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�鶹AV has named its Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in honor of longtime faculty member Dr. Victor A. Zaloom, recognizing more than 40 years of leadership, mentorship and philanthropic impact.

As student loan debt continues to impact Texas graduates, �鶹AV leaders say the university’s emphasis on scholarships, grants, and early, individualized financial advising has helped it rank first in the state for lowest average student debt among public four-year institutions.

�鶹AV’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present three spring productions—a scripted play, a student works series, and a dance concert—showcasing faculty-directed theatre, original student work, and a range of dance styles throughout the semester.

�鶹AV students have 24/7, no-cost access to virtual mental health counseling, crisis support and wellness coaching through TimelyCare, expanding flexible care options for both on-campus and online students.

�鶹AV physics professor Rafael de la Madrid has received the 2024–2025 David J. Beck Teaching Excellence Award in recognition of his innovative, active-learning teaching approach and exceptional mentorship of undergraduate researchers.

�鶹AV has named senior history major Brittni Silva as its January First Generation Student of the Month, recognizing her perseverance, academic achievement and commitment to becoming an educator as a first-generation college student.

�鶹AV strengthened its role in statewide higher education leadership when CIO Patrick Stewart was unanimously elected to the LEARN Executive Committee, giving the university a voice in shaping Texas’s advanced education and research network services.

�鶹AV assistant biology professor Dr. Kole Kubicek, a comparative anatomist and fish biologist, studies the development and evolution of fishes while mentoring students in both field and laboratory research, exploring how skeletal structures emerge and vary across species.

�鶹AV has received a $678,003 grant to launch FLOWS, a three-year program engaging Southeast Texas middle and high school students in hands-on flood education, rain garden projects, and community resilience initiatives.

�鶹AV has launched the College of Nursing and Health Professions to consolidate existing health programs and expand academic offerings in response to regional and statewide healthcare workforce needs.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at �鶹AV celebrated a major milestone with the graduation of its first Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering student, marking the successful launch of the program and underscoring the department’s plans for strategic growth, industry alignment, and future ABET accreditation.

�鶹AV honored more than 2,500 graduates from across Texas, the nation, and the world during its fall commencement, highlighting resilience, adaptability, and a shared spirit of perseverance as students embark on their next chapter.

�鶹AV faculty and staff helped support Southeast Texas families this holiday season by contributing nearly 200 toys and participating in this year’s ToyFeast, a community-wide initiative providing food, gifts, and financial assistance to those in need.

�鶹AV awarded its top academic honor, the Presidential Scholarship, to three outstanding high school seniors this fall after a highly competitive selection process.

�鶹AV has named Sherronice Wilkins, a family science major from Houston’s Trinity Gardens, its First-Generation Student of the Month.

Baytown native Harvest Fairchild navigated �鶹AV with openness and focus, discovering a passion for speech-language pathology through research, advocacy, and interprofessional collaboration, and is now preparing for a career that combines clinical practice, research, and meaningful community impact.

�鶹AV and its affiliated colleges in the Golden Triangle region are proud to recognize the tremendous contributions of faculty and staff whose impact on Southeast Texas set them apart.

�鶹AV hosted its 8th Annual Thanksgiving Banquet to celebrate and support its international students and recognize faculty and staff who advance global education initiatives.

Two �鶹AV students shared the research they completed through the David J. Beck Fellowship, describing how their projects in speech rehabilitation and early neurological disease detection took them to leading research institutions in Chicago and Qatar.

�鶹AV industrial engineering professor Dr. Robert K. Bradley and his SHIELD research team won funding to develop a stretchable silicone “skin” to protect robots from harsh environments—a project that has since launched material samples to the International Space Station to study how their smart cladding withstands radiation and space exposure.

�鶹AV’s Department of Theatre & Dance will showcase original student works in its free fall performance, MOVE: Student Choreography Concert, on Nov. 14 in the Studio Theatre.

Eight �鶹AV faculty and former faculty members have been recognized among the world’s top 2% of scientists in their fields, according to the 2025 global rankings released by Stanford University and Elsevier.

The Reaud Honors College hosted its largest-ever Honors Scholars Day on Oct. 29, showcasing outstanding student research, leadership, and creative projects across all colleges at �鶹AV.

�鶹AV has named Diana Resendez, a senior marketing major from Port Arthur, Texas, as the First-Generation Student of the Month for November.

Dr. Jon Gray has been appointed dean of the College of Graduate Studies at �鶹AV, bringing over 30 years of career experience as an educator and administrator in K-12 and higher education to the role.

�鶹AV surpassed 18,000 students in fall enrollment for the 2024–2025 academic year, driven by record local recruitment, expanded financial aid, and stronger student engagement initiatives.

Valero’s $1 million endowed scholarship in engineering has supported 153 �鶹AV students since 2009, providing more than $640,000 in aid and opening doors to mentorship, internships, and lasting career opportunities with the global energy company.

�鶹AV’s Center for Midstream Management and Science hosted a two-day symposium uniting industry leaders and academics to advance research, innovation, and workforce development in the midstream energy sector.

�鶹AV’s Sustainability Committee and LU Green Squad partnered with Schneider Electric on Oct. 27 to celebrate Energy Awareness Month with an interactive campus event promoting renewable energy, sustainability and practical ways to reduce energy use.