University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

COMMUNITY GARDEN & GREENHOUSE
The UTRGV Community Garden & Greenhouse was developed with the initiative to provide fellow students and faculty from the school of Agroecology access to the necessary resources needed to fulfill their research needs. This 7,500 ft2 space is located in the Edinburg campus, within the Northeast wing and provides the necessary to accommodate both, the Community Garden, and the campus greenhouse. The community garden sits at 2,500 ft2 and is fully equipped with 15 raised beds, which essentially allows not only members of the school of Agroecology to complete their research but as well provides the space for student organizations to plant, grow and maintain their own crops. Adjacent to the garden is the state-of-the-art campus greenhouse, which is equipped with a water wall, automated sprinklers, and the necessary fans to maintain an appropriate temperature inside the greenhouse.

POLLINATOR CANTINA
The Pollinator Cantina, is part of the UTRGV School of Biology and was founded with the Transforming Our World grant from the Office of the Provost in 2018 as part of the University's commitment to support sustainability efforts. The Pollinator Cantina is located in the Brownsville campus and was established under the mission to conserve bees, butterflies and other pollinators, such as butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds, and serve as a platform to support experiential learning and research projects for students as well as help emphasize the importance of protecting pollinators and educating the community of their essential purposes. UTRGV has been accredited as a Bee Campus USA certified institution as part of these efforts to enhance pollinators on and off-campus. The purpose of the garden is three-fold: 1) the conservation of butterflies and other pollinators, 2) to act as a platform for experiential learning and research projects for students, and 3) to engage the community by providing information on the importance of pollinators and what they can do to help conservation efforts.

C.R.A.W.F.I.S.H. GARDEN
Project C.R.A.W.F.I.S.H (Climate Resilient Agroecological Watershed-Food Integration System for Husbandry) is an effort to help eliminate hunger across the entire Rio Grande Valley. Established by Dr. Christopher Gabler of the School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences (SEEMS), the garden was created in the Brownsville campus and is made up of 12 garden plots, supported by PVC pipes and each contain an agricultural bed, containing fruits and vegetables, a suitable wetland, and a pond for aquacultural species, such as crawfish. The C.R.A.W.F.I.SH Garden is made out of 36 plots and make up 12 garden systems. The entire garden is supported by an earthen berm that maintains control infiltration by rising water outside of garden’s ecosystem.

BIOSWALE
While the lower Rio Grande Valley has experienced a population surge, the region is prone to significant flooding due to the flat terrain and rapidly expanding urbanization, which affects the natural environment through disturbing lands and replacing natural vegetation with impervious surfaces through roads and buildings, which ultimately affects water quality. With this in mind, The City of Mercedes and the university have collaborated on a proposal that essentially solves this flooding problem. The green infrastructure (GI) master plan to mitigate localized flooding in a high priority region within the city limits that can then be duplicated into other regions across the lower valley. The objectives of the project are to: 1) minimizing the environmental impact of the Rainwater, 2) avoid localized flooding. 3) stop the contamination of the water, and 4) integrate it to the construction projects through the development of natural drainages. The GI masterplan and practices were developed in the City of Mercedes where they had the most permeable pavements/sidewalk and bioretention/bioswales.

URBAN FORESTRY COURSE
The School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences (SEEMS) offers a course in collaboration with the Texas Forest Service to help engage students to learn about tree management and develop a plan in order to help maximize ecosystem services for trees on both campuses and local trees in the city of Edinburg. The course is helmed by Dr. Alexis Racelis and teaches students the basic fundamentals of sustaining trees as well as learning about the tools and programs to collect the necessary data needed for inventory records and improvement efforts.

TREE NURSERY
The Rio Grande Valley heavily relies on Tamaulipan Thornscrub in order to helps stabilize carbon and climate across the region. However, there is a significant shortage of it as less 10% of thornscrub forestry remains in the entire U.S. In an effort to combat the scarcity across the region, the School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences (SEEMS) have committed to plant over 100,000 seedlings of tamaulipan thornscrub across the valley in order to help the local wildlife. Not only will this effort help grow more thornscrub across the region, (and the country) but will also open the door for further research and discovery to in order to help potentially identify more native species related to tamaulipan thornscrub.

