UTSA receives $5 million gift from H-E-B to recruit and retain world-class faculty

By Joe Izbrand
Chief Communications Officer

(Feb. 17, 2013) -- The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has received a $5 million, five-year commitment from H-E-B to establish a fund that supports the recruitment of world-class faculty to UTSA as it advances to Tier One status.

The H-E-B Faculty Research Excellence Fund matches other private gifts dollar for dollar, providing a total of $10 million for endowed professorships and chairs across the university's nine colleges.

The H-E-B pledge is the largest private matching gift in the university's history.

The endowment will significantly contribute to UTSA's progress toward designation as a premier research institution by enabling the university to attract and recruit leading scholars and researchers through financial support for their research, teaching and other education activities. UTSA's research efforts are focused on areas that meet the needs and strengths of San Antonio: health, cyber security, sustainability, energy, and human and social development.

Currently, UTSA has 48 endowed faculty positions representing approximately 7 percent of the total tenured and tenure-track faculty positions across the university. UTSA's goal is to increase this number to 10 percent by 2016. Longer term, the university expects to have 20 percent of positions endowed.

"H-E-B's gift will have a transformational impact on UTSA and San Antonio by helping to bring world-class faculty to our community to conduct research, create new businesses that grow our economy, and inspire a new generation of leaders," said UTSA President Ricardo Romo. "Already, we have recruited top faculty from institutions such as MIT, Harvard, UC Berkeley and the University of Michigan. We are grateful to H-E-B for its generosity in helping us continue this important work."

"H-E-B is deeply invested in the future of the Texas economy, which is anchored by how well we educate our students," said Winell Herron, H-E-B group vice president of public affairs and diversity. "Students deserve the very best educators to help inspire them and guide them toward a fulfilling career and a lifelong love of learning."

Previously, H-E-B has provided gifts of nearly $2 million to UTSA, supporting UTSA Graduate School H-E-B fellowships and scholarships for the Center for Student Professional Development.