Campus News
Inaugural Summer INstitute
UIW President Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr., drops by the lab to visit with students.
For two weeks in June, a group of 20 top-performing local high school students became junior scientists while attending the university’s first-ever science camp -- the UIW Summer INstitute.
During the camp, students dove head-on into the world of science and health professions as they participated in ongoing university research projects, visited local hospitals and experienced first-hand knowledge of scientific research laboratories. Students also had the opportunity to embark on projects including studying electric fish and developing aspirin and antibiotics.
Mixing science with just plain fun, President Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr., visited the college-bound students in the lab, fielding questions such as “What's the difference between a dean and a president?” and “What do most UIW students major in?”
The INstitute gave students a glimpse of college life by allowing them to stay in a residence hall, eat at a dining hall and attend seminars on how to succeed in college. The summer camp helped expose students to cutting-edge research and career opportunities in the fields of biology, chemistry, nutrition, kinesiology, nursing and pharmacy science.
All of the students attending were rising high school juniors with a grade-point average of 3.5 or better.
New Residence Hall on the Hill
The Grossman International Conference Center (ICC) has company on the hill with construction of a new 45,000-sq.-ft. residence hall and 30,000-sq.-ft. parking garage complex. The tall brick building nestled behind the ICC is receiving finishing touches before opening to the first wave of residents in August.
The residential parking complex will provide housing for 188 students. Living space includes large community areas on each floor including a lounge, kitchen, three study rooms and two common areas. Two of the floors contain private rooms, and one floor contains double rooms accommodating two residents; all rooms have private bathrooms.
The new housing complex is a popular choice for residential students and is filling up quickly. With increasing enrollment, housing demands continue to rise. The new building provides the additional rooms and parking required to meet UIW's growing needs.
A Pair of Kemper Scholars
Hernandez (left) and Martinez (right) with President Agnese.
Rising sophomores Denise Hernandez of Houston and Richard Martinez of San Antonio are UIW's newest Kemper Scholars. Hernandez, a political science major, and Martinez, a computer information systems major, will take part in the prestigious Kemper program that prepares students for leadership and service, especially in the fields of administration and business.
Kemper Scholars receive annual scholarships of $3,000-$8,000 based on need during their sophomore, junior, and senior years of college and $6,000 stipends for work as interns in major nonprofit organizations. The selection of two scholars this year is evidence of the quality of UIW's candidates.
Since 1948, the Kemper Scholar Program has advocated liberal arts and provided students opportunities for career exploration and practical experience through internships. Kemper Scholars represent academically superior, community spirited and well-rounded undergraduates. Alumni have gone on to make outstanding contributions as leaders in organizations and communities around the country.
Recognition as National Health Model
UIW and its community health partner St. Philip of Jesus Parish (SPJP) were recognized in the journal of Biosecurity and Bioterrorism as an exemplary case for local public health partnerships.
The university and parish were mentioned by the Working Group on Community Engagement in Health Emergency Planning in its recent findings and policy implications that were published in the journal. The group believes that communities and grassroots groups can help define a plan and increase public support in dealing with potential epidemics such as an influenza pandemic.
The group cited the UIW and SPJP partnership as a national model for this movement.
UIW Extends Reach to Arizona
UIW is now fully licensed by the Arizona State Board of Postsecondary Education to begin offering degree programs in the state. With this approval, the university will open the first full-service Catholic university in Arizona.
Once full diocesan approval is obtained, UIW will proceed with plans to also develop two single-sex high schools in collaboration with St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Community.
The project's first phase will establish the School of Extended Studies, which caters to adult education students. Classes will begin in August. Students will be able to choose from BBA, BA with several business tracks, MBA and MAA programs. Undergraduate degree programs will have a liberal arts core curriculum and professional components to prepare students for a variety of different career fields and facilitate the smooth transfer of any previous coursework.
“We have set the stage by signing an articulation agreement with Maricopa County Community College District and we are currently working with Estrella Mountain Community College to do some exciting things for the students in this area,” said Vincent Porter, dean of the School of Extended Studies. Highlights of the agreement include allowing joint enrollment between the two schools and letting qualified students freeze their tuition, helping them finish school sooner and jump-start their careers.
“We're very excited about extending our academic outreach to such a vibrant community like Goodyear,” said President Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr. “This is a terrific match, as Goodyear and Incarnate Word share many of the same values.”
Goodyear, AZ, is a community of 50,000 located 20 minutes west of Phoenix. It has been recognized as one of the fastest growing cities in Arizona and in 2005 was selected by CNN Money as one of the best places to live in the U.S.
Pharmacy Students Learn on the Job
Students attending the university’s John and Rita Feik School of Pharmacy are getting first-hand work experience in their future career fields this summer as the students participate in internship programs (most of them paid) across the city.
At least 30-40 students of the Pharmacy School’s inaugural class of 75 future pharmacists are participating in internships, even though it is not a program requirement. The opportunities are in a variety of areas, but the two most popular internships for the students are working at hospitals and retail businesses (CVS, H-E-B, Walgreens, etc.). Most students obtained their positions during a career fair held this past January. The internships allow the UIW students to gain valuable work experience under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist.
One student intern who is having a unique experience is Christopher Alvarado, who is working with an independent pharmacy company researching the effects of hormones. Besides his research work, Alvarado is learning about compounding adult medications into suitable doses for children and compounding human medications into formulas that can be used to treat animals.
UIW’s professional Doctorate of Pharmacy program began in the fall of 2006. The school is the first at a private or faith-based institution within the state of Texas.
Library Welcomes New Masterpiece
Dicianna and Ambassador Flores-Bermudez study the fine lines of Maratta’s illustration.
Provost Dr. Terry Dicianna shared the Mabee Library's newest original drawing with Ambassador to Honduras, Roberto Flores-Bermudez, on a campus visit in May. Flores-Bermudez was a speaker at the World Affairs Council Meeting held in the Grossman International Conference Center.
The original drawing by Carlo Maratta, circa 1705, is of Judas fleeing from the table as Christ announces to the Disciples that one of them has betrayed Him. Maratta is represented in major museums around the world including the Vatican, Hermitage, National Gallery, Getty and Louvre.
Generously provided by Dr. Glen and Andrea McCreless, the artwork joins other masterpieces of theirs including the noteworthy 1480s studio Botticelli Madonna del Libro in the McCreless Gallery in the J.E. & L.E. Mabee Library. The McCrelesses and their Botticelli rendition were featured in Arts & Antiques in its recent showcase of the nation's top 100 collectors.
Class of 2007
Maria J. Vasquez ‘07
UIW’s spring Commencement ceremonies conferred degrees to approximately 420 students in May at the Alice P. McDermott Convocation Center.
The morning ceremony honored graduates of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, the Dreeben School of Education, the School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering, and the School of Interactive Media and Design. Alan Dreeben, vice chairman of Republic Beverage Company and advisory director of Cullen Frost Bank, delivered the Commencement address and was recognized with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.
The evening Commencement honored graduates of the H-E-B School of Business and Administration and the School of Nursing and Health Professions with the keynote address given by this year’s Alumni of Distinction, Junab Ali ’94 BBA. Ali is president and co-founder of Mobius Partners (featured on the cover of the spring edition of The Word).
A Baccalaureate Mass was held before each ceremony. Processional and recessional music was performed by the San Antonio Pipes and Drums, and musical direction was provided by William Gokelman, associate professor of music.