HUB OF PROSPERITY: URBAN FARM
The Hub of Prosperity is a 5-acre research and education farm located at the Edinburg First United Methodist Church. Currently managed by the UTRGV Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Advancement and the UTRGV Agroecology Program, the Hub aims to be a regional model of a local, sustainable food system that encourages civic engagement and develops scientific capacity around food and agriculture while improving food self-reliance for the University and the local area community. Purchasing from this farm will support the work and the financial sustainability of this effort. You can learn more at the Hub of Prosperity Urban Farm's website and connect with them through Instagram.

CAMPUS FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVE
The Campus Food Security Initiative (CFSI) was established in April 2020 with the set mission of combating hunger across campus providing fellow UTRGV students in Edinburg, and Brownsville with fresh produce that encourages and promotes healthy eating habits. The organization is a student-centered, and student-driven initiative and collaborate with local farmers in-between the different growing seasons in order to supply the produce on a weekly basis. CFSI provides fresh produce and meals to UTRGV students, staff and faculty at no charge whatsoever with proper identification. These initiatives follow a “pay what you feel model” and provide their services every Wednesday at the following locations: Edinburg Campus: BSM Global Blends parking lot, 1605 W. Schunior, across from the UREC. Brownsville Campus: Brownsville Research and Community Garden (BRCG), located behind the Casa Bella office, 2651 FJRM Ave. You can learn more at UTRGV's Campus Food Security Initiative's website and connect with them through Instagram.

TRACKING SOLAR ARRAYS
In 2010, the then University of Texas – Pan American (now known as UTRGV) partnered with TXU energy and installed two solar array panels in the Edinburg campus for the purpose of improving solar power research. Since 2011, this tracking system has allowed students record and collect the necessary data to research the precise measurements of solar radiation through a photovoltaic (PV) system, in which then utilizes the solar panels to convert sunlight into energy. These arrays help students get the necessary access to practicing electrical engineering integration and installation as well as help develop further sustainability solutions on-campus. While they serve as a tremendous tool for research purposes, these arrays also help pave the way for clean energy across the Edinburg campus.

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY
The essential purpose of this initiative is to develop an energy management system that reduces the amount of electrical energy used within the campus grounds. This project helps collect data that estimates the amount of greenhouse gases produced by university students and personnel across both campuses. An established energy management plan is produced and calculates the amount of energy usage and how to conserve it without compromising or disrupting university operations. Through this data, an effort to educate students and faculty about energy management and sustainability is made in order to promote the importance of conserving energy across our campuses.

DEMAND RESPONSE FEASIBLE STUDY
As electricity usage is at an all-time high in the state of Texas, it is critical to evaluate all options possible we as the Vaquero community can do as far as consuming energy around campus. The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley spends approximately $7 Million per year in energy consumption alone, however, if energy conservation efforts are thrown under the rug, it may lead to serious consequences that can interfere with the university’s operations, classes research and residents. For this reason, the Edinburg campus participates in a demand response event approximately every four months in order to avoid any potential blackouts and conserve as much energy as possible.

COMMUNITY GARDEN & GREENHOUSE
The UTRGV Community Garden & Greenhouse was developed with the initiative to provide fellow students and faculty from the school of Agroecology access to the necessary resources needed to fulfill their research needs. This 7,500 ft2 space is located in the Edinburg campus, within the Northeast wing and provides the necessary to accommodate both, the Community Garden, and the campus greenhouse. The community garden sits at 2,500 ft2 and is fully equipped with 15 raised beds, which essentially allows not only members of the school of Agroecology to complete their research but as well provides the space for student organizations to plant, grow and maintain their own crops. Adjacent to the garden is the state-of-the-art campus greenhouse, which is equipped with a water wall, automated sprinklers, and the necessary fans to maintain an appropriate temperature inside the greenhouse.

BIOSWALE
While the lower Rio Grande Valley has experienced a population surge, the region is prone to significant flooding due to the flat terrain and rapidly expanding urbanization, which affects the natural environment through disturbing lands and replacing natural vegetation with impervious surfaces through roads and buildings, which ultimately affects water quality. With this in mind, The City of Mercedes and the university have collaborated on a proposal that essentially solves this flooding problem. The green infrastructure (GI) master plan to mitigate localized flooding in a high priority region within the city limits that can then be duplicated into other regions across the lower valley. The objectives of the project are to: 1) minimizing the environmental impact of the Rainwater, 2) avoid localized flooding. 3) stop the contamination of the water, and 4) integrate it to the construction projects through the development of natural drainages. The GI masterplan and practices were developed in the City of Mercedes where they had the most permeable pavements/sidewalk and bioretention/bioswales.

