University of Houston-Victoria men’s soccer team members assist victims with Hurricane Harvey recovery. The team was awarded the NAIA Buffalo Funds Five-Star Champions of Character Team Award on Thursday.

The University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center’s upcoming January workshops will help area entrepreneurs and communities with topics ranging from applying for grants to personnel conduct policies and how to handle state and federal taxes.

University of Houston-Victoria students are prepared to embrace The National Society of Leadership and Success mission after a recent induction ceremony.

More than two dozen students were present during the Dec. 8 induction ceremony, including UHV alumna and chapter advisor Camilla Sutton.

The University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center’s QuickBooks workshop series is back to aid Crossroads entrepreneurs with their bookkeeping skills and help them learn all about the accounting software, including a new feature.

Katherine Bacon’s passion for advocacy grew from surviving difficult circumstances and moving forward despite overwhelming challenges, and now she has been recognized with a statewide award.

Lacy M. Johnson was just beginning to think of herself as a writer when she was kidnapped and abused by her ex-boyfriend, and that experience had a lasting impact on her career.

When Rachid Benjebbour and his teammates prepared for the University of Houston-Victoria Strategic Master of Business Administration “Best in Class” competition, they started by collecting all the data they could find.

The University of Houston-Victoria at Katy will host a signing of the novelization of Disney’s “Coco” that was written by a UHV faculty member.

Diana López, a UHV associate professor of creative writing, will sign copies of her book, “Coco: A Story About Music, Shoes and Family,” starting at 6 p.m. Feb. 1 in the UHV Katy Multi-Purpose Room, 2002 W. Grand Parkway N., Building 2. The event is free and open to the public.

The University of Houston-Victoria School of Business Administration continues to rank among the top choices for students wishing to pursue a Master of Business Administration.

The Houston Business Journal has listed UHV as the third-largest Houston-area MBA program based on enrollment for the second year in a row.

UHV students work together in October 2017 to clear away debris from Hurricane Harvey and locate a water pipe for a property owner in Rockport. A group of 26 students took part in the university’s fall 2017 Jags Join In: Day of Service trip to the coastal community to help clean up after the hurricane.

The Spring 2018 University of Houston-Victoria/American Book Review Reading Series will present a group of five writers, starting with an author who uses her personal story of surviving domestic violence to confront a national epidemic.   

The visiting authors will read selections from their work followed by a question-and answer session. Most of the readings will begin at noon in the Alcorn Auditorium inside UHV University West, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. Matt Bell’s reading will begin at 7 p.m. in the UHV Center for the Arts, 204 N. Main St. All of the events are free and open to the public.

The University of Houston-Victoria Spring 2018 Downtown Arts Series is gearing up for another semester of bringing talented poets and artists to the Victoria area, and this spring will feature a new two-day expo.

A glamorous scene is in store for attendees of the 2018 University of Houston-Victoria Homecoming.

Lights, Camera, JAXNATION is this year’s Homecoming theme. Hollywood and its stars will be incorporated into some of the events planned for Homecoming week Feb. 26 to March 3.

A large and energetic crowd was on hand Friday night to help support the University of Houston-Victoria student-athletes at the “A Night for the Jaguars” fund-raising event at Club Westerner.

The University of Houston-Victoria has released the names of undergraduate students who made its Fall 2017 President’s List and Deans’ List.

Growing a small business sometimes requires getting a loan, and the University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center is offering a workshop to help entrepreneurs find the right loan to meet their needs.

Will Alexander, a poet, playwright, essayist, philosopher, visual artist and pianist; and Jasminne Mendez, a poet, writer and educator; will open the Spring 2018 University of Houston-Victoria Downtown Arts Series at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 in the UHV Center for the Arts, 204 N. Main St. 

As Black History Month approaches, the University of Houston-Victoria will host several events to recognize African American culture, including a one-woman play showing the history of black women from the 1600s through today. 

The University of Houston-Victoria’s preliminary spring enrollment has increased nearly 3 percent from this time last year.

The university has 4,107 students enrolled as of the 12th class day, a 2.9 percent increase from spring numbers a year ago. That growth was reflected in several areas throughout the university.

When starting a new business, some entrepreneurs might not know or understand how many legal concerns must be addressed.

That’s why the University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center will offer Legal Concerns for a New Business. The free workshop will be from 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 21 in the UHV SBDC offices, 1908 N. Laurent St., Suite 400.

When the University of Houston-Victoria School of Business Administration was contacted by a business-focused nonprofit organization looking for help creating a social media plan, Jun Yang saw an opportunity.

Yang, a UHV associate professor of marketing, turned the request from the Victoria-based National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors into a project for her “Electronic Marketing” undergraduate class.

In the first decade of the University of Houston-Victoria, Tenna Thompson became a UHV alumna and has since then pursued her passion in education and community service.  

“I enrolled at UHV during a pivotal point in my life,” said Thompson, who earned a bachelor’s degree in education with a specialty in reading. “Getting an education was always very important to me, and the accessibility plus the affordable, quality education offered was such a godsend at the time. I’m so grateful for the experience and the faculty members I had the pleasure of learning from.”

When choosing a subject for his poster, Brennen Gray looked up a website that features African American Purple Heart recipients. 

The University of Houston-Victoria has awarded 444 degrees to undergraduate and graduate students who completed their coursework during the fall semester.

The quality, accessible education offered to the students at an affordable price by the University of Houston-Victoria has captured the attention of the Top Management Degree website. 

A University of Houston-Victoria professor's research on power, race, religion, politics and the media, and their impacts on society have been featured in three recently released books.

Thanks to a grant from the M.G. and Lillie A. Johnson Foundation, the University of Houston-Victoria’s nursing program has honored one of its faculty members with an endowed professorship.

Karen Camargo, clinical assistant professor of nursing, was awarded the UHV Nursing Program Johnson Foundation Endowed Professorship last fall. 

Payroll Manager Denise Prescott was named the University of Houston-Victoria’s 2017 Employee of the Year on Wednesday at the university’s Faculty & Staff Recognition Reception.

The reception is held annually to recognize faculty and staff members celebrating employment anniversaries and to name the Employee of the Year.

The University of Houston-Victoria will welcome about 250 students to campus on Feb. 24 for a look into the college experience during the university’s largest Jaguar Day ever.

Prospective students, including incoming freshmen, transfer and graduate students, will have the opportunity to see firsthand what UHV has to offer. It will be the second of three Jaguar Days that UHV is hosting this school year.

The University of Houston-Victoria will host its first 5K fundraiser on March 3 during Homecoming week, and it will benefit jaX, the university’s live jaguar mascot at the Texas Zoo.

University of Houston-Victoria bowlers celebrate with Lions Club members after the Feb. 10 Lions Club Bowl-A-Thon at Century Lanes in Victoria. The UHV team won first place at the event for the third consecutive year. 

Sara Weinstein, left, a University of Houston-Victoria Student Life & Services coordinator, presents a check Monday for $1,824 to Robin Cadle, CEO of the Food Bank of the Golden Crescent and a UHV alumna. UHV students took part in the annual Food Fight fundraiser by donating the value of meals from their meal plans at Jaguar Hall Dining. 

This year marks the first time the University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center’s QuickBooks workshop series will be offered outside Victoria.

The series will be co-hosted by UHV’s SBDC and the Hallettsville Chamber of Commerce from 6 to 8 p.m. every Monday starting March 5 through April 9 at the Hallettsville Chamber, 1614 N. Texana St. The registration deadline is March 1.

Carlin Romano points to bookstores as evidence of the U.S.’s wealth of philosophical diversity and openness of discussion.

“Walk into one, and you will find books on every topic, attitude and belief imaginable,” said Romano, an author and professor of philosophy and humanities at Ursinus College of Collegeville, Pa. “We have ready access to books about different cultures, religions, values and political stances. There are so many viewpoints openly available for discussion with no real limits.”

The University of Houston-Victoria was recognized Thursday with seven prestigious ADDY Awards for advertising excellence, including a Gold ADDY for the university’s 2017 website redesign.

The awards were handed out at the American Advertising Federation-Corpus Christi Chapter ADDY Awards event at the Solomon P. Ortiz Center. 

Members of Victoria Preservation Inc. present copies of “Historic Homes of Victoria, Texas” on Feb. 15 to the Victoria College/University of Houston-Victoria Library. Pictured are Helen Walker, left, Victoria Preservation co-chair; Jeff Wright, Victoria Preservation executive director; VC/UHV Library Director Joe Dahlstrom; and Gary Dunnam, Victoria Preservation co-chair. The book features many of the historic homes and buildings in Victoria and will be a great resource for historical research on Victoria, Dahlstrom said. 

