The Word: UIW Community Newsletter - October 9, 2020

The University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM), Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing and Health Professions and Feik School of Pharmacy (FSOP) partnered with San Antonio Metro Health to provide free flu vaccinations during a drive-thru clinic campaign late last week. The effort kicked off on Saturday, Oct. 3 at the UIWSOM campus at Brooks on the South Side. 

UIW President Dr. Thomas Evans, UIW Provost Dr. Barbara Aranda-Naranjo, Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Texas State Senator Jose Menendez, Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran, UIWSOM Dean Dr. Robyn Phillips-Madson, FSOP Dean Dr. David Maize, Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing Dean Dr. Holly Cassells and San Antonio Metro Health Assistant Director of Communicable Disease Anita Kurian attended the grand opening of the drive-thru clinic. With COVID-19 risk prevention measures being observed and UIW masks on, the group gathered for the official ribbon cutting that signaled the opening of the clinic. Attendees received flu vaccinations from the safety of their vehicles. 

With the help of our UIW health professions students, even Mayor Ron Nirenberg got his flu shot at the clinic! Together, we can keep our community safe and healthy. 

Although the COVID-19 pandemic certainly presented challenges to theatre departments around the globe, UIW Theatre faculty have found that where there's a will, there's a way. Theatre classes are meeting and productions are underway — with safety and health precautions in place. The department is currently working on two major productions that will culminate in a performance.  According to Dr. David McTier, professor of Theatre Arts and chair of the department, Theatre faculty and students are working on two major productions that will ultimately culminate in a performance — even if for an empty theater. McTier explained that the department is working to find a solution that will allow them to eventually present these performances publicly online.

The first production of the fall semester will occur tonight, Friday, Oct. 9, with an internal audience premiere of the Short Attention Span Festival. The Short Attention Span Festival consists of a collection of five student-written, directed, acted, and produced 10-minute plays. Students are still experiencing and learning from the process of preparing and performing a full production … just not with the benefit of their usual standing ovation once the curtain closes. The performance will be closed to the public and the “audience” will consist only of faculty and students involved in the five plays—all socially-distanced and masked. McTier explains that the production crews are working in cells of six to 10 students and that those cells can work together unless a member of the cell has a positive COVID-19 test. Working in these small groups protects students who are not part of that cell, as only a limited number of students are working together on any given day.   

The Theatre department is also working with Dr. Lopita Nath, professor of History, brainstorming ways to incorporate her work on refugee studies, and with Dr. Kevin Salfen, professor of Music, to find a performance home for student compositions. And so, the show must go on…with all the necessary precautions, of course. 

Dr. Karen Weis, UIW professor of Nursing and Brigadier General Lillian Dunlap Endowed Chair of Research, co-authored the fourth edition of Psychosocial Adaptation to Pregnancy alongside Dr. Regina Lederman, professor emeritus at the University of Texas-Galveston School of Nursing and adjunct professor in the University of Texas-Health Science Center School of Public Health.

"The fourth edition of this book updates and elaborates on the seven dimensions of maternal emotional health that have significant impact on delivery, postpartum adaptation, infant health, and early childhood development. Supported by the authors’ original research and interviews, the book provides readers with an analysis of the role of these core functions throughout pregnancy, as well as practical materials for use with pregnant clients in the form of assessment instruments and evidence-based interventions for promoting positive development. The book provides a theoretical framework with rationales for the seven psychosocial dimensions, therapeutic and counseling intervention strategies to improve adaptive development in each of the seven psychosocial dimensions, findings specific to women in diverse cultural groups, a chapter devoted to women in the military and military spouses, and discussion of salient issues of pregnancy, including physical changes, body image, intimacy, trust, and ambivalence."

The presented work was foundational for the theory of problem and intervention of Dr. Weis’ Mentors Offering Maternal Support (M-O-M-S) program, currently being tested through a multi-site, randomized clinical trial. 

Dr. Alex Ortiz, professor of Physical Therapy, and Dr. Debora Kaliski, assistant professor of Physical Therapy, recently learned that their submission, “Narrated Dissection Videos and Peer-Mentoring to Enhance Anatomy Performance of Under-Represented Minority Students in Physical Therapy Education,” was accepted for publication and will appear in the November/December issue of Anatomical Science Education, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association of Anatomists. Additionally, the journal editors will honor their work by featuring them and UIW on the cover page of the journal. Congratulations Drs. Ortiz and Kaliski!

Dr. Timothy A. Wingert, dean of the Rosenberg School of Optometry, has been elected vice-chair of the National Academies of Practice Optometry Academy. The National Academies of Practice (NAP) is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 to advise governmental bodies on our healthcare system. Distinguished practitioners and scholars are elected by their peers from various health professions to join the only interprofessional group of healthcare practitioners and scholars dedicated to supporting affordable, accessible and coordinated quality healthcare for all. NAP firmly believes that through close collaboration and coordination of different healthcare professions, aligned through a common vision, healthcare professionals can advocate for patients and model excellence in interprofessional and preventive care. NAP is dedicated to lifelong learning from, with and among different healthcare professions to promote and preserve the health and well-being of society. As vice-chair, Dr. Wingert will automatically ascend to the chair position in the next term. 

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, the University made the decision to move the COVID-19 Warning Indicator from Moderate or  Orange to Minimal or Yellow. The yellow warning indicator is characterized by a lower than 5% positivity rate at UIW, which is reflective of the COVID-19 response team, the community's preventive efforts and regular testing. UIW community members should continue to wear masks on campus, practice social distancing and remain vigilant in our shared responsibility to minimize COVID-19 risks. 

