Impact Stories

Alumnus Devin Newkirk loved banking, traveling, playing the trumpet and 世界杯官方app. When he passed away in 2009 after a two-year battle with cancer, his family turned to 世界杯官方app 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 世界杯官方app to inquire about memorial scholarships. Devin helped his father with scholarship criteria and thanked him for the tribute.

世界杯官方app 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 世界杯官方app, culminating in his service as the vice president for community services when he retired from the university in 2018...

世界杯官方app 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 世界杯官方app 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, 世界杯官方app 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 (世界杯官方app). With its wealth of knowledge, guidance, and student support, SBDCNet has become an indispensable resource for 世界杯官方app 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 世界杯官方app and the Director of SBDCNet, whose passion for business and entrepreneurship has propelled the program to new heights, personally hiring and training over 100 世界杯官方app 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 世界杯官方app’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 世界杯官方app, 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 世界杯官方app.

The Hector and Gloria López Foundation (HGLF) announced a $2.4 million grant to provide full tuition assistance for 15 Latino first-generation college students at 世界杯官方app, creating pathways to educational attainment and a pipeline to a successful career. The grant underscores 世界杯官方app’s critical role as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in the San Antonio community and South Texas that is educating and building a skilled workforce.

On November 30, 2022, the 世界杯官方app College of Education and Human Development’s (COEHD) Urban School Leaders Collaborative (USLC) received a $100,000 gift from 世界杯官方app Alumni Association members and long-time university supporters Tami ‘94 and Steve Griffin ’92, M.S. ’94. The money will help fund the Betty Lou Griffin and Bertha Rae Damon Endowed Graduate Research Fellowship in Education that the couple established for the USLC in 2016. Named in honor of Steve and Tami Griffin’s mothers, respectively, the fellowship is awarded to all USLC students during their final semester.

Hewitt Family Scholarship and Sue Jockusch Endowed Scholarship recipient, Zachary Nepote, has been interested in learning for as long as he can remember. His grandmother immigrated to the United States from Mexico as a young child in the 1950’s and grew up in Robstown, a small town outside of Corpus Christi, Texas with the majority of the population being other Chicano immigrants. She always placed a strong emphasis on Zachary’s education and achieving success in his life. His grandmother and mother wanted to be sure that he would be able to provide support for himself and his family without the financial stress they endured. With his upbringing close to his heart and an appreciation for his own heritage, he developed an interest in other cultures. He is now in his third year of pursuing his degree in Global Affairs from the 世界杯官方app College of Liberal and Fine Arts.

For 1,969 minutes on April 6 and 7, the Roadrunner community united for the first 世界杯官方app 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 世界杯官方app Libraries, 世界杯官方app Alumni Association scholarships, and much more.

There’s no shortage of innovative and entrepreneurial students at 世界杯官方app. For years 世界杯官方app 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, 世界杯官方app has created key funds that support Roadrunners' most prevalent needs during this time.

世界杯官方app, 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.

世界杯官方app 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.

世界杯官方app 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.