UHV students Siara Washington of Houston, left, Miranda Southerland of Katy, August Bordovsky of Wrightsboro and Victoria McLaughlin of La Porte, take part in the Feb. 16 National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors annual convention in Houston. Members from the top two teams were invited to attend the event to speak about the social media platforms and strategies they created for NASPD as part of their “Electronic Marketing” undergraduate class. 

The 2018 University of Houston-Victoria Homecoming Court poses Monday at Jaguar Hall Commons. Pictured are Alec Thompson, left, Olajumoke Awe, Genesis Corona, Faizon Matthews, Lashanta Green, Jacklyn Medina, Victor Nenque and Jesse Gonzales. The Homecoming king and queen will be announced Saturday between games of a UHV baseball doubleheader against Huston-Tillotson at Riverside Stadium. The first game starts at noon.

The University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center’s workshop HR Perspectives: Creating Personal Conduct Policies will take place on March 15 after being canceled in January because of the weather.  

The free workshop will take place from 10 a.m. to noon in the UHV SBDC offices in Laurent Tower, 1908 N. Laurent St., Suite 400. The registration deadline is March 14.

The University of Houston-Victoria is bringing a Texas A&M education professor to Katy to talk about why English as a Second Language teachers are leaving the teaching profession.

The UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development’s spring symposium, “Beginning and Leaving Teaching: Texas Teachers’ Experiences,” will begin at 2:30 p.m. March 8 in the UHV Katy Multi-Purpose Room, 2002 W. Grand Parkway N., Building 2. The presenter will be Cheryl Craig, a professor and the Houston Endowment Endowed Chair in Urban Education in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture in the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University. 

Crossroads entrepreneurs can get clear guidance on developing their business and personal brand thanks to a new workshop from the University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center.

Branding Yourself is a free, two-hour workshop hosted by the UHV SBDC. The workshop will be from 10 a.m. to noon March 22 in the UHV SBDC, 1908 N. Laurent St., Suite 400. Terri Kurtz, Victoria College executive director of human resources, will be the presenter.

When she was growing up on her family’s cattle ranch and crop farm in Missouri, Debra Di Blasi saw firsthand how events in the natural landscape affect manmade systems.

“We tend to think of stories in terms of human characters – protagonists and antagonists, primary, secondary and peripheral roles in narratives that focus on people interacting with each other," Di Blasi said. 

The University of Houston-Victoria recently welcomed retired university faculty, staff and their guests to a Homecoming luncheon, including a couple whose service to the university has impacted the lives of education students.  

Roy and Ileen Foley taught in what was then UHV’s School of Education & Human Development. Roy was a professor who taught science education, classroom teaching skills and educational research. Ileen was an adjunct faculty member and taught curriculum and instruction as well as educational research.

UHV alumna Tenna Thompson receives the 2018 UHV Distinguished Alumna Award and Ben Zeller receives the 2018 UHV Young Alumnus of the Year award at the UHV Alumni Banquet.

Running for Homecoming queen was a fun opportunity for Genesis Corona to get involved at University of Houston-Victoria and enhance her experience while studying to receive her college degree.

“I thought why not get involved as much as I can while I have the opportunity,” said Corona, a psychology major from San Antonio. “I was pretty good friends with several of the women, so I thought it also would be fun to get to know the rest of the Homecoming Court.”   

The University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center is bringing back a two-day session of its most popular financial literacy course for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Profit Mastery will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 20 and 27 in the Victoria College Emerging Technology Complex, 7403 Lone Tree Road. The fee for the course is $395, which includes lunch and materials. Scholarships are available through the Texas Workforce Commission’s Skills for Small Business Scholarship program.

A University of Houston-Victoria staff member’s interest in writing has led to one of her short stories being featured in a series that creatively explores the many definitions of heroism.

“Invasion of the Brain-scratchers” by UHV Communications Specialist Lauren Emerson provides a fun, amusing approach to heroism in the “Eclectically Heroic,” anthology. In this collection, presenter and editor Fern Brady encourages readers to grab their capes and commence a heroic journey as they travel through the pages of short stories written by Emerson and others. 

The Online Psychology Degrees national website recently recognized one of the University of Houston-Victoria’s graduate special education programs as among the best in the nation.

The UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development’s Master of Education in Special Education with an applied behavior analysis concentration was ranked 17th nationally in the website’s 2018 Top 30 Master’s in Behavioral Analysis Online list. 

The University of Houston-Victoria soon will say goodbye to a staff member who has worked at the university since two years after its founding in 1973.

Joe Ferguson, executive director of UH System Information Technology Shared Services, is retiring starting March 20 after 43 years working at UHV and the UH System. He started as a student worker in the university’s computer center in 1975 and gradually has moved up to be in charge of UHV Information Technology. He has served under all nine of UHV’s presidents and worked directly with four.

The University of Houston-Victoria Athletic Department, in conjunction with Advanced-Online, is pleased to announce the launch of a new online store featuring an array of Jaguar products.

UHV fans, alumni, parents and students now will be able to purchase merchandise such as apparel, hats and bags representing the Jaguars’ brand using the store created by Advanced-Online. 

For the first time, attendees of the Victoria TX Indie Film Festival will have the opportunity to watch three of the festival’s films at the University of Houston-Victoria.

UHV will host two movies on April 6 and a movie on April 7 in the UHV University West Alcorn Auditorium, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. The screenings are part of the film festival, and attendees with festival armbands or VIP passes can view the films for free. UHV students, faculty and staff members can attend any of the films shown on campus for free with their university IDs. Individual tickets are $10 for the public.

Amory Gritta felt intimidated his first day in class at the University of Houston-Victoria until he heard his professor talk about getting another doctorate.

“There wasn’t anyone in the class who was even close to my age,” Gritta said. “I was already starting to think about dropping out, but here’s this man talking about getting a doctorate because ‘why not?’ while I was sweating about starting a bachelor’s degree.”

University of Houston-Victoria students take a break from community cleanup in the Florida Desire Community on Thursday during an Alternative Spring Break trip to New Orleans. Eleven UHV students participated in cleanup efforts from March 11 to Saturday to encourage people to move back to the area.

Held in high regard for his creativity and imagination, William Blake is one of the most well-known visionary poets of the Romantic era, and now community members can learn more about him.

“Unlike most poets, William Blake was not formally educated but was self-taught,” said Charles Alexander, University of Houston-Victoria poet and designer in residence. “Blake was inspired by Shakespeare, Dante and other visionary poets, and created his own sense of personal mythology.”

The University of Houston-Victoria campus security team has a new security cart, pickup truck and other items thanks to a donation from the M.G. and Lillie A. Johnson Foundation.

The foundation recently donated $50,000 to the security team to help with the safety and security needs on campus. A security cart, pickup truck, safety cones and security system were purchased.

Kulsoom Masood can remember every detail about the day she found out she was approved to take part in an exchange program to study in the U.S.

“I was so nervous because it had been three days since other students began to get their acceptance calls,” Masood said. “Then, at 11 a.m., when I was making tea, I started wondering if I had left my phone on silent. I went to the other room to check my phone, and it was on silent, and someone from the education bureau was calling me right then.”

When he was young, Matt Bell embraced imaginative reading but never expected to be a full-time writer with his work featured in the New York Times, and now area residents have a chance to meet him on April 12.

“I write in a combination of genres, including experimental fiction,” Bell said. “One goal is to push the language, to try for new kinds of prose and sentences versus writing in a more straightforward manner. I hope my readers relate to the stories and find them enjoyable.” 

Houston area residents are invited to the University of Houston-Victoria at Katy April 11 to hear a Fulbright visiting scholar from Turkey talk about how teachers can train students to be lifelong learners.

The UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development’s spring symposium, “Self-Regulated Learning: Empowering students to take control of their learning process,” will begin at 4 p.m. in the UHV Katy Multi-Purpose Room, 2002 W. Grand Parkway N., Building 2, on the third floor.

Crossroads residents are invited to experience food, dances, music and more from more than 10 cultures as part of the University of Houston-Victoria’s International Festival.

UHV’s international students plan to share elements of their cultures with the community during the festival from 6 to 8:30 p.m. April 11 in Jaguar Hall Commons, 2705 Houston Highway. The event is free and open to the public. Shuttle buses will be available to transport attendees to and from parking at University West on the main UHV campus.

When Mark Ward Sr. and his wife came to Victoria eight years ago, they decided to treat the move as an adventure.

