UTSA’s international initiatives to undergo leadership changes

(March 27, 2018) -- Vice Provost for International Initiatives at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) René Zenteno today announced he is stepping down from his administrative duties to return to his position as professor in the Department of Demography effective March 31.

“I am grateful to Dr. Zenteno for his dedicated service as our chief international officer and for his accomplishments in raising UTSA’s profile internationally,” said Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Mauli Agrawal. “Under his leadership, UTSA has made terrific strides in increasing our international education and research collaborations, particularly in Latin America, and in increasing the number of UTSA students who are engaging in study abroad opportunities.” 

As vice provost, Zenteno oversaw the Office of International Programs, the Office of ESL Services, the East Asia Institute and the Confucius Institute. 

Lisa Montoya has been named interim vice provost of international initiatives effective April 1. Montoya currently serves as associate dean for professional development and international business programs in the College of Business, as well as associate professor in practice in the Department of Management. She previously served as the college’s associate dean for undergraduate programs. She joined UTSA in 2005.

To facilitate the transition in the Office of International Initiatives, Zenteno has been appointed as a special advisor to the provost for the period of April 1–Aug. 31, 2018.  In this capacity, he will advise the provost on best strategies to increase academic partnerships in Mexico and Latin American countries, based on his extensive experience in these regions.

Zenteno also oversaw ConTex, a joint initiative between the UT System and Mexico's National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) based at UTSA. Guadalupe Carmona-Dominguez, associate professor of interdisciplinary learning and teaching in the College of Education and Human Development, has been named as the new executive director of ConTex. In this role, which will report to the Office of the President, she will facilitate ConTex’s efforts to enhance ties with Mexico, which include providing educational opportunities for Mexican Ph.D. students at UT institutions, arranging exchanges for postdoctoral and faculty fellows and developing collaborative research projects. A native of Mexico, Carmona-Dominguez has been at UTSA since 2013. 

Zenteno joined the UTSA faculty in 2013 and has served in the vice provost position since 2014. He formerly was undersecretary of population, migration and religious affairs in the Ministry of the Interior in Mexico and executive director of the Center for U.S.–Mexico Studies at the University of California, San Diego.

— Rebecca Luther

Learn more about the UTSA Office of International Initiatives.

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