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Nov. 17, 2005
Media Contacts:
Cindy Ramirez, coordinator
915/747-7526 or 915/491-8237
or Kimberly Miller, public affairs specialist
915/747-5747 or 915/491-4907
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UTEP’s Centennial Commission: A Vision for the Future
--Commission Report for 2014, UTEP’s 100th Anniversary, Released-- |
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As UTEP begins the countdown to the celebration of its centennial in 2014, the Centennial Commission report released today, Nov. 17, 2005, provides an external stakeholders’ vision of the University on its 100th birthday.
Co-chaired by UTEP alumni U.S. District Judge Philip Martinez and retired business CEO Larry K. Durham, the Centennial Commission brought together the perspectives of 100 alumni, supporters and community leaders.
“The vision and recommendations presented here will ensure that UTEP’s future development is aligned with the aspirations of our external stakeholders, both in this region and elsewhere,” UTEP President Diana Natalicio said.
The Commission made recommendations for long-range goals and strategies of UTEP’s future development in the following areas:
- El Paso’s Quality of Life
- UTEP’s Image
- Health Professions Education/Health and Biomedical Research
- PreK-16 Educational Collaboration
- Alumni Relations and Development
- UTEP’s Neighborhood
- Graduate and Professional Development Programs
- Regional Economic Development
- U.S. Mexico border/International Programs
- Undergraduate Education
“We thank all of the Centennial Commission members for their deep commitment to UTEP reflected in the time and talent that they dedicated to this initiative,” Natalicio said.
The Centennial Commission was modeled after the highly successful UTEP 2001 Commission formed in 1989 on the occasion of the University’s 75th anniversary.
“Overall, the vision of the members of the Centennial Commission is considerably bigger and bolder than the one articulated in 1989 because UTEP is a far more competitive institution today than it was 15 years ago,” Natalicio said. “Expectations of us, both on and off the campus, are significantly higher.”
Much has changed since UTEP’s origins as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy in 1914.
Today, more than 19,000 students enroll in UTEP’s six academic colleges and Graduate School. UTEP offers 81 bachelor’s, more than 70 master’s programs and 13 doctoral degrees – and counting. UTEP ranks second in the UT System and among the top 200 universities nationally in annual research expenditures.
“We’ve compiled an enviable record of accomplishments and now we are poised for even greater success in years to come,” Durham said. “This Centennial Commission report will serve as a catalyst for strategic planning on the UTEP campus.”
UTEP ranks third in the nation awarding bachelor’s degrees to Hispanics; and has recently been named as the top engineering graduate school in the nation for Hispanics.
However, UTEP’s future success will impact more than the students who enroll here.
“The future development of the university is of crucial importance to the Paso del Norte region,” Martinez said. “The success of our students ensures the economic and social development of our region, and the contributions our students have made, are making and will make to the world are immeasurable.”
The entire report can be read online at www.utep.edu/centennialcommisson
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Contact: Cindy Ramirez
University Communications
915/747-7526
October 6, 2004 |
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UTEP Establishes Centennial Commission
—Group charged with developing university plan for next decade — |
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The University of Texas at El Paso announces the creation of the Centennial Commission, a group of alumni, friends and supporters charged with developing a vision for the university in 2014 — UTEP’s 100th anniversary.
The commission is comprised of 100 members divided into 10 committees. Each committee will review and evaluate the opportunities and challenges of UTEP’s future development in key focus areas — and recommend long-range goals and strategies to achieve them.
“UTEP’s unprecedented success in contributing to the human and economic development of this region during the past 15 years has propelled the University into national visibility as a national model for leadership in higher education,” UTEP President Diana Natalicio said.
UTEP’s Centennial Commission is co-chaired by UTEP alumni U.S. District Judge Philip Martinez and retired business CEO Larry K. Durham.
Martinez, a native El Pasoan, graduated summa cum laude from UTEP in 1979 and from Harvard Law School in 1982. Martinez was elected judge of the El Paso County Court at Law No. 1 in 1991 and soon was appointed to a state district court. He was appointed to the federal judgeship in December 2001.
Martinez has established the Philip R. Martinez Endowed Scholarship to provide funds to UTEP students in the Center for Law and Border Studies and the Law School Preparation Institute.
Durham, former president and CEO of National Express Group, came to Texas Western College on a football scholarship in 1961. He soon made history at the college by scoring the first touchdown in the Sun Bowl in 1963.
Durham graduated from TWC in 1966, and later worked at Boeing and Lockheed Electronics. In 1976, he bought a company that later became the multi-million dollar Durham Transportation. He sold the company to a British firm in 1999, but was hired back as president and CEO of its U.S. subsidiary, National Express Group.
In 2001, Durham donated $5 million to UTEP to support the Larry K. Durham Sports Center, which opened in 2002.
“We are grateful to the outstanding individuals who have agreed to dedicate their time and expertise as members of the Centennial Commission,” Natalicio said. “Their perspectives will enable us to crystallize our vision of UTEP’s growing leadership role, both regionally and nationally, in 2014 and beyond.”
The final Centennial Commission report containing recommendations from all committees is to be completed by November 2005.
The following are the 10 Centennial Commission committees and their chairs: |
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Chair
Amen Ayoub
Chana Azar Burton
Irene Chavez
Robert Duron
Richard Fleager
Ginger Francis
Debra Koch
Cindy Ramos-Davidson
Lucinda Vargas
Jimmy Vasquez |
Committee
El Paso Quality of Life
UTEP's Image
Health Professions Education/Health and Biomedical Research
PreK-16 Educational Collaboration
Alumni Relations and Development
UTEP’s Neighborhood
Graduate and Professional Development Programs
Regional Economic Development
U.S.-Mexico Border and International Programs
Undergraduate Education |
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Additionally, three internal task forces will assess and make recommendations in the areas of research, campus climate and student success.
—30 — |
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