Ward, a University of Houston-Victoria associate professor of communication, joined the faculty in 2010 as part of the university’s expansion to include freshmen and sophomores.

Todd Dewett, a speaker, author and coach, shares his experiences March 27 about the importance of authenticity in first impressions. He spoke to students, faculty, staff and community members at UHV Katy as part of the university’s School of Business Administration Distinguished Speaker Series. Dewett received his doctorate in management and shares his message with others around the globe. He encourages people to be real and learn to use their mistakes to their advantage.

The University of Houston-Victoria’s Bachelor of Science in criminal justice program recently was recognized by a national ranking website for its affordability and online accessibility.

Top Criminal Justice Schools ranked UHV’s undergraduate criminal justice program 18th in its 2018 Top 50 Best Criminal Justice Online Degree Programs. The website uses a points-based ranking system that factors in tuition, student-to-faculty ratios and national rankings.

The University of Houston-Victoria is hosting its last open house this school year on April 21 for high school seniors and other prospective students to preview the college experience. 

Prospective students, including incoming freshmen, transfer and graduate students, will have the opportunity to see firsthand all that UHV has to offer. This will be the last of three Jaguar Days that UHV is hosting during the 2017-2018 school year. Students will have the ability to register for summer or fall classes during the event, with hands-on assistance from faculty and staff.

The University of Houston-Victoria is preparing to host its popular Math & Robotics Awareness Day on April 24, and area high school students only have until April 10 to register.

In 2017, 216 high school students from eight Crossroads schools and one homeschooler took part in activities that included mathematics and computer science tests, learning sessions and technology demonstrations. This is the 23rd year UHV has put on the event.

Crossroads entrepreneurs and aspiring leaders will get a full day of instruction about the importance of knowing themselves in order to better lead others at the May 4 annual Leadercast Victoria event sponsored by the University of Houston-Victoria.

Leadercast, a worldwide leadership conference in its 18th year, is a full-day live simulcast from Atlanta. This is the seventh year the UHV Small Business Development Center and the School of Business Administration have hosted Leadercast Victoria, which will run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Victoria Emerging Technology Center, 7403 Lone Tree Road.

Three finalists for the position of president of the University of Houston-Victoria will meet with the campus community in upcoming weeks.

The three were chosen among candidates in a nationwide search to succeed President Vic Morgan, who will step down this fall after serving as president of UHV for more than three years.

The University of Houston-Victoria emergency management assistant fire marshal recently graduated from FEMA’s National Emergency Management Basic Academy at the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Md., to support the university in handling emergencies.

A business, invention or idea is valuable property, and the U.S. Small Business Administration and the University of Houston-Victoria are offering a workshop to help entrepreneurs identify and protect intellectual property.

Understanding the Patent and Trademark Processes is a free workshop focusing on the general concepts of intellectual property, how to identify subject matter that should be patented and the patent process itself.

Dozens of artworks made by University of Houston-Victoria students fill a side gallery at the Victoria Art League as part of an April art show that displays pieces students have made during the university’s art classes.

The UHV Student Arts Show features 39 paintings and drawings by 32 students. The show’s last day will be April 21 at the Judy and Jim Fieg Gallery of the Victoria Art League, 905 S. Bridge St. The Art League is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The University of Houston-Victoria’s new University College is taking steps to help undergraduate students succeed by focusing on academic support.

“Our goal is so much more than to just help students reach success,” said Beverly Tomek, UHV associate provost and dean of the University College, which started in the fall. “We want them to go beyond success and truly thrive in their studies and the paths they’ve chosen for their lives and careers. University College is all about helping them find their way and supporting them as they study at UHV.”

The University of Houston-Victoria School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development is now offering a graduate-level dyslexia certificate, and an April 17 information session will give the public an opportunity to learn more about it.

“Polis is This” is considered the greatest film about a poet, portraying the life of the innovative Charles Olson, and community members will have an opportunity to watch it April 27 and learn more about him.

“Unlike most Meet the Poet events, this presentation will feature a screening of the documentary ‘Polis is This’ followed by a discussion about the poet Charles Olson,” said Charles Alexander, University of Houston-Victoria poet and designer in residence. “This film combines imaginative camera sequences and interviews with other writers and poets that help form the life of Charles Olson and the place, or home, he knew.”

A University of Houston-Victoria faculty member is one of the people to thank for spearheading the development of a free and open online U.S. history textbook, now available to students as an affordable alternative to higher-priced textbooks.

“It’s been exciting to see instructors embrace this project and to see academics bridging their scholarship and teaching to benefit their students,” said Joseph Locke, UHV assistant professor of history and co-creator of the textbook. 

Michael Joyce has never been one who thinks he has a specific message in his writing, but he does share with the reader an awareness of how people consider their humanity.

“We are part of a global community, and that can be precarious and transformative,” said Joyce, a professor of English at Vassar College.

The University of Houston-Victoria Women’s Empowerment student organization is working with university faculty members to host an April 24 panel discussion aimed at addressing issues faced by women in today’s society.

Battle of the Sex: The Internalized Issues of Women will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the UHV University North Walker Auditorium, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. The event will feature a panel led by Beverly Tomek, UHV associate provost and dean of the University College. The Women’s Empowerment student organization is scheduled to be officially chartered in May.

When Sarah Bitterly Rutherford was considering her future, she wanted to pursue a degree that would help her get a job working with people.

“I’ve always wanted to work with adults, especially in higher education,” Rutherford said. “I love helping people reach their full potential. I’ve seen firsthand how people can struggle to balance family, full-time work and other issues. But I also know from my own experience that it is possible.”

University of Houston-Victoria students and staff take a break Saturday from volunteering to help build a Golden Crescent Habitat for Humanity home in Victoria during the fourth annual Jags Join In – Day of Service. Thirteen UHV students and staff members participated.

What happens when a Nov. 3 fundraising event allows the University of Houston-Victoria’s mascot and ambitious university president to raise money to rappel down a 12-story office building? A good old-fashioned competition begins.

UHV President Vic Morgan is competing against UHV’s jaguar mascot, jaX, in the Over the Edge event to be the first to raise $1,000. Whoever wins will get to rappel down the 12-story downtown office building, One O’Connor Plaza, ahead of the other.

University of Houston-Victoria head softball coach Lindsey Ortiz was recently recognized by the Victoria Business and Education Coalition for her years as a mentor at Hopkins Elementary School.

When Jasmine Aviles, a Liberty Academy junior, heard the University of Houston-Victoria was offering a camp to learn about aquatic sciences, she decided to follow her love for science and sign up.

“The camp was a good opportunity to learn something new,” the 17-year-old Victoria resident said. “After doing these experiments, I think I want to find a career that will focus on this kind of lab work and the tools we had in the field.”

Sixteen University of Houston-Victoria students from six countries will gather for a special ceremony on May 11 to celebrate their graduation with their friends, family and fellow students.

The UHV International Sash Ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. in the UHV University North Walker Auditorium, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. During the ceremony, graduating students will be presented with sashes featuring the flags of their countries of origin. They will wear these sashes during commencement ceremonies the following day. After the ceremony, a reception will be held with light refreshments. The event is free and open to the public.

When Daniel Moore started classes at the University of Houston-Victoria at Katy as a Global Master of Business Administration student, he wasn’t prepared to balance school work and an oilfield downturn in the company for which he worked.

Though Moore’s job was safe, several of his counterparts were let go, and he was forced to pick up the extra work while balancing family life at home and school. Fortunately, he was able to take both online and face-to-face classes at UHV that helped make his busy life and school goals more realistic.

Students tossed their discarded card pieces in the air Tuesday as they tried out a magic trick that uses mathematics to match the halves without looking at the cards.

“It’s a trick I learned when watching a Penn and Teller show in Las Vegas,” said Ricardo Teixeira, a UHV assistant professor of mathematics. “A lot of card and magic tricks use mathematics, and I like to use those principles to inspire young people and show them how many different ways math can be applied.”

Robert K. (Bob) Glenn has been named the sole finalist to become president of the University of Houston-Victoria. Glenn currently serves as the president of Athens State University in Athens, Alabama.

University of Houston-Victoria School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development curriculum and instruction faculty members and students pose after winning awards at the National Social Science Association conference in March in Las Vegas. Pictured from left are: Teresa LeSage Clements, associate professor; Kameron Kitchen, a graduate student from Corpus Christi; Barba Patton, professor; and Valerie Hang, a graduate student from Houston.

As an involved student leader, Ashley Yaws has had the opportunity to take part in helping establish new traditions at the University of Houston-Victoria, and that spirited leadership also is evident in her role as a first-generation student.

