Welcome
In these recent weeks, I have attended many special events and orientations ringing in the new academic year. Whether at our Academic Affairs Forum, FLIGHT Mentor Orientation, Mass of the Holy Spirit, UIWSOM White Coat Ceremony or our Hispanic Heritage Month events, I encounter dedicated faculty members who contribute above and beyond their roles to create exceptional experiences for their colleagues and our students. I am grateful to be part of an organization that values its community so.
I would also like to share my gratitude with all who are working on behalf of our SACSCOC reaccreditation process led by Dr. Kevin Vichcales and the Academic Affairs team. Special thanks are due to the many authors and contributors of the 1,800+ page report. Your work sheds light on the extraordinary things taking place at UIW and I am grateful for your efforts.
As busy as the year has been thus far, the weeks and months ahead may prove to be even busier. Below, please find an update on several of our major undertakings and developments.
Leadership Searches
As I mentioned during the Fall Forum, we are launching national searches for each of the three vice president positions currently held by interim leaders. Led by Chief of Staff Michael Larkin, each search will have a dedicated committee composed of key UIW administrative and academic professionals.
I extend my gratitude to Doug Endsley, interim vice president for Finance and Budget, Dr. Dimitri Tamalis, interim provost, and Vahid Shariat, interim CIO and vice president for Innovation and Technology, for their stewardship of their divisions and teams.
Search Committee Members
Each committee includes three faculty nominated by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee (in the case of the provost search committee, the president of the Faculty Senate serves as a fourth faculty appointee). I share my thanks with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee for their careful work identifying a diverse group of accomplished faculty members who will add much to our selection process.
Committees also count among their members two deans (one representing Broadway campus and one representing Health Professions), two UIW Trustees (one of whom is also a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word), one representative from Mission & Ministry, one representative from the Office of International Affairs, and one representative from the Office of Human Resources. In the case of the provost search, the president of the Student Government Association is also an appointee. See below for the full listing of committee membership.
Dr. Javier Clavere, dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Dr. Adeola Coker, professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Feik School of Pharmacy
Amy DeStefano, director of International Affairs and Recruitment
Sr. Maria T. Flores, CCVI, UIW Trustee
Dr. Sandra Fortenberry, dean of the Rosenberg School of Optometry
Heather Hamilton, director of Compensation, Human Resources
Fr. Hector Kalaluka, OMI, lead Catholic chaplain
Dr. Chunling Niu, assistant professor, Dreeben School of Education
Dr. Amanda Roberts, UIW Trustee
Dr. Adam Watkins, assistant dean, professor and program coordinator of 3D Animation and Game Design, School of Media and Design
Dr. Glenn Ambrose, professor of Religious Studies, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and Faculty Senate President
Marcos Fragoso, vice president of International Affairs
Sr. Mary Henry, CCVI, UIW Trustee
Sr. Walter Maher, CCVI, vice president of Mission & Ministry
Dr. David Maize, dean of the Feik School of Pharmacy
Nick Meehan, president of the Student Government Association and UIW Trustee
Shannon Root, interim associate vice president of Human Resources
Dr. Alberto Rubio, director of the MBA program, H-E-B School of Business and Administration
Dr. Joanna Soles, associate professor and clinical coordinator, School of Rehabilitation Sciences
Dr. Denise Staudt, dean of the Dreeben School of Education
Dr. Lora Talley, associate professor and chair of Strategic Initiatives, UIW School of Osteopathic Medicine
Dr. Kenneth Wells, UIW Trustee
Dr. Diana Beckmann-Mendez, associate professor, chair, Graduate Nursing, DNP program director and NP program director, Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing and Health Professions
Dr. Rachell Booth, professor and department chair, Biochemistry, School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering
Dr. Arturo Chavez, associate vice president for Mission and Ministry
Sr. Leticia de Jesus Rodriguez, CCVI, UIW Trustee
Dr. Rafael Hoyle, director of the Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas
Dr. John Pham, dean and Chief Academic Officer, UIW School of Osteopathic Medicine
Dr. Jeffrey Rabin, professor of Optometry and assistant dean for Research, Assessment and Graduate Studies, Rosenberg School of Optometry
Dr. Jeannie Scott, dean of the H-E-B School of Business and Administration
Bill Shown, UIW Trustee
Process
To ensure that we are capturing the voice and perspectives of our community regarding the provost search, we will also be hosting community listening sessions. More information on listening sessions will be announced via The Word Today Newsletter.
