Table Of Contents - Summer and Fall, 2008
Tree Topping Marks Milestone in Ancira Tower Construction
Degrees Awarded at China Campus Commencement
UIW Mexico Campus Lauds Inaugural Graduating Class
UIW Commissions Amato as Board Chair
Russ Named Dean of Universe Online
Tree Topping Marks Milestone in Ancira Tower Construction
Archived August 27, 2008
The University of the Incarnate Word celebrated reaching the highest point
of construction on the university’s newest structure, the Ancira
Tower, with a tree topping and beam signing ceremony on July
11, 2008.
The tree topping ceremony is a tradition that dates back to about 700 A.D.
and has been 
attributed to numerous groups from Scandinavians to Vikings
to German tribes. From the time of the first practitioners, the sentiment
has remained similar throughout the years. When the highest beam of a building
is put into place, a tree is hoisted atop the beam to celebrate the construction
reaching the sky without loss of life or serious injury to the workers.
Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr., UIW President, Gary Joeris, Joeris General Contractors
and Joe Bianco, McChesney/Bianco Architecture attended the event.
The Ancira Tower is scheduled to be completed early in the fall of 2008.
The nine-level, 292,000-square foot structure will feature covered parking
for 800 vehicles. The tower will open in stages. The first will occur in
August and will be able to accommodate 200 vehicles.
“We are very excited about the newest addition to the campus, the
Ancira Tower,” said Dr. Louis Agnese, Jr., UIW President. “As
the university continues its rapid expansion due to our tremendous growth
in student enrollment, this structure will play a major role in addressing
our future parking needs. “We are grateful to Alonso Ancira and
his family for their friendship and support of Incarnate Word, without
which this tower would not have been possible.”
Alonso Ancira is chairman of the board of Altos Hornos de Mexico, the largest
steel manufacturing company in Mexico and one of the largest in the world.
For more information, contact the UIW Office of Public Relations at (210) 829-6001.
Degrees Awarded at China Campus Commencement
Archived August 27, 2008
The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is proud to announce that on Saturday, June 28, China Incarnate Word (CIW) - Hua Li Campus held its 11th Commencement ceremony. Five associate degrees were conferred to graduates by UIW President Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr. who also welcomed guests and dignitaries to the event. Four of the graduates will return to CIW and one will join UIW in the fall; all five will continue their studies toward a bachelor of business administration.
CIW, located in Zengcheng, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, opened in Fall 2001, holding its first commencement in Spring 2003. In 2004, CIW moved to its current location - Hua Li Campus. CIW is a partnership between UIW and Guangdong Hua Li College. CIW offers a bachelors degree in business administration in international business and associate’s degrees in international business and international accounting. UIW was the first American institution to award full degrees of higher learning in China without requiring students to leave the country to complete their degree.
In addition to UIW President, Dr. Louis J. Agnese, other dignitaries and special guests attending the commencement included Zhang Zhi Feng, Director of the Board - Hua Li Investment Company, Ye Ya Ming, General Manager - Hua Li Investment Company, Pan Zhao Guo, President - Guangdong Hua Li College, Michael Liu, Director, Foreign Languages Department, Guangdong Hua Li College, and Misty Chen, Director, Institute of World Cultures, UIW.
For more information, contact the UIW Office of Public Relations at (210) 829-6001.
UIW Mexico Campus Lauds Inaugural Graduating Class
Archived July 14, 2008
The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is proud to announce graduation ceremonies for the first graduating class from Centro Universitario Incarnate Word (CIW), UIW’s campus located in Mexico City.
Nine students
graduated in this inaugural class. A Baccalaureate Mass was held Friday,
June 20, at 7 p.m. at the Chapel of the Provincial House of the Sisters
of Charity of the Incarnate Word in Mexico City, Reforma #6, Colonia San
Angel. A commencement ceremony followed on June 21 on the CIW
campus. The CIW graduation mirrored those of UIW, complete with bagpipe
procession.
CIW opened in 2003 as a way for students in Mexico to earn dual undergraduate
college degrees from an American university that are fully recognized on
both sides of the border by each country’s respective education agencies.
The school opened in Fall 2003 with 25 students offering only three programs.
Current enrollment stands at 180 students. The Fall 2008 student forecast
is set at 300 with the university offering seven programs. In addition,
two new programs will be added in Fall 2008, Administration and Executive
Management and Education.
Mauricio González Gómez delivered the commencement address.
Gonzalez, originally from Mexico City, is the founding partner, and now
CEO of Grupo de Economistas Asociados (GEA). Gomez holds a degree in economics
from the Instituto Autónomo de México (ITAM) as well as a
master’s degree in economics from the University of Chicago. He is
currently pursuing a doctorate in economics. Gómez also serves as
board member of various organizations including Grupo Corvi, Valores Finamex,
Seguros MAPFRE Tepeyac and Grupo Financiero IXE.
He began his career at Banamex and has collaborated with the Banco de Desarrollo
de América del Norte (North America Development Bank ); Banco Mexicano
Somex, and served as Director of Economic Investigation, Director of Economic
Policy and Director of Financial Policy of Planeación Hacendaria
of the SHCP.
Gómez is also a columnist for Reforma, a Mexican national newspaper,
Expansión magazine and collaborates on Dinero y Poder (Money and
Power) a weekly program featuring international political and economic
issues pertinent to Mexico’s economy.
For more information, contact the UIW Office of Public Relations at (210) 829-6001.
UIW Commissions Amato as Board Chair
Archived July 7, 2008
The University of the Incarnate Word commissioned a new chairman of
the university’s Board of Trustees on June 8 in the Chapel of the
Incarnate Word.
Charlie Amato is the chairman and co-founder of Southwest Business Corporation (SWBC) and has been on the UIW Board since 1999. With more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of insurance operations, underwriting, and product development, he has led the company’s growth to more than 800 employees and more than $1 billion per year in premiums and loans.
A longtime friend of the university, Amato is only the second male in the history of the university to be appointed as chairman of the board. He takes the helm from James “Fully” Clingman, who has held the position for four years.
The commissioning included a liturgy and ritual followed by a reception in CHRISTUS Heritage Hall at the Village at Incarnate Word.
For more information, contact the UIW Office of Public Relations at (210) 829-6001.
Russ Named Dean of Universe Online
Archived July 7, 2008
The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is pleased to announce the
promotion of Rita Russ to dean of the Virtual University.
Russ joined UIW’s Virtual University in Fall 2007 as director of
external operations, where she was responsible for locating new opportunities
for the university in this highly competitive market. In addition, Russ
was responsible for coordinating UIW’s inclusion as a provider school
in an online consortium, as well as applying and working through the process
for UIW to partner with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force.
Russ is a native of San Antonio and holds a BBA from the University of
Texas at San Antonio, an MBA with a concentration in management from Our
Lady of the Lake University, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Business Administration
with NorthCentral University located in Prescott, Arizona.
For more information, contact the UIW Office of Public Relations at (210) 829-6001.