“Going to college and succeeding was something I felt I had to prove to others, not just myself,” she said. “I wanted to show my little brothers and parents that it can be done. Now my brothers can see what I’ve done and are challenged to follow my example.”

The University of Houston-Victoria Jaguar Cheer Team members usually are leading others with cheers and applause, but this time, they were the ones being applauded and encouraged.

The Jaguar Cheer Team was named the Student Organization of the Year on Tuesday during the UHV Student Organization and Leadership Banquet. The organization was founded four years ago by Jacklyn Medina, a senior from San Antonio. Team members cheer on UHV athletics teams as well as participate in and assist with student organization events.

For the first time in the University of Houston-Victoria’s 45-year history, the university has an alma mater.

The school song was revealed during an event Wednesday morning at UHV Pyramid Row. Development of the alma mater started with UHV students, and the process became a collaborative effort between UHV students, faculty, staff and alumni who were part of an alma mater committee.   

A $645,677 National Science Foundation grant recently received by the University of Houston-Victoria has a goal of helping to increase enrollment, retention and graduation of low-income students majoring in mathematics and computer science.

“This is an exciting award intended to improve Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education in our region,” said Jeffrey Di Leo, dean of the UHV School of Arts & Sciences. “The grant will support underrepresented students to help meet the industry demand for STEM professionals and continue that effort by attracting and retaining STEM students in the Victoria area.”

Construction on the University of Houston-Victoria’s new $32 million student center and library passed another milestone Wednesday when a “topping out” ceremony took place, marking the end of foundation and framing work on the building.

“The UHV University Commons is going to be one of the most beautiful buildings on campus, and we are ready for it to open for our students,” UHV President Vic Morgan said during the ceremony.

For the first time in the University of Houston-Victoria’s history, a team of business graduate students has ranked in the weekly Top 100 of the Global Business Simulation competition four times during the eight-week program.

An international honor society recently welcomed 18 University of Houston-Victoria students to its local chapter and acknowledged their academic excellence during a special ceremony.

The Phi Kappa Phi UHV chapter induction ceremony announced eight new members. Fifteen family and friends also were present at the April 11 ceremony. Members who were unable to attend will receive their certificates by mail.

Three University of Houston-Victoria faculty members from the fields of philosophy, communication and counseling recently were recognized for their efforts to help students and the university through teaching, research and service.

The faculty members are selected by their colleagues and students each spring for the prestigious awards. 

Rohanna Pacheco has fond memories of watching baseball with her father when she was growing up in Venezuela, so getting the chance to work for a Major League Baseball club was a dream come true.

“As soon as I saw the information, I knew I had to apply,” Pacheco said. “It was so exciting to go through the application and interview process. I never would have known it was a possibility if I hadn’t gone to speak with Career Services.”

Close to 385 University of Houston-Victoria students are expected to participate in two commencement ceremonies on Saturday, listen to words of wisdom, and sing the university’s new alma mater for the first time during graduation.

UHV will hold spring commencement Saturday at Faith Family Church, 2002 E. Mockingbird Lane. The 9 a.m. ceremony will be for graduates of the schools of Arts & Sciences and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. The 1 p.m. ceremony will be for graduates of the School of Business Administration. 

“I look forward to being part of the students’ special day as they cross the stage to receive their diplomas,” UHV President Vic Morgan said.

The winning team at the 34th University of Houston-Victoria Bachelor of Business Administration Case Conference learned more than they ever thought they would know about Cinemark and the movie theater industry.

Patrice Capone and Arnela Mujezin of Houston, and Shana Sellew and Priscila DeLeon of Richmond set out to learn as much as they could about the company for their conference analysis.

When Jay Lambert was told he was going to receive an award from a national association for being an outstanding and inspirational leader, it was a welcome surprise.

Lambert, the University of Houston-Victoria vice president for student affairs, received the NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education’s John Jones Award for Outstanding Performance as a Senior Student Affairs Officer for Region III, which includes Texas and most of the southeastern U.S. Lambert will receive his award during the NASPA Region III Summer Symposium awards banquet on June 11.

Cameron Buchhorn and Bella Zeplin carefully examined each element of a diagram displayed on their computer on May 8 in a University of Houston-Victoria computer lab.

The Victoria West High School freshmen were working together to create a program that would tell a robot to use its sensors to follow a solid black line. Cameron and Bella were two of 12 high school students who participated in after-school robotics courses hosted by UHV and funded by a grant from Alcoa Foundation.

When Deshavian Williams transferred to the University of Houston-Victoria from Wharton Junior College as a junior, he leapt at the chance to join the UHV Student Government Association.

Now, the senior general business and marketing major has been elected as the new Student Government Association president and will start his term of office on June 4.

“I’ve been involved in student government groups for years, including when I was in junior college, and every position has increased my level of commitment,” Williams said. “I feel like my prior experience has given me the confidence to serve as the UHV student body president, and I look forward to seeing how much of a difference I can make.”

When Stuart Sherman recently was singing during a church service, he wasn’t expecting to perform CPR and save a life that day or receive an award for it.

Sherman, the University of Houston-Victoria assistant fire marshal-emergency manager and appointed police officer for the University of Houston Police Department, received a 2018 Lifesaving Award on May 7 at the UH Police Department’s Badge Pinning Ceremony at the Rockwell Pavilion for performing CPR April 22 on a church praise team member who collapsed during service. Sherman, who formerly was a paramedic, was able to resuscitate the woman and save her life.

University of Houston-Victoria honors student Ashley Nanton, of LaVernia, gives her presentation “Gravitational Effects on Measurements of Arterial Stiffness” during the university’s biannual Honors Colloquium earlier this month. The Honors Program gives students opportunities to work closely with UHV faculty, and the Honors Colloquium allows them to discuss their research publicly. 

The University of Houston-Victoria is hosting a free summer camp that will explore humanity’s impact on aquatic ecosystems.

The Aquatic Science Summer Camp will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 11 and 18 in the UHV University Center, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. The camp is funded by a grant from the Trull Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The NAIA-Athletics Directors Association is excited to announce the election of Ashley Walyuchow, Director of Athletics at the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV), to the 3rd Vice-President position for the 2018-19 membership year.

Walyuchow has served as a NAIA-ADA board member for the past three years.

The University of Houston-Victoria’s Specialist in School Psychology degree recently was named one of the top 30 programs in the nation for its affordability, accessibility and emphasis on learning through practical experience.

The national Online Psychology Degrees website ranked the UHV School of Arts & Science’s Specialist in School Psychology 21st in its list of Top 30 Online Master’s Degrees in Educational Psychology Online 2018. 

For the third year in a row, the University of Houston-Victoria has been named Best College in Katy by Katy Times readers.

“Receiving this recognition for the third year in a row is a great honor,” UHV President Vic Morgan said. “UHV takes its commitment to the community seriously, and we are grateful for their acknowledgement of our efforts.”

About 6,000 Katy Times readers took part in the Best of Katy voting process. Readers filled in ballots that were sent out in their newspapers and mailed their votes back to be tallied for the 2018 All the Best special section, which will be published Thursday.

The University of Houston-Victoria’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing is now nationally accredited after a rigorous review of the program.

UHV received an official letter on May 29 from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accrediting its baccalaureate degree program in nursing.

University of Houston-Victoria and community leaders broke ground Tuesday with ceremonial shovels to signify the beginning of construction on a new student residence hall named after the university’s provost emeritus and his wife.

The University of Houston-Victoria’s graduate forensic psychology program recently was recognized on two lists from a national website for its affordability and academic excellence.

The national College Choice website ranked the UHV School of Arts & Sciences Master of Arts in forensic psychology second on its Most Affordable Online Master’s in Forensic Psychology Degrees list and 10th on its Best Online Master’s in Forensic Psychology Degrees list.

The University of Houston-Victoria has released the names of undergraduate students who made its Spring 2018 President’s List and Deans’ List.

The President’s List honors undergraduates who earn a 4.0 grade-point average on all work completed during the fall semester. To qualify for the Deans’ List, undergraduates must earn at least a 3.5 grade-point average.

When Amanda Beck first started her student teaching in a pre-K class, she felt overwhelmed and reached out to her University of Houston-Victoria professor for support.

“I kept telling her, ‘I can’t do this,’ but she just kept saying, ‘Yes, you can,’” said Beck, a UHV alumna and fourth-grade teacher. “That opportunity to experience a real classroom and find a way to succeed while working with difficult students has made such a difference in my teaching now.”

Crossroads residents can now get free tickets to a Fourth of July collegiate league all-star baseball game sponsored by the University of Houston-Victoria. 

