Spring 2015 Background

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Giving

The University of Texas at San Antonio Online Magazine

 

Investing in Big Data

With generous backing, UTSA launches its new Open Cloud Institute

 
 

Featured Stories

Building a Legacy
Building a Legacy

UTSA counseling center gets continued backing of founder's family

Doubling Down
Doubling Down

Matching contribution programs can multiply donations

All Adds Up
It All Adds Up

A crowdfunding program turns small contributions into big gains

The Scene

Giving Scene
Giving Scene

Snapshots of just some of those who are helping propel UTSA to top tier

Giving Thought
Giving Thought

Marjie French, Vice President for External Relations: UTSA's Historic Events

 
Development Board
More Stories
A High-Tech Pact Microsoft and UTSA partner to create an energy efficient data center
Incentive in All Aspects UTSA's first Kudla endowed fellow is motivated by her donors
News Briefs
Alvarezes Honored with Hall Renaming
Presidential Scholars Get New Funding
A Gift for a Cure
GoldStar Initiative
Supporting Tier One
 
 

On the Background

Donors helped fund new uniforms for the UTSA Cheer team through crowdfunding site Launch UTSA; donors also voted for their favorite uniform option.
Photo by @chrisreillyphotography

UTSA Cheerleaders
 

From the President

Dear Friends:

One of the most significant initiatives the university has ever undertaken on our journey to be a Tier One institution is now under way. UTSA is investing $40 million in institutional resources to strengthen our commitment to research by bringing 60 new top-tier scholars to the university over the next four years.

The GoldStar Initiative, as it is known, will recruit experts in key fields aligned with university and regional economic strengths: advanced materials, open cloud computing, cybersecurity, big data, biomedicine and sustainable communities, among other areas.

If San Antonio is to remain a leader in a global economy, it must have the high caliber of research that we conduct at UTSA. Our researchers will make new discoveries, teach new knowledge and address some of the world's most pressing issues. Through the GoldStar Initiative, we plan to significantly increase our annual research expenditures from $50 million to $75 million over the next five years; soon afterward, reaching $100 million, which is a critical threshold for Tier One designation.

Of course, the generosity of the San Antonio community makes a difference by supporting the ongoing work of these researchers, especially in establishing endowed positions, such as faculty chairs, as well as fellowship opportunities to attract the graduate students who will be the workhorses of important research. We cannot achieve Tier One without the support of our community.

This issue of Giving highlights the 80/20 Foundation and its investment in UTSA. The organization is a wonderful example of the kind of “philanthropy in action” needed to augment the GoldStar Initiative because it has already invested in both professors and graduate students. As a result, we are the academic leader in cloud computing education. By investing in UTSA, you too help quicken the pace of discovery, create new opportunities for our students and keep San Antonio at the forefront of innovation.

This year has started with the promise of significant advancement and opportunities for the university because we have your support. Thank you for believing in the vision of a brighter tomorrow at UTSA.

¡ MIL GRACIAS!

Signature Ricardo Romo

Ricardo Romo
President, The University of Texas at San Antonio

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On the cover: Graham Weston helps launch the UTSA Open Cloud Institute on campus February 26.
Photo by Mark McClendon
 
 

Spring 2015 |  Contents