UTSA Volunteer Leaders Multiply Support Toward Research in Business
A gift made by longstanding supporters of UTSA, Carlos and Malú Alvarez, enabled the Carlos Alvarez College of Business to establish a new matching gift challenge, the Alvarez Research Challenge, which will match every donor’s gift to the college over $100,000 until the match is exhausted. Through this Challenge, individual gifts can provide up to twice the impact for students and faculty in the Alvarez College of Business, providing access to research opportunities on par with other Top Tier institutions.
The Alvarez Research Challenge comes at a significant time in UTSA’s history as the university achieved the Carnegie R1 Classification in December 2021. Sometimes referred to as Tier One or Top Tier, the designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education indicates an institution with “very high research activity.” This elite designation validates the breadth and strength of UTSA’s knowledge enterprise and aligns the university with the nation’s top public and private research institutions.
Several UTSA supporters have already leveraged the Alvarez Research Challenge, including Don Frost, Vice Chair of the UTSA Development Board, and his wife Lou Celia Frost. Along with a gift from The Pat and Tom Frost Foundation, the couple leveraged the Challenge to create the Frost Family Endowed Graduate Fellowship, which will support graduate students in the Alvarez College of Business. Ann Bohl Deacon ’84 and Walter Embrey, Jr., who both serve on the Development Board also made gifts that were matched through the Challenge. And, a university alumni couple recently doubled their support for the Cybersecurity Program. Nancy Kudla ’87, who serves as a UTSA Campaign Leadership Council Co-Chair and her husband, Frank ’85 made an additional gift, including one in their will, toward their existing endowment - the Nancy and Frank Kudla Endowed Fellowship in Cybersecurity established in 2011. The endowed fellowship supports graduate student research and education in cybersecurity.
“Helping as many students as possible is an exciting and achievable goal if we all work together,” said Nancy. “We hope that we inspire others to do the same. It’s not just a gift, it provides a long-term impact for students, UTSA, and San Antonio.”
Carlos and Malú have strongly supported UTSA for years; Carlos also serves as a UTSA Campaign Leadership Council Co-Chair. As the university continues to become a premier research university, the Alvarez College of Business will be a place where opportunities live and dreams are realized. Like the business environment that it supports, UTSA is meeting the growing needs of the business community and improving social and economic development, not only for UTSA students but for San Antonio, Texas, and the nation
“Higher education will always be the most important spark for change,” said Carlos. “We are very proud to support UTSA and its outstanding students, many of whom - like me - are first-generation Mexican Americans. I was compelled to give to the College of Business and support the largest business school in San Antonio, where I built my own business.”
To learn more about how you can double the impact of your own gift toward research in business, visit https://business.utsa.edu/research-challenge/.
-Jordan Allen