The Texas Collegiate League All-Star Game will take place at Riverside Stadium inside Riverside Park. At 6:05 p.m., the league will hold a home run derby, and the game will begin at 7:05 p.m. Admission is free with an advance ticket. A limited number of free tickets are available on a first come, first served basis.

The University of Houston-Victoria has awarded 424 degrees to undergraduate and graduate students who completed their coursework during the spring semester.

The University of Houston-Victoria School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development recently presented awards to three assistant professors and one staff member for distinction in teaching, scholarship and service.

When Avery Krohn of Victoria applied to attend the University of Houston-Victoria in the fall semester, she was worried about how she would pay for classes, but then she was awarded the UHV Presidential Scholarship.

“It was like this huge weight of worry turning into relief,” the incoming freshman biology major said. “It’s going to significantly reduce my financial burden, which will let me focus more on classes instead of worrying about how I’m going to make my tuition payments.”

The University of Houston-Victoria School of Business Administration is streamlining its Global and Strategic Master of Business Administration degrees this fall to accommodate students’ changing lifestyles and better prepare them to compete in the business world.

“The School of Business Administration is committed to meeting the needs of our students by offering affordable, quality programs and being responsive to changes in the marketplace,” said James Jordan-Wagner, the school’s interim dean.

Area high school students watch a student’s robot navigate a maze after using its sensors to follow a black line across the floor in the University of Houston-Victoria’s robotics lab. Ten students from Calhoun, Edna, Industrial, Palacios, St. Joseph and Victoria West high schools attended UHV’s Robotics Summer Camp from June 25 to 29.

The Victoria College/University of Houston-Victoria Library will host an Aug. 3 workshop to help area organizations learn how to write effective grant proposals and find funding.

“The grant application process can be intimidating for those trying to find funding for their organizations,” said Jaena Manson, instruction and outreach librarian for the VC/UHV Library. 

A new workshop hosted by the University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center will help area entrepreneurs learn how to reduce waste in their businesses and operate efficiently.

Intro to Lean Operations will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. on July 27 in the UHV University North Multi-Purpose Room, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. 

A University of Houston-Victoria faculty member recently received a prestigious John W. Kluge Center fellowship at the U.S. Library of Congress, allowing him to have better access to original sources for his research about the Spanish language in the Caribbean.

Armando Chavez-Rivera, a UHV associate professor of Spanish and director of the university’s Spanish program, will begin his 11-month fellowship in Washington, D.C., the first week of August. 

Area high school students, University of Houston-Victoria student assistants and Ricardo Teixeira, a UHV assistant professor of math and director of the university’s math program, hold some of the items used during UHV’s Math Summer Camp. Nine high school students from Calhoun, St. Joseph, Sacred Heart, Victoria West and Woodsboro high schools attended the camp from July 10 to 13. 

The University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center is offering its first advanced version of QuickBooks workshop series to aid Crossroads entrepreneurs with their bookkeeping skills and help them learn more about the accounting software.

“The advanced course is taking the most popular sections of our basic QuickBooks series, such as customer invoicing or payroll management, and doing a focused training on each of them,” UHV SBDC Director Joe Humphreys said. 

The University of Houston-Victoria recently was included in the Guide to Online Schools’ list of 92 colleges and universities that help their students achieve upward economic mobility through higher education.

Guide to Online Schools compiled its 2018 Best Online Colleges for Student Economic Mobility list by looking at students’ economic mobility rates, starting salaries and Pell Grant rates. 

The University of Houston-Victoria International Programs Office is partnering with a Victoria internist and Marble Slab Creamery to host a dinner and South Asian music performance by a group that has performed at the White House and been featured on National Public Radio and in the Huffington Post.

Riyaaz Qawwali, a Houston-based musical ensemble, will perform at 6 p.m. Aug. 18 in the UHV University North Walker Auditorium, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St.

A $100,000 Rebuild Texas Fund grant will aid University of Houston-Victoria students still dealing with the aftereffects of Hurricane Harvey.

“We appreciate having a partner that will assist UHV students who are still struggling financially after Hurricane Harvey,” UHV President Vic Morgan said. “With this grant, our goal is to help them continue their higher education dreams.”

For the sixth consecutive year, the University of Houston-Victoria has been recognized for its work by the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) and NAIA Sports Information Directors Association (NAIA-SID).

Competitive, statewide $1,000 scholarships from the Texas Council of Teachers of Mathematics recently were awarded to University of Houston-Victoria education students Gabrielle Garza and Emmelynn Junek.

Junek and Garza each received $1,000 Preservice Teacher Scholarships from the council. Only six students from Texas were awarded the scholarships.

The University of Houston-Victoria/American Book Review Reading Series is bringing five talented authors to Victoria this fall, including an internationally known artist, a journalist born and raised in India, a contributor to major magazines, a Pushcart Prize winner and a cross-genre writer.

Area residents now have access to a collection of 2,500 books donated to the University of Houston-Victoria in memory of San Antonio writer and professor Terry Caesar.

Caesar’s $25,000 book collection was donated by his wife, Eva Bueno, professor of Spanish and Portuguese at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Caesar, who was an avid writer and educator, passed away on Feb. 19. He spent his life teaching American literature to college students, traveling, and writing books, essays and reviews.

The University of Houston-Victoria recently was recognized by a national website as one of the top five best universities in Texas for nontraditional students and one of the top 15 percent nationally.

College Factual compares all universities in the U.S. using several criteria. Among Texas schools, UHV was ranked fifth behind Texas A&M University-College Station, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Texas A&M University-Texarkana and Sam Houston State University. 

The University of Houston-Victoria has begun raising funds to create the Dr. Li Chao Memorial Scholarship Endowment to honor the memory of a faculty member who made a lasting impact on the university and the lives of many of its students.

Chao joined the UHV faculty in the fall of 1995 as an assistant professor of mathematics and computer science. He was promoted to associate professor in 2001 and professor in 2007. When he was promoted to full professor, he had taught 48 undergraduate and graduate courses in computer science, mathematics and statistics, and he received almost perfect student evaluations from every one. Chao passed away in November.

Carol Klages, right, a University of Houston-Victoria associate professor of Education and a dyslexia specialist, receives her certified dyslexia therapist license July 27 from Mary-Margaret Scholtens, president of the Apple Group, at the group’s headquarters in Jonesboro, Ark. The program prepares educators to become dyslexia specialists and therapists, and teach reading to students with dyslexia. 

When Jeffrey Cass steps into his role as the next University of Houston-Victoria Faculty Senate president, he plans to focus on helping the university and its new president pave a pathway for success for UHV and the community.

“It is essential to build a strong foundation that will continue driving the university forward in its next phase,” said Cass, a UHV English professor. “As the senate’s president, I will be committed to serving our faculty, the university and its new president, Robert Glenn, as this will be an important year for us.”

The University of Houston-Victoria recently received a gift of 65 acres of land, valued at $820,000, the largest donation ever made in support of UHV Athletics and the second-largest in university history.

“Last fall, the Bennett-Wood family expressed interest in making this very special gift to the university, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the family for their generosity,” said Vic Morgan, who recently retired as UHV’s ninth president. “I appreciate the family for this amazing contribution and realtor Lee Swearingen for helping us throughout the process. This is a major milestone for UHV.”

The University of Houston-Victoria was recently given a gift of 65 acres of land, which will be utilized for expansion of athletics at the university. The gift is the largest donation made in support of UHV athletics.

University of Houston-Victoria students and community members will have the opportunity to search for employment while Victoria area companies can recruit employees at the university’s annual Part-Time Job Fair.

The Part-Time Job Fair will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Aug. 29 in the UHV University North Multi-Purpose Room. The event is free for students and community members to attend, and employers can register at no cost until the end of the day Aug. 20. 

The University of Houston-Victoria is offering art classes on Saturdays this fall, and members of the community are encouraged to sign up.

“The Victoria community shows a clear appreciation of the arts, and UHV wants to encourage that,” said Jeffrey Di Leo, dean of the UHV School of Arts & Sciences. “These Saturday courses will allow our students more time to focus on their art studies while also offering them a chance to interact with community members who share their love of art.”

The art courses will be “Intro to Drawing” from 9-11:45 a.m. and “Intro to Painting” from 1-3:45 p.m. They will be taught by UHV art instructor Sylvia Benitez. 

A Hurricane Katrina survivor from New Orleans, Nicole Eugene accepted a position at the University of Houston-Victoria just in time to watch another massive storm tear through her new city.

