UHV dedicates new statue, renames room to honor supporters
The University of Houston-Victoria dedicated a new bronze jaguar statue on campus Friday and unveiled a newly renamed space on campus to honor a family that has supported the university through significant giving and involvement over the last two decades.
The new statue, created by Dan Glanz, an award-winning artist who also created the UH cougar statue in Houston, was installed in front of UHV University Commons, 3006 N. Ben Wilson St., where it can be seen from the newly completed Ben Wilson Street Corridor. In addition to dedicating the new statue, the university renamed the multi-purpose room inside UHV University North to Galvan Community Hall to honor Ben and Diana Galvan for their generous support of the university’s campus and other programs.
“This statue is a wonderful addition to UHV’s campus and adds to the atmosphere of collegiality that we are cultivating,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “We are honored to receive this piece, and we look forward to seeing it become a part of campus life. In addition, we are happy to express our gratitude by honoring the donors who made this possible.”
The university first began talking with Glanz about commissioning a jaguar statue in 2019. Over the next few years, the university worked with Glanz to plan the piece and gave final approval for the project in 2022. The sculpture was completed and installed on campus in September.
The sculpture was funded by a donation from Ben and Diana Galvan. Ben Galvan is a UHV alumnus who earned a Master of Business Administration in 1994. In 2019, he was named the UHV Distinguished Alumnus, and he is currently serving as a member of the UHV President’s Regional Advisory Board.
“We are excited to see this statue in place on campus,” Ben Galvan said. “My degree from UHV has contributed to my career and helped me achieve success, and I am happy to give back to the university that has been part of my story. UHV is part of the Victoria community, and I feel blessed that our business has been successful here. This is our way of contributing to the university and the community it serves.”
In addition to the donation for the sculpture, the Galvans also made donations to support the CivilCorp Scholarship Endowment and future UHV Athletics facilities. The Galvan family loves the Victoria community, and they want to support future growth in higher education, Diana Galvan said.
“Success doesn’t happen on its own, it comes from our parents, our faith and a beautiful network of connections in this community,” she said. “We are blessed to be able to pay it forward, especially when it involves investing in future generations through higher education. UHV is a great option for local students, and it is perfect for students who want to study in a smaller community. We want to help students have the opportunity to further their education and achieve their dreams in life.”
Glanz used a selection of pictures of jaguars to sculpt the clay mold for the statue, including photos from a wildlife photographer in Brazil and his own photos from observing jaguars in a zoo. Once the mold was completed, he sent it to a foundry, which created the cast and did the metalwork, including welding the finished pieces together and adding the patina.
“I really enjoyed working on this project and getting feedback from UHV about the piece as it was coming together,” Glanz said. “The jaguar is such an incredible animal, and I made another jaguar years ago. I enjoy helping people connect with animals through my work. Animals are much more straight-forward than people, and their expressions have such clear intents. I tried to show the jaguar’s hunting, predator instinct in his face and eyes.”
The sculpture is something that will become part of UHV’s culture for years to come, and students are already talking about ways to incorporate it into the university’s yearly traditions, said Amber Countis, UHV vice president for advancement and external relations.
“These donations create a special legacy from the Galvan family, and we are so grateful for their ongoing support for the university and its students,” Countis said. “The Galvans are generous to many different areas of the community, so it is especially meaningful to know that they include UHV in their priorities.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.