Posted on August 15, 2022 by College of Sciences
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Outstanding New Faculty in the College of Sciences Advance UTSA's Commitment to Student Success
By KC Gonzalez and Ryan Schoensee
UTSA begins the academic year with nearly 100 new full-time faculty joining its ranks. Marking another year of outstanding new hires, the tenured, tenure-track and full-time fixed-term-track faculty bring their talents from a host of prestigious institutions from around the nation and world.
Notably, within this cohort, over 75% of the tenured and tenure-track faculty received their terminal degrees from Carnegie R1 research institutions and nearly half from AAU member institutions. A few of these premier institutions include Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Penn State University, University at Buffalo-SUNY, University of California-Los Angeles and University of Florida.
Of these new faculty, 27 are joining the College of Sciences. On Thursday, August 11, the college hosted a new faculty welcome event where new faculty were welcomed by David Silva, Dean of the College of Sciences. The faculty also gathered at tables to meet with their department chairs and share a meal together.
"We are pleased to welcome such a large cohort of new accomplished educators to our UTSA community," said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Kimberly Andrews Espy. "The expertise of these new faculty members, who are at the forefront of their fields, will support our students' success through cutting edge curricula and unique learning experiences both in and out of the classroom."
When asked why they chose UTSA, several faculty members said they were impressed by the university's recent Tier One designation and shared excitement about working with its diverse student body.
A native of San Antonio and first-generation college student, microbiologist Diqui LaPenta decided to leave a longtime teaching position at California's College of the Redwoods for the opportunity to join the UTSA Department of Integrative Biology as an assistant professor of instruction. With over 25 years of teaching experience, she is passionate about UTSA's dual commitment to student success and research excellence.
"At UTSA, I can be a mentor and role model for first-generation college students who need help navigating what it means to be a college student," LaPenta said. "I have watched UTSA grow from a few buildings to an R1-designated institution. I am also hopeful that UTSA will progress from a Hispanic Serving Institution to a Hispanic Thriving Institution, and it would be an honor to be an active part of that process."
Several incoming faculty members were hired as a result of the programs that comprise Academic Affairs' Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative. These programs support additional hiring of diverse full-time, tenured and tenure-track faculty who will advance inclusive excellence at UTSA by enhancing student success, research and academic distinction.
With UTSA welcoming this new cohort, UTSA now has nearly 1,400 faculty members across eight colleges.
— College of Sciences