Hurricane Harvey threw the start date for the soon-to-be assistant professor of communication into question and left her wondering what she would return to after evacuating Victoria to her sister’s home in Rosenberg.

“Because I started during Harvey, it was a weird start,” Eugene said. “It wasn’t what normally would happen like, ‘Let's introduce this new person to what it’s like to be here.’ That wasn’t happening because school started late.”

Dmitri Sobolev, left, a UHV associate professor of biology, explains how to measure out a treated water sample on Saturday to middle and high school students during the Aug. 11 and 18 UHV Aquatic Sciences Summer Camp. On the first day, students collected water samples from the Tres Palacios River, and they tested the treated water samples for oxygen saturation on the second day.

For Camilla Sutton, the decision to serve on the University of Houston-Victoria Staff Council stemmed from a lifelong passion to work in higher education, and to serve and lead others.

Sutton, assistant director of UHV Residence Life, is the UHV Staff Council chair for 2018-2019 after also serving in that position in 2017-2018. As chair, she represents the university’s staff on the UHV President’s Cabinet.

Eight University of Houston-Victoria faculty members are being promoted Sept. 1, with four receiving tenure and three becoming full professors.

Eleven University of Houston-Victoria School of Business Administration students got an up-close look at the history and culture of China and their impact on business strategies as part of a study abroad trip this summer.

“China is a country rich in culture that represents the morals and values of its people and is also a country with a big potential for businesses,” said Elizabeth Estrada, a Victoria resident and UHV sophomore majoring in accounting. “I believe that to understand another culture, it is essential to experience it firsthand, and visiting China gave me that opportunity.”

The University of Houston-Victoria School of Business Administration recently was recognized by national website Online MBA Today for offering one of the top 10 online Master of Business Administration degrees in Texas, thanks to factors including affordability, accreditation and prestige.

UHV was ranked 10th on the website’s Top Online MBA Programs in Texas list. Twenty-five universities were included on the list.

The University of Houston-Victoria was one of 171 NAIA institutions to be named a NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Institution for the 2017-18 academic year on Thursday.

Institutions are measured on a demonstrated commitment to the NAIA Champions of Character program and earn points in character training, conduct in competitions and academic focus, along with character recognition and promotion. Institutions also earn points based on exceptional student-athlete grade point averages and obtaining zero ejections during competitions throughout the course of the year.

The University of Houston-Victoria is adding a Joint Admission Medical Program effective this semester to promote admission to medical school for economically needy students.

“I think the program is going to get students who may not have the opportunity to go to medical school the drive and support they’ll need to get there during their undergraduate program,” said Michael Wiblishauser, assistant professor of health studies and coordinator of the program. “We hope to locate students, encourage and build confidence in them and give them the tools to be successful here, in graduate school and later in life.”

When Susannah Porr was invited to join the University of Houston-Victoria President’s Regional Advisory Board, she was eager to get involved with the university that already had impacted her family members’ lives.

Porr is the executive director of the National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors, a nonprofit group based in Victoria that focuses on legislative and economic issues that impact the steel industry. Her son, Liam, also has attended robotics courses for high school students at the university and penned two research papers about artificial intelligence that will be presented in November in Las Vegas.

Mark Amerika has watched technology make the transition from isolated uses into the almost countless uses that touch every part of people’s lives.

“I was on the internet starting in 1992,” author and artist Amerika said. “So, I have seen the world change over time with how everyone uses the online media culture to personally express themselves. The good news is that anyone can use it any time. The bad news is that it can become addictive and too self- or ‘selfie’-absorbing.”

Amerika is the first speaker in the fall University of Houston-Victoria/American Book Review Reading Series. His reading will begin at 11 a.m. Sept. 13 in the UHV University West Alcorn Auditorium, 3007 N.

The University of Houston-Victoria’s graduate special education program has been named one of the most affordable in the nation by the national website Top Education Degrees.

The website ranked the UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development’s Master of Education in special education program 23rd in its 50 Most Affordable Online Masters in Special Education Degree Programs 2018 list.

This year is Alexis Wallace’s third time experiencing the University of Houston-Victoria’s Welcome Week activities, and now that she’s helping at the events, she enjoys it just as much as the first time.

“These events encourage new students to come out of their rooms, get involved and have some fun,” said Wallace, an Austin junior. “Every new class that comes in is starting to get more involved, and I love it.”

After a successful launch in 2017, the University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center will present its second annual Leadercast Women to motivate and enlighten attendees.

Leadercast Women, a live, worldwide leadership conference, will be broadcast from Atlanta on Oct. 12. The conference will feature nine speakers from all walks of life who will share how they hone their leadership skills and styles. The Victoria simulcast will be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Victoria College Emerging Technology Center, 7403 Lone Tree Road.

Preliminary enrollment figures show more graduate and international students attending the University of Houston-Victoria this fall than the previous year as well as an increase in the amount of semester credit hours taken.

As of Wednesday, UHV has 4,424 total students enrolled, an increase of 1.7 percent over final enrollment last fall.

The University of Houston-Victoria is planning to offer a computer science summer camp for middle school girls for the first time in addition to continuing its popular mathematics, robotics and computer science classes, camps and events thanks to a $30,000 grant from Alcoa Foundation.

Three University of Houston-Victoria Student Affairs administrators have taken on volunteer leadership roles in national and statewide associations that support the growth and advancement of student affairs professionals.

The University of Houston Foundation recently received a $35,000 grant from the American Red Cross to support the University of Houston-Victoria Relief Fund to help students still recovering a year after Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas Gulf Coast.

The UHV Relief Fund was created in fall 2017 to help UHV students recoup some of the losses they experienced during the hurricane. The grant from the American Red Cross will be the fourth major grant contributing to the fund.

The University of Houston-Victoria recently received a $100,000 grant from the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation to fund scholarships for students who are the first in their families to attend college.

“We are deeply grateful to the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation for this generous commitment, which continues the family’s legacy of support for higher education in Victoria,” said Jesse Pisors, UHV vice president for advancement and external relations. “It’s hard to fathom the scale of good that the foundation does across Texas and how it has affected positive change for individuals and communities. We’re encouraged and honored by the foundation’s continued support.”

Ricardo Teixeira, standing right, a UHV assistant professor of mathematics, shows fourth- and fifth-grade Dudley Elementary School students attending the school’s Sept. 20 Math and Magic Club how to do a card trick using mathematics to predict which card is pulled from the deck. Teixeira is spending the school year teaching the students about the mathematics used in magic tricks and helping them prepare for the University Interscholastic League mathematics competition in the spring.

The University of Houston-Victoria’s One For All, All For One employee giving campaign has record-breaking participation across the university for the second year in a row.

From Sept. 1, 2017, to Aug. 31, UHV saw 203 employees, about 48 percent of the university’s full-time employees, participate in the annual giving campaign. Through the 2017-2018 campaign, employees donated more than $54,000 to the university.

The University of Houston-Victoria is preparing to welcome graduating high school seniors, possible transfer students and community members taking part in the university’s upcoming Jaguar Day.

The come-and-go event will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 13 beginning in Jaguar Hall, 2705 Houston Highway. Check-in for the free event will be in Jaguar Hall, Room 1128, and students who preregister will receive a free T-shirt.

Sara Weinstein, left, a UHV Student Life coordinator, helps UHV students register to vote Tuesday on National Voter Registration Day. Thirty-five UHV students registered to vote in Victoria County or took a mail-in form to register for their hometown counties. In addition, 110 students registered Sept. 17 on National Constitution Day.

Former University of Houston-Victoria President Vic Morgan is in the lead against jaX, the university’s jaguar mascot, to try to raise $1,000 first to rappel down a 12-story office building in downtown Victoria.

Whoever wins will get to rappel down One O’Connor Plaza ahead of the other during the Nov. 3 Over the Edge Victoria fundraiser. All funds will benefit three Victoria nonprofit organizations: the Hispanic Council of Victoria, Challenged Athletes Dream Complex, and Victoria Business and Education Coalition.

A former South Carolina business school dean, venture capitalist and U.S. Navy veteran is serving as dean of the University of Houston-Victoria School of Business Administration through fall 2020.

Charles Stowe started in the position Oct. 1, replacing James Jordan-Wagner, who served as the dean under a one-year contract and retired at the end of August.

“Dr. Stowe has extensive experience in higher education and will be valuable in providing insight and strengthening the UHV School of Business Administration,” UHV President Bob Glenn said.

Amitava Kumar doesn’t have to look far to find inspiration for his writing. He finds fascination in the everyday stories of people living their lives.