URBAN FORESTRY COURSE
The School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences (SEEMS) offers a course in collaboration with the Texas Forest Service to help engage students to learn about tree management and develop a plan in order to help maximize ecosystem services for trees on both campuses and local trees in the city of Edinburg. The course is helmed by Dr. Alexis Racelis and teaches students the basic fundamentals of sustaining trees as well as learning about the tools and programs to collect the necessary data needed for inventory records and improvement efforts.

HUB OF PROSPERITY: URBAN FARM
The Hub of Prosperity is a 5-acre research and education farm located at the Edinburg First United Methodist Church. Currently managed by the UTRGV Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Advancement and the UTRGV Agroecology Program, the Hub aims to be a regional model of a local, sustainable food system that encourages civic engagement and develops scientific capacity around food and agriculture while improving food self-reliance for the University and the local area community. Purchasing from this farm will support the work and the financial sustainability of this effort. You can learn more at the Hub of Prosperity Urban Farm's website and connect with them through Instagram.

The Ridley Floating Classroom is a floating laboratory setup by the university to give students a greater understanding of the marine environment and the impact of climate changes. Students board the R/V Ridley for a 2 hour discovery cruise through the Laguna Madre and ship channels that border South Padre Island. The Ridley is a 57 foot marine vessel fully equipped for research and learning. The students will use plankton nets, trawls, water and sediment samplers, and test kits to gain an understanding in the research of marine biology, ecology, and human impacts on the marine environment. Onboard touch tanks and microscopes allow the students to closely observe and learn about adaptations and taxonomy in lessons led by the Floating Classroom’s educator-naturalists. In addition to the hands-on learning experience offered on the Ridley, sightings of bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, and brown pelicans are common in the Laguna Madre. The goal is to enhance the understanding of this unique marine environment and inspire stewardship of our coastal natural resources in students of all ages.
Site:
http://www.utrgv.edu/csl/visit/ridley-floating-classroom/index.htm

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY
The essential purpose of this initiative is to develop an energy management system that reduces the amount of electrical energy used within the campus grounds. This project helps collect data that estimates the amount of greenhouse gases produced by university students and personnel across both campuses. An established energy management plan is produced and calculates the amount of energy usage and how to conserve it without compromising or disrupting university operations. Through this data, an effort to educate students and faculty about energy management and sustainability is made in order to promote the importance of conserving energy across our campuses.
Site: https://www.utrgv.edu/sustainability/about/campus-living-labs/index.htm

UTRGV's project planning and facilities management department involves engineering students (interns) each year to assist with various projects around campus, both in planning and construction. They routinely assist in the collection of data for campus-wide HVAC and mechanical equipment.

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY
The essential purpose of this initiative is to develop an energy management system that reduces the amount of electrical energy used within the campus grounds. This project helps collect data that estimates the amount of greenhouse gases produced by university students and personnel across both campuses. An established energy management plan is produced and calculates the amount of energy usage and how to conserve it without compromising or disrupting university operations. Through this data, an effort to educate students and faculty about energy management and sustainability is made in order to promote the importance of conserving energy across our campuses.

Industrial Assessment Center (AIC) at UTRGV
The UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science has been awarded a $1.25 million grant by the Department of Energy to house the Industrial Assessment Center, the only IAC in the UT System. The IAC will provide industrial energy assessments, at no cost, to local small- and medium-size enterprises. Through the provision of these industrial assessments, the IAC has the potential of helping manufacturers save millions of dollars each year in energy, productivity and water management costs.
Site: https://www.utrgv.edu/iac/index.htm


DEMAND RESPONSE FEASIBLE STUDY
As electricity usage is at an all-time high in the state of Texas, it is critical to evaluate all options possible we as the Vaquero community can do as far as consuming energy around campus. The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley spends approximately $7 Million per year in energy consumption alone, however, if energy conservation efforts are thrown under the rug, it may lead to serious consequences that can interfere with the university’s operations, classes research and residents. For this reason, the Edinburg campus participates in a demand response event approximately every four months in order to avoid any potential blackouts and conserve as much energy as possible.

UTRGV Electrical engineering students, under the direction of Dr. Jaime Ramos, professor of engineering, are incorporating solar arrays in their research on solar power. In 2010, TXU Energy partnered with the University and unveiled two solar array panels installed on campus. The arrays not only provide clean energy to the University, but allow electrical engineering students to obtain hands-on experience in the fields of engineering and sustainability. Additionally, students and faculty members are conducting research on system integration, as well as developing and installing new instruments.

