Honors College Dean Richard Diem retires after 40 years of UTSA service
Richard A. Diem
Ann Eisenberg
Jill Hernandez
Richard A. Diem
Ann Eisenberg
Jill Hernandez
Share this Story(Nov. 11, 2015) -- After 40 years of service to UTSA, Richard A. Diem has retired. Lauded for being one of the main catalysts behind the formation of the UTSA Honors College, Diem’s career includes 13 years of service as dean of the Honors College in addition to time as a professor of education.
The Honors College provides academic and research opportunities to top-tier students nationally and internationally. Under Diem’s direction, the college has experienced an exponential increase in its enrollment. Today, it boasts of a population of 850 students compared to 350 students when it was created in 2002.
Diem is also credited for creating study abroad programs within the Honors College, which have been pivotal in fostering the academic and social growth of its participants. He has received numerous accolades including a Fulbright Hays Senior Research Scholar Award, along with Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Education awards.
Diem, who was also awarded the Irving Morrisett Lifetime Achievement Award from the Social Science Education Consortium, has served as president of the National Council for the Social Studies.
Ann Eisenberg, associate dean of the Honors College, is serving as the college’s interim dean. With more than 25 years of experience in Honors education, Eisenberg initially served as the director of the UTSA Honors Program, which pre-dated the Honors College, then as associate dean of the Honors College. She has been instrumental in raising admission standards for the program, while maintaining the diversity of its student population.
The UTSA Honors College is one of the most diverse honors colleges in the United States.
Also noted for establishing the Terry Scholars and Archer Fellowship Programs at UTSA, Eisenberg is devoted to ensuring that students have access to a myriad of educational and research opportunities to enrich their academic experiences. She has collaborated with Harriett Romo, professor of sociology and Mexico Center director, to create the UTSA Great Conversation! fundraiser. The initiative has provided more than $1.5 million in scholarship funding to honors students over the past 15 years.
“Both Richard Diem and Ann Eisenberg deserve much recognition for building the Honors College into the exceptional program that is it today,” said John H. Frederick, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “I look forward to Dr. Diem’s continued involvment with the university in his retirement as an emeritus faculty member. I also am grateful to Dr. Eisenberg for her tireless leadership of the college as we undertake a search for the next dean.”
Jill Hernandez, UTSA associate professor in the Department of Philosophy and Classics, has been named the interim associate dean of the Honors College. Since joining the Honors College faculty in 2007, Hernandez has worked on honors contracts and theses. Her involvement with the latter, specifically in guiding students with the completion of their theses, is a testament to her dedication to helping students succeed.
Currently the Secretary to the General Faculty in the UTSA Faculty Senate, Hernandez has a passion for working with students. She brings a wealth of experience in service learning and pedagogy and instructs an honors course in ethics.
-----------------------------Learn more about the UTSA Honors College.
Connect online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
Events
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 CampusLearn 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 EventThis 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 CampusAt 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 CampusRoadrunner 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 CampusCelebrate 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.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.