“At Vassar College in New York, I teach a writing course called ‘These American Lives,’ and I try to help my students see that a seemingly ordinary life offers much to inspire,” Kumar said. “In truth, reality itself often is shocking enough without needing to fictionalize much.”

Kumar will be the next author to speak in the fall University of Houston-Victoria/American Book Review Reading Series. His reading will begin at 11 a.m. Oct. 11 in the UHV University West Alcorn Auditorium, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. 

This year’s free Martín De León Symposium on the Humanities will focus on Mexican Americans and the culture of their food on Oct. 13 at the University of Houston-Victoria.

The symposium’s theme is “Comida, Café, y Cultura,” meaning food, coffee and Mexican American culture. It will focus on the importance of food and drink in Mexican American culture and what it means to people. The 32nd annual symposium will begin at 10 a.m. in the UHV University West Alcorn Auditorium, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. The event is open to the public.

The University of Houston-Victoria is gearing up to welcome students’ families to campus for its annual Family Weekend on Oct. 5 and 6 featuring a magic show and a picnic on campus with games.

“Family Weekend is an important event because we want our students’ families to feel like they are part of UHV’s family,” said Sara Weinstein, a UHV Student Life coordinator. “They’ll have the opportunity to see the campus and meet the faculty and staff members their students interact with every day while also getting to learn what their students like most about the university.”

Barba Patton, a University of Houston-Victoria professor of education in the UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development, presents a paper in June during the 2018 Canadian International Conference on Education in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Patton recently received a $2,000 Learning & Leadership Grant from the NEA Foundation to help pay for travel to the 2019 conference, where she will continue a project that was started during the 2018 event. 

The University of Houston-Victoria’s graduate business degree in economic development and entrepreneurship recently was ranked fourth in the nation for its affordability and accreditation.

The national website Grad School Hub placed the UHV School of Business Administration’s Master of Science in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship in its 2018 10 Most Affordable Master’s in Entrepreneurship Online list.

When Nikki Felcman, human resources coordinator for Regional Steel Products Inc., was sending in nominations for the 2018 Leadership Excellence and Development awards, she knew Chad Hall, the company’s general manager and a University of Houston-Victoria alumnus, deserved to be nominated.

“Chad works hard to manage Regional Steel’s operation and quality control every day,” Felcman said. “It’s largely through his efforts and leadership that the company has been recognized three years in a row.”

Hall and Victoria-based Regional Steel Products Inc. were honored at the Leadership Excellence and Development 2018 conference awards in February in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Andrew Teoh, left, the 2018-2019 University of Houston System student regent, sits Friday with Deshavian Williams, the 2018-2019 UHV Student Government Association president, during a visit to UHV’s campus. Teoh is a UH senior double majoring in accounting and finance. During his visit, Teoh toured the university’s campus and residence halls, and had lunch with UHV administrators.

As of Oct. 12, the University of Houston-Victoria has distributed about $6.5 million for the fall semester in financial aid through scholarships, grants and work study programs.

“UHV is proud to be able to offer our students support through a variety of financial aid options,” said David Cockrum, UHV interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We serve students from across the economic spectrum, and the university’s staff works hard to make sure every student has the opportunity to receive aid.”

The University of Houston-Victoria recently received two grants from the International Youth Foundation to create programs that will bring international experiences and information about how to prepare for the future to rural South Texas communities.

The foundation awarded UHV $33,504 to host International Festival events in Karnes City and Cotulla for high school students. The second award of $38,501 will be used to create a breakfast outreach program in 10 schools in DeWitt, Karnes and LaSalle counties.

The University of Houston-Victoria’s online Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree scored significantly higher on graduate satisfaction levels in a national standardized student exit assessment of 277 similar programs with UHV graduates’ overall program satisfaction averaging 92.7 percent. 

The assessment, provided through Skyfactor Benchmarks, was given to students of online RN to BSN programs in the last few weeks before they graduated during the 2017-2018 academic year. 

The fundraising numbers are in, and the University of Houston-Victoria received a record amount of almost $2 million in 2017-2018 contributions, as well as all-time-high contribution rates in several categories.

The 2018 fiscal year saw a total of $1,995,108 in private contributions to the university through a variety of sources, including grants from foundations, business and corporation contributions, employee giving, alumni donations, community member donors and a gift of land in support of UHV Athletics. The total number of unique donors was a new record of 1,127 across all donor categories. 

Former University of Houston-Victoria men’s soccer player Brian Foulger has been named the 2018 Red River Athletic Conference recipient of the NAIA Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award.

The award honors outstanding student-athletes for their academics, athletics, leadership and dedication to living the core values of the NAIA Champions of Character program.

University of Houston-Victoria faculty members will be the featured authors for the first time in the next UHV/American Book Review Reading Series presentation.

Author Carina Chocano originally was scheduled to speak Thursday but could not attend for health reasons. University administrators hope to have her come at a later date.

Thursday's event will feature works by Diana López, a UHV associate professor of creative writing; Anthony Madrid, an assistant professor of 20th century literature and director of the Master of Fine Arts in creative writing program; and Saba Razvi, an assistant professor of English and creative writing. The readings will be from 11 a.m. to noon in the UHV University West

The University of Houston-Victoria has started awarding full tuition scholarships paid through a $645,677 grant from the National Science Foundation. 

The first Improving Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education in a Rural Area scholarships were awarded to Zion Walker, a freshman from Crosby, and Jahdiel Evans, a junior from Aransas Pass, who both are pursuing Bachelor of Science in computer science degrees with concentrations in digital gaming and simulation. 

A national higher education publication recently listed the University of Houston-Victoria as the 12th-fastest growing U.S. public master’s university from 2006 to 2016.

This is the third time the university has made the same list in the Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual almanac, including in the 2012-2013 and 2015-2016 almanacs.

The university grew from an enrollment of 2,653 students in the fall of 2006 to 4,384 in the fall of 2016, an increase of 65.3 percent. The average overall enrollment increase for the 262 institutions in the same category was 8.8 percent, according to the 2018-2019 almanac.

Saba Razvi, left, University of Houston-Victoria assistant professor of English and creative writing; Diana Lopez, center, UHV associate professor of creative writing; and Anthony Madrid, assistant professor of 20th century literature and director of the Master of Fine Arts in creative writing program, pose Thursday in front of a poster advertising their UHV/American Book Review Reading Series presentations. The event featured readings from the authors, including a display of their works. 

The University of Houston-Victoria’s undergraduate business concentration in supply chain management recently was listed among the top 25 online programs in the nation by the website GuidetoOnlineSchools.com based on its affordability and the median salary of graduates.

The UHV School of Business Administration’s Bachelor of Business Administration in general business with a supply chain management concentration was ranked 11th on the website’s Best Online Colleges for a Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management 2019 list. 

When Don Lee was in college, he originally planned to study mechanical engineering and oceanography so he could build and pilot submersibles, but an elective creative writing course changed everything.

“I found myself bored silly with all of the prerequisite classes for my major,” said the next author in the fall University of Houston-Victoria/American Book Review Reading Series. “I used to read a lot of science fiction and mysteries in high school, and decided to take this creative writing course. That was it. I found my comrades and my true passion.”

Eliza Dodds of Victoria, left, shows Shiner resident Katelynn Leist, middle, and Emily Cantu of Corpus Christi how to create a visual aid Saturday as part of a math and science lesson presentation during the Victoria Crossroad Council for Mathematics/Science Educators Conference hosted by the UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development. 

When Jeffrey Di Leo, dean of the University of Houston-Victoria School of Arts & Sciences, set out to put together a book about debt and its impact on society, he chose to pursue the topic through the perspectives of public intellectuals and cultural critics instead of the typical economists’ viewpoint.

“The publisher saw the uniqueness of this perspective because this was not a book about crunching numbers,” Di Leo said. “This book is made up of essays written by authors who took a critical look at how the regime of debt is impacting society and who offered various ways to dismantle it. There aren’t many books out there that encourage this kind of conversation.”

University and community leaders gathered Tuesday evening to celebrate the 2017-2018 University of Houston-Victoria President’s Annual Report & Excellence Awards, including the presentation of awards to a former regent, a family that has donated land to support UHV Athletics and others.

More than 230 people came to Spring Creek Place Event Center for the presentation that highlighted the university’s accomplishments and community involvement during the 2018 fiscal year.

The largest donation in the history of the University of Houston-Victoria made this month will allow the university to enhance its health career education offerings for students.

The $1.5 million gift from the M.G. & Lillie A. Johnson Foundation was made on the 30-year anniversary of the foundation’s first gift to the university. 