Solar Radiation Tracking System:
Launched in September 1, 2011, UTRGV (then the University of Texas-Pan American) has installed and utilized a solar radiation tracking system, which determines how much power can be harnessed from the sun. UTPA was able to launch this system due to a federal grant from the Department of Energy in which Dr. Jaime Ramos serves as principal investigator of the program. The radiation tracking system allow students to record and collect information to research the precise measurements of solar radiation through a photovoltaic (PV) system. This PV system uses solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity.

DEMAND RESPONSE FEASIBLE STUDY
As electricity usage is at an all-time high in the state of Texas, it is critical to evaluate all options possible we as the Vaquero community can do as far as consuming energy around campus. The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley spends approximately $7 Million per year in energy consumption alone, however, if energy conservation efforts are thrown under the rug, it may lead to serious consequences that can interfere with the university’s operations, classes research and residents. For this reason, the Edinburg campus participates in a demand response event approximately every four months in order to avoid any potential blackouts and conserve as much energy as possible.

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY
The essential purpose of this initiative is to develop an energy management system that reduces the amount of electrical energy used within the campus grounds. This project helps collect data that estimates the amount of greenhouse gases produced by university students and personnel across both campuses. An established energy management plan is produced and calculates the amount of energy usage and how to conserve it without compromising or disrupting university operations. Through this data, an effort to educate students and faculty about energy management and sustainability is made in order to promote the importance of conserving energy across our campuses.

COMMUNITY GARDEN & GREENHOUSE
The UTRGV Community Garden & Greenhouse was developed with the initiative to provide fellow students and faculty from the school of Agroecology access to the necessary resources needed to fulfill their research needs. This 7,500 ft2 space is located in the Edinburg campus, within the Northeast wing and provides the necessary to accommodate both, the Community Garden, and the campus greenhouse. The community garden sits at 2,500 ft2 and is fully equipped with 15 raised beds, which essentially allows not only members of the school of Agroecology to complete their research but as well provides the space for student organizations to plant, grow and maintain their own crops. Adjacent to the garden is the state-of-the-art campus greenhouse, which is equipped with a water wall, automated sprinklers, and the necessary fans to maintain an appropriate temperature inside the greenhouse.
https://www.utrgv.edu/agroecology/facilities/utrgv-garden-and-greenhouse/index.htm

POLLINATOR CANTINA
The Pollinator Cantina, is part of the UTRGV School of Biology and was founded with the Transforming Our World grant from the Office of the Provost in 2018 as part of the University's commitment to support sustainability efforts. The Pollinator Cantina is located in the Brownsville campus and was established under the mission to conserve bees, butterflies and other pollinators, such as butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds, and serve as a platform to support experiential learning and research projects for students as well as help emphasize the importance of protecting pollinators and educating the community of their essential purposes. UTRGV has been accredited as a Bee Campus USA certified institution as part of these efforts to enhance pollinators on and off-campus. The purpose of the garden is three-fold: 1) the conservation of butterflies and other pollinators, 2) to act as a platform for experiential learning and research projects for students, and 3) to engage the community by providing information on the importance of pollinators and what they can do to help conservation efforts.
https://www.utrgv.edu/pollinatorcantina/en-us/index.htm

C.R.A.W.F.I.S.H. GARDEN
Project C.R.A.W.F.I.S.H (Climate Resilient Agroecological Watershed-Food Integration System for Husbandry) is an effort to help eliminate hunger across the entire Rio Grande Valley. Established by Dr. Christopher Gabler of the School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences (SEEMS), the garden was created in the Brownsville campus and is made up of 12 garden plots, supported by PVC pipes and each contain an agricultural bed, containing fruits and vegetables, a suitable wetland, and a pond for aquacultural species, such as crawfish. The C.R.A.W.F.I.SH Garden is made out of 36 plots and make up 12 garden systems. The entire garden is supported by an earthen berm that maintains control infiltration by rising water outside of garden’s ecosystem.
https://rgvstormwater.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/GABLER-.pdf

HUB OF PROSPERITY: URBAN FARM
The Hub of Prosperity is a 5-acre research and education farm located at the Edinburg First United Methodist Church. Currently managed by the UTRGV Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Advancement and the UTRGV Agroecology Program, the Hub aims to be a regional model of a local, sustainable food system that encourages civic engagement and develops scientific capacity around food and agriculture while improving food self-reliance for the University and the local area community. Purchasing from this farm will support the work and the financial sustainability of this effort. You can learn more at the Hub of Prosperity Urban Farm's website and connect with them through Instagram.
https://www.facebook.com/hub.of.prosperity/

