke ground on a state-of-the-art, $41.5 million athletic training facility that will help the university draw world-class student-athletes to its Division I programs and provide recreational sports resources to San Antonio residents.

UTSA today announced it has received a $15 million gift from San Antonio business leader Graham Weston to support the university's proposed School of Data Science.

UTSA senior Civil Engineering major, Crista Cerda, returned to San Antonio from Urbino, Italy in the fall of 2019. She spent her days walking along Urbino's cobblestone streets with fellow classmates in search of Italy's delectable cuisine while experiencing the country's rich culture as they learned to communicate with locals. Regularly, her class traveled to major cities like Rome, Italy where she engaged with lead engineers and discussed multiple development projects in the city.