“We are extremely grateful to the Johnson Foundation for this remarkable gift,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “Higher education is so important, and using these funds to build-out health-related labs and equip them for our students is critical for the success of the next generation of health professionals.” 

Community and University of Houston-Victoria leaders broke ground Friday with golden ceremonial shovels to signify the beginning of construction on the university’s new 58,464-square-foot Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics building.

“This new STEM building will vastly improve our ability to offer additional science programs and allow our students ready employment in the Coastal Bend,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “We are fortunate to have strong industries in this region with a need for scientists and engineers. We want to provide these exceptional companies with the employees they need, which also will help ensure the prosperity of our region for years to come.”

Joseph Locke, a University of Houston-Victoria assistant professor of history, recently received a $5,000 grant to further his work creating cost-free educational resources and a $500 award for an article published earlier this year.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board awarded Locke a $5,000 Open Educational Resources Grant to finance his work developing high-quality, cost-free resources for the classroom. In addition, the Western Historical Association gave him the Oscar O. Winther Award for an article published in the Western Historical Quarterly during the summer.

Victoria community members will have the opportunity to learn about how the human brain works and what they can do to better manage their thoughts, emotions, behavior and relationships at a presentation hosted at the University of Houston-Victoria.

The UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development Fall Symposium will feature “Managing Your Crazy Self,” a presentation intended to help people take the crazy out of their lives. 

When University of Houston-Victoria President Bob Glenn started his new job in August, he saw a need for more communication between administrators and faculty, staff, students and the community. He came up with the idea to start a blog.

“I want people to know that they can interact with their university’s president and share their ideas and thoughts,” Glenn said. “UHV has amazing community support and outstanding faculty and staff. I’m hoping this blog will help them feel more connected and give them a platform.” 

KATY – University of Houston-Victoria alumna Christine Hollinden, founding principal of Hollinden | marketers + strategists in Houston, will deliver the keynote address during the university’s Dec. 15 fall commencement ceremony.

Commencement will begin at 11 a.m. at the Leonard E. Merrell Center, 6301 S. Stadium Lane in Katy.

For the past 25 years, Hollinden has been passionate about helping professional services firms distinguish themselves from the pack. Her enthusiastic, forward-thinking approach has earned her industry recognition and status as a strategist and speaker on a variety of marketing and social media topics.

The third annual University of Houston-Victoria Giving Tuesday is expected to be bigger and better than ever this year with a local business offering a match for donations.

KMH Wealth Management LLC, owned by Lane and Phyllis Keller and Kyle Noack, agreed to donate $5,000 if the fundraiser generates 150 or more donors on UHV Giving Tuesday. Lane is a member of the UHV President’s Regional Advisory Board, and Phyllis is a UHV alumna.

The University of Houston-Victoria’s Master of Education in adult & higher education recently received a ranking from a national website for the program’s academic quality, affordability and student success.

OnlineMasters.com listed UHV as 22nd out of 45 institutions included in its 2019 Best Online Master’s in Higher Education Programs list. To determine the ranking, the website examined every higher education program in the nation using a myriad of factors to create a score for each institution’s program.

The University of Houston-Victoria recently was acknowledged by the national website College Factual for the university’s ethnic diversity and was named a 2019 “Best College for the Money” for undergraduate students.

College Factual compared all universities in the U.S. using several criteria. UHV was ranked among the top 2.6 percent of institutions of higher education in the nation for the ethnic diversity of its students. It previously listed UHV in the top 7.8 percent in the nation for ethnic diversity in the 2018 ranking.

Shelley Jackson doesn’t think of creativity as something she found as much as something that never left.

“Every kid, I think, is an explosion of invention,” Jackson said. “But most of them eventually put a lid on it, or someone else does it for them. I just never stopped.”

Jackson is the final author in the fall University of Houston-Victoria/American Book Review Reading Series. She will read from her latest novel, “Riddance,” at 11 a.m. Friday in the UHV University North Walker Auditorium, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. 

The University of Houston-Victoria will close Wednesday to honor the passing of former President George H.W. Bush.

Governor Abbott issued an executive order designating Wednesday as an official Day of Mourning to honor former President George H.W. Bush, who passed away Friday. Therefore state agencies, including UHV, will be closed Wednesday. 

Freshman University of Houston-Victoria students Thalia Lozada, left, Emily Valtierra, Araceli Ramirez Garcia and Samantha Cortez show their playground models Monday after their projects won a campuswide People’s Choice vote on Friday. The first-place model was made by Garcia of Victoria and Cortez of Houston, and the second-place project was by Lozada of Victoria and Valtierra of Rosenberg.

Lori Maurer knew she wanted to be a teacher since the fifth grade, and now the math and science instructional coach at WoodCreek Elementary School in Katy hopes to move up into an even larger role thanks to her degree from the University of Houston-Victoria.

Maurer, a Katy resident, recently was named the Fall 2018 Outstanding Graduate Student for the UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development. Emmelynn Junek of Richmond was named the school’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student.

When Tyler Ramsey was in high school, he was more focused on sports than academics, but that changed when he went to college and decided to become a doctor.

Ramsey, an Edna resident, recently was named the Fall 2018 Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the University of Houston-Victoria School of Arts & Sciences. Colby Stokes of Port Lavaca was named the school’s Outstanding Graduate Student.

KATY – More than 450 University of Houston-Victoria students are scheduled to walk Saturday in the university’s fall 2018 commencement ceremony and hear from a Houston marketing firm owner.

The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at the Leonard E. Merrell Center, 6301 S. Stadium Lane. Live streaming of the ceremony can be seen at www.uhv.edu/graduation.

When Ashley Burns received an email naming her the University of Houston-Victoria School of Business Administration Outstanding Graduate Student, she was so surprised that she verified the announcement with UHV. 

“I was so blown away that I didn’t believe it was real,” Burns said. “I was emotional. It’s nice to be recognized and know I achieved something of this level.”

University of Houston-Victoria students have voted 3-to-1 to approve a referendum that will designate a $125-a-semester fee to finance a new recreational center for the Victoria campus.

A total of 447 students took part in an online vote to approve a referendum intended to start the process of getting approval to build a recreational center at UHV. Of that total, 329 students, 73.6 percent of those who voted, supported the fee. The fee will be $125 a student each fall and spring semester, $75 for the 10-week or longer summer term, and $37.50 for each summer term five weeks or longer but less than 10 weeks. The fee will apply to students who live within 50 miles of UHV’s Victoria campus. 

The University of Houston-Victoria’s third annual Giving Tuesday event began with a challenge to collect donations from 150 donors, and the community came through by almost doubling that goal.

At the end of the day on Nov. 27, the university had collected $21,751.56 from 292 donors, including the university’s faculty, staff, students and community members. The total amount raised is 41 percent more than last year’s total of $15,375, and 33 percent more individuals gave to the university than last year’s campaign.

A University of Houston-Victoria faculty member recently received a national award for his research about evangelical Christians’ participation in the 2016 presidential election.

Mark Ward Sr., a UHV associate professor of communication, recently received the 2018 David R. Maines Narrative Research Award for his essay, “The Dangers of Getting What You Wished For: What Do You Say to Evangelicals?”

Two teams of University of Houston-Victoria School of Business Administration graduate students each earned a ranking in the weekly Top 100 of the eight-week Global Business Simulation competition.

Aliyu Abubakar of Richmond, Indra Bhanu Gautam of Katy, Prasanth Kumar Kodali of Houston and Michelle Marie Thompson of Victoria were part of D Company, which was ranked 73rd out of 2,986 teams from 155 colleges and universities during the week of Nov. 12 to 18.

University of Houston-Victoria students and a faculty member pose Saturday for a photo before making their processional entrance into the university’s 2018 fall commencement ceremony at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy. Close to 400 graduates participated in the ceremony.

A national website recently named the University of Houston-Victoria’s graduate creative writing program one of the top 20 in the nation based on the program’s quality and affordability.

OnlineMasters.com ranked the UHV School of Arts & Sciences Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing 13th in the nation, and gave the program special recognition for having the best technology support in the site’s 2019 Best Online Masters in Creative Writing Programs list.

The 35th University of Houston-Victoria Bachelor of Business Administration Case Conference ended in a tie for first place after 125 students on 30 teams presented ways that Encore Wire Corporation could improve its business.

This year, two winning teams took home the first-place award for their presentations. The first team included Brenda Browder of East Bernard, Kimberly Peyronel-Howson of Allen, Deborah Roberts of Galveston and Chinelo Umeh of Humble. On the second team were Kealeigh Alex of Edna, and Ethan Hoover and Hannah Staten of Victoria.