CAMPUS FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVE
The Campus Food Security Initiative (CFSI) was established in April 2020 with the set mission of combating hunger across campus providing fellow UTRGV students in Edinburg, and Brownsville with fresh produce that encourages and promotes healthy eating habits. The organization is a student-centered, and student-driven initiative and collaborate with local farmers in-between the different growing seasons in order to supply the produce on a weekly basis. CFSI provides fresh produce and meals to UTRGV students, staff and faculty at no charge whatsoever with proper identification. These initiatives follow a “pay what you feel model” and provide their services every Wednesday at the following locations: Edinburg Campus: BSM Global Blends parking lot, 1605 W. Schunior, across from the UREC. Brownsville Campus: Brownsville Research and Community Garden (BRCG), located behind the Casa Bella office, 2651 FJRM Ave. You can learn more at UTRGV's Campus Food Security Initiative's website and connect with them through Instagram.
https://www.utrgv.edu/pewd/cfsi/index.htm

The Agro ecology Department developed an urban forestry course where students participate in service learning opportunities centered on campus, involving community and forestry efforts in projects. Dr. Alexis Racelis has worked with urban forestry students to inventory all trees on the Edinburg campus as part of the process to acquire Tree Campus USA designation. 32 university students from multiple disciplines were trained by faculty and local and state foresters to identify and tag each tree and in the tools and methods to take the tree health and dimensional data of nearly all of the more than 2,000 trees on campus. The students inventoried close to 2,000 trees found on campus and have developed a Campus Tree Management Plan.
Sites:
https://www.utrgv.edu/sustainability/programs/tree-campus-usa/index.html

URBAN FORESTRY COURSE
The School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences (SEEMS) offers a course in collaboration with the Texas Forest Service to help engage students to learn about tree management and develop a plan in order to help maximize ecosystem services for trees on both campuses and local trees in the city of Edinburg. The course is helmed by Dr. Alexis Racelis and teaches students the basic fundamentals of sustaining trees as well as learning about the tools and programs to collect the necessary data needed for inventory records and improvement efforts.


TREE NURSERY
The Rio Grande Valley heavily relies on Tamaulipan Thornscrub in order to helps stabilize carbon and climate across the region. However, there is a significant shortage of it as less 10% of thornscrub forestry remains in the entire U.S. In an effort to combat the scarcity across the region, the School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences (SEEMS) have committed to plant over 100,000 seedlings of tamaulipan thornscrub across the valley in order to help the local wildlife. Not only will this effort help grow more thornscrub across the region, (and the country) but will also open the door for further research and discovery to in order to help potentially identify more native species related to tamaulipan thornscrub.
https://www.utrgv.edu/newsroom/2020/07/15-utrgv-growing-100k-tree-seedlings-to-help-local-wildlife.htm

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Research and Technology (OST-R) within the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded, since the fall of 2013, a grant to establish the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS). The Center for Railway Safety, which is headquartered at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), operates as a consortium with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and the University of Nebraska Transportation Center (NTC).

As a Tier 1 University Transportation Center, UTCRS works to develop and manage programs to address Railway Industry and USDOT safety and efficiency concerns. UTCRS consortium partners conduct research according to their areas of expertise. The UTRGV (lead institution) focuses its research on Railway Mechanical Components Safety with students and research at the forefront of the project, TAMU focuses its research on Infrastructure Safety, and UNL focuses its research on Operations Safety.

https://www.utrgv.edu/railwaysafety/

A group of upcoming high school seniors this summer attended the I-DREAM4D virtual summer camp, where they were able to put their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills to work. UTRGV in February was awarded a $3.96 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to establish educational opportunities that enhance manufacturing skills critical to the country’s defense systems. The I-DREAM4D consortium was created from that grant. First, students built the basic robot, then added a circuit board, sensors, coders on the wheels and cameras. After each addition, students participated in challenges to demonstrate proficiencies attained for that day. For example, the camp theme was recycling, and one challenge involved picking up and moving aluminum cans into a recycling bin. The exercise allowed students to navigate the control and practice using sensors and camera. The camp covered several different concepts of engineering and accommodated a variety of learning styles and levels of knowledge.
Site: https://www.utrgv.edu/newsroom/2020/08/25-i-dream4d-summer-engineering-camp-uses-online-format-to-teach-stem-skills.htm

Faculty and students re-create self-sustaining urban forest ecosystems with bioswales, pervious pavement systems and roadway bufferyards connecting pocket park-like forested areas with green, low-impact-development parking lots with major canopy cover. Bioswales (stormwater management structures) found around campus aid in the treatment of water, capturing pollutants found in it . The bioswales performance and distribution are actively tracked and monitored by engineering students. The bioswales have reduced the pollutants and stilt found in the water for our campus.