Committees will be working with leading executive search firms to determine the best candidates. The provost and CFO searches will be supported by Ryan Crawford of WittKeiffer. Ryan is well versed with UIW from his work as our representative during the last provost search (fall 2022 - spring 2023). The CIO search will be supported by Next Generation Partners, a firm exclusively devoted to technology and that specializes in CIO searches in higher education. Among their clients are large national institutions like Stanford University and Brown University, and Catholic institutions such as Fordham University, Gonzaga University and Villanova University. The firm is also familiar with San Antonio, having assisted the University of Texas at San Antonio with a CIO search. We will be working directly with their managing partners, Phil Goldstein and Mary Beth Baker
Recruitment timelines launch this fall and begin on a rolling basis. The CIO committee will first convene and embark on their efforts in September, followed by the provost committee in October and the CFO committee in November. Final candidates are expected to be identified in Spring with anticipated start dates in fall 2025 at the latest.
Meet the New Trustees
At the June meeting of UIW Trustees, the board welcomed five new members. A full list of Trustees can be found on the board website.
Sr. Katty Huãnuco, CCVI
CCVI Congregational Appointee
Committee: Academic Affairs
Greg Kowalski
President and CEO, The RK Group
Committee: Academic Affairs
Nick Meehan
President, Student Government Association
Committee: Mission
Kurt Merkelz, MD
Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Compassus
Committee: Mission
Dr. Amanda Roberts
President UIW Alumni Association
Committee: Institutional Advancement
Strategic Priority Update
Priority Spotlight: Improve Infrastructure
At any one time, the facilities team is managing between 8 to 12 (sometimes more!) facilities and infrastructure improvement projects across our campuses in San Antonio. They range in scope from the largest renovation project in UIW history, with Founders Hall, to restroom upgrades at St. Anthony Catholic High School. Yet, all are pressing and subject to timeline modifications due to weather, supply availability and more. I am grateful to our facilities team, under the direction of Phil Lopes, associate vice president for Planning and Campus Management, for their many efforts to maintain our campuses for all who learn, work and live at UIW. Below are a few of UIW's recent infrastructure updates and highlights.
Founders Hall
Two weeks ago, we shared an email with the UIW community offering a “first-look” at the interior of Founders Hall via a video produced by our architectural partners Lake | Flato. In that email, we also shared the new Founders Hall website that offers a project overview, a timeline to date and other critical information. The project remains on track, and we will continue to post updates to the website periodically and share news with the community.
Faculty Lounge
The space formerly occupied by Finnegan’s coffee shop on the first floor of the Mabee Library has been transformed into our new Faculty Lounge. The lounge space renovation is now complete and ready for use by all faculty. Currently, faculty must use their ID cards to swipe in for entrance. The facilities team is continuing to explore options for upgrades, including supplying a coffee machine.
Administration Courtyard
The courtyard of the main Administration Building on the Broadway campus is undergoing much-needed work. Over the summer, old pavers were removed and replaced with crushed granite, which should reduce the occurrence of trips and falls, and new storm drains were installed.
Athletic Facilities
Renovations to the baseball and softball bleachers are substantially complete, with some work to the overhead fabric panels remaining along with reinstallation of some fencing. I hope you take the opportunity to go cheer on our student-athletes when their seasons begin.
UIW Pedestrian Sky Bridge Over HWY-281
Repainting was completed over the summer.
UIW School of Osteopathic Medicine
Replacement of UIWSOM's building automation system is underway. We anticipate this work continuing through the remainder of the calendar year.
Strategic Planning Update
As we continue to make progress toward our established Strategic Priorities, we also look ahead to the development of our next Strategic Plan. Led by John Bury, vice president of Strategy and Enrollment, the strategic planning process continued through the summer with additional listening sessions, bringing the total number to 48.
For those among our faculty new to UIW or unfamiliar with the endeavor, we are embarking on a new strategic plan that will strengthen us as a global system and distinguish us even further as we near our 150th anniversary in 2031.
I invite you to visit our Strategic Plan 2031 website where you will find more information, including my position paper, “Embodying the Mission in a New Era,” available in English and in Spanish. In it, I outline my vision and perspective on our greatest strengths and areas of potential. There is also a survey form at the bottom of the page where you are invited to offer your perspectives on my paper or thoughts for the future.
Mark Your Calendars
Lunch with the President
Our small group lunch engagements return for the 2024-2025 year. We kicked off the series with our first lunch on the Broadway campus. Two more are scheduled for fall at the Rosenberg School of Optometry and Feik School of Pharmacy. Additional lunches at the UIW School of Osteopathic Medicine, School of Professional Studies, School of Rehabilitation Sciences and the Broadway campus will be held in Spring 2025. Lunches are announced and RSVP lists open approximately two weeks before the event dates.
Heritage Day
October 9, 2024, Chapel of the Incarnate Word
Please join us to celebrate our shared heritage and honor your colleagues and peers who are marking a milestone year of service to UIW. A reception will follow in the Student Engagement Center Ballroom.
Invite the President
Help me mark my calendar with your special events. If you wish to extend an invitation to attend your galas, symposia, lectures or more, please fill out the form linked below. I make every attempt to attend as many events as possible. While I regrettably cannot attend all, I would love to show my support to every endeavor that I can.
Event Request Form