BIOSWALE
While the lower Rio Grande Valley has experienced a population surge, the region is prone to significant flooding due to the flat terrain and rapidly expanding urbanization, which affects the natural environment through disturbing lands and replacing natural vegetation with impervious surfaces through roads and buildings, which ultimately affects water quality. With this in mind, The City of Mercedes and the university have collaborated on a proposal that essentially solves this flooding problem. The green infrastructure (GI) master plan to mitigate localized flooding in a high priority region within the city limits that can then be duplicated into other regions across the lower valley. The objectives of the project are to: 1) minimizing the environmental impact of the Rainwater, 2) avoid localized flooding. 3) stop the contamination of the water, and 4) integrate it to the construction projects through the development of natural drainages. The GI masterplan and practices were developed in the City of Mercedes where they had the most permeable pavements/sidewalk and bioretention/bioswales.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/ce_fac/15/

The University leadership supports The Office for Sustainability with funding and resources to train and develop a group of graduates and PhD students with the necessary skills to conduct the AASHE STARS Assessment. This fellowship program aids as a living laboratory for the students involved as they conduct in depth research on and about the campus-wide departments to collect the necessary data for submission. The educational experiences provides long term benefits offering students and shareholders, regardless of discipline a comprehensive and holistic understanding of how to apply and assess sustainable practices on both a personal and professional level.

Center for Diversity & Inclusion (CDI) and DREAM Resource Center (DRC)
The purpose of the Center for Diversity & Inclusion (CDI) is to support culturally-based affinity groups, enhance programming that builds cultural competence and civil discourse, and provide direct support to students. The DREAM Resource Center (which functions within the CDI) provides support services and resources for undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students.
Site: https://www.utrgv.edu/studentlife/departments-and-programs/center-for-diversity-and-inclusion/index.htm

UTRGV Tuition Advantage:
As always - and especially now - UTRGV understands the importance of supporting our students and families by making the university experience more affordable. We are proud to announce an expansion of the UTRGV Tuition Advantage grant. Launching in Fall 2022, this program will now cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees for students with a family income of $100,000 or less** who have unmet financial need.
Site: https://www.utrgv.edu/ucentral/tuition-advantage/
https://www.utrgv.edu/commitment/updates/2021-09-29/index.htm

The UTRGV College of Business and Entrepreneurship is expanding the Center for Innovation and Commercialization to Weslaco, Texas.
The center focuses on helping aspiring students and current business owners start or grow their business by way of education and provides services such as community work stations, receptionists, and semi-private office spaces.
Center for Innovation and Commercialization: The Center for Innovation and Commercialization promotes economic growth in a region that has been historically underdeveloped. This is achieved by pursuing three key tasks: first, by assisting potential entrepreneurs (students, staff, and community) in the ideation, development and acceleration of new business ventures; second, by developing the next generation of RGV entrepreneurs by providing students with experiential learning opportunities in new venture creation; and lastly, by becoming the nexus of the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. In so doing we will drive the creation of innovative, scalable enterprises.
Site: https://www.utrgv.edu/cic/

UTRGV Psychology Clinic - https://www.utrgv.edu/psychology-clinic/
The Psychology Clinic at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley was established in 2019 as a training and research facility for advanced Clinical Psychology PhD students in the Department of Psychological Science, and as a site for the development of innovative empirically supported clinical training and research with Hispanic/Mexican American populations by departmental faculty.

The Wellness & Recreational Sports Complex works with the Dietetics program to provide Senior students practicum hours. The students use the Fitness Assessment room and clients learn how to live a sustainable healthy lifestyle., present a sustainable and healthy cooking demonstration and at least 2 other presentations as part of the practicum. The students work 8 hours per day 2 days per week for 5 weeks.
Site: https://www.utrgv.edu/urec/programs/fitness-and-wellness/nutrition/index.htm