Visit UIW's COVID-19 Information Site

The Cardinal Daily Health Check, a web-based tool, must be completed by all employees, students, and guests before visiting any UIW location. After a successful daily health check, users will be emailed a ticket to be used to verify completion of the screening. Staffed checkpoints, supervisors, faculty members, athletic staff, and others may ask to see this ticket to help our community minimize COVID-19 transmission risks.

Cardinal Daily Health Check

In an effort to keep the University community informed, UIW has launched a COVID-19 case tracking site. The site currently provides information on positive COVID-19 cases on various UIW campus, as well as information regarding UIW’s new warning indicator system. The site is updated regularly.

View the site

In the Gospel story we just heard, we meet Martha and Mary. We will meet them again in another well-known story in John’s Gospel, when their brother Lazarus has died, and Jesus brings him back to life. These three persons — Lazarus, Martha and Mary — are clearly very good friends of Jesus. The passages in Scripture in which we meet them are two of the most human, most touching stories about Jesus. These friends really know Jesus, and they speak to him as only friends can speak to friends.

When Jesus enters the village, Martha welcomes him into their home. It is a happy occasion. A little later, we are told that Mary settles down beside Jesus, at his feet, listening to him speak. Martha is obviously very annoyed, and she complains to her friend Jesus, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? TELL HER TO HELP ME!

I am sure that even before she spoke those words, Martha started banging dishes around and perhaps mumbling under her breath about her lazy sister, Mary! Jesus, of course, answers gently: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her." Luke abruptly stops the story there. But if I know Jesus, the conversation didn’t stop there. I imagine the rest of the conversation went something like this: Martha, Mary and I are talking together. Come and join us. I haven’t had a chance to talk with you for a long time. Let’s just relax. Then, after we’ve had a chance to catch up, Mary and I will help you with the serving and the cleaning up. 

After that, I am sure the evening probably went pretty well.

I have the audacity to put these words in Jesus' mouth because we know Martha did not stay angry either with Mary or with Jesus. Their affection for one another when we meet them again at the time of Lazarus' death proves that. At that time, Martha again runs to meet him. And Jesus shares the depth of his pain as he weeps with the grieving sisters.

Because the Martha and Mary story ends so abruptly, it is usually interpreted to illustrate that contemplation (Mary sitting at Jesus’s feet) is superior to action (Martha serving). That is how I was taught to read this passage when I was growing up. But we know that this is not necessarily a correct reading of the Gospel message. All we need do is think about Jesus’ life and words.

We remember that Jesus also said in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter."  And later in Luke, in the story of the Good Samaritan, it is not the prayerful priest who crossed the street so as not to see the poor man at the side of the road who is praised. Rather, the one who is called “good,” is the one who saw the victim of robbers, had compassion on him, bound up his wounds and carried him to an inn where he could be cared for. Jesus urged his listeners, "You go, and do likewise." The gospels are clear — we need both. We need to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen, but we also need to be busy about many things!

So what does the Martha and Mary story have to do with Heritage Day at the University of the Incarnate Word? I think it has everything to do with understanding the vision out of which this institution was created and discerning whether we have been faithful to that vision right up to Oct. 6, 2020.

The University of the Incarnate Word was founded out of necessity. The Sisters came in 1869 because Claude Marie Dubuis, their founder, told his friends in France, "Our Lord, Jesus Christ, suffering in the persons of the multitude of the sick and infirm of every kind, seeks relief at your hands." To paraphrase, the suffering and sick need relief and I need you to bring that relief. Three young women came to Texas to walk among the sick and treat them, walk among the dying and comfort them and walk amid the crying children, pick them up and take care of them. 

As they persisted in those tasks, the Sisters often sat at the feet of Jesus, asking for guidance. That guidance came in the discovery of new needs: the need to learn more about treating the sick, and comforting the dying, and taking care of and teaching children. So they started a school. And they learned, and learned, and kept learning. And the school became a college and then a university. All the while the Sisters shared their learning with others, building a community of persons fully prepared to sit before the face of human reality and respond to emerging need. 

But the Sisters always realized they couldn’t be only doers. Something inside compelled them to search for the why ... the meaning. They had to learn a new language and learn about how people very different from them lived. What were their values? What were their families like? How did they have fun? What currency did they use? How did they make organizations run smoothly? They learned, and learned, and learned. 

But they never kept that learning to themselves. They invited others who would not choose their lifestyle to learn with them and create a livable, caring community. And we’re still learning. Because our creative God keeps creating, and we need to keep responding. That’s why we celebrate Heritage Day!

The fulfillment experienced by a group of persons responding to need and pondering the deeper meanings of life is how the UIW Mission statement describes the UIW community. At UIW, “faculty and students support each other in the search for and communication of truth, thoughtful innovation, care of the environment, community service, and social justice.” I invite you to read and reflect on that Mission statement some time today.

The core curriculum addresses the WHY. The fact that every student is required to engage in community service and prepare for a career addresses the HOW. And so, every graduate leaves UIW with the potential to be a man or woman prepared to become a concerned and enlightened citizen within the global community.

So students, when you are complaining about why you have to take courses in philosophy and theology, history and psychology, I invite you to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear Him saying, Sure. You’re learning how to be a successful optometrist, or business executive, or renowned musician, but why are you choosing this work? What does it mean? Sit with me and think about it. You have to do more. You’re learning how to make whatever you do in life meaningful not just for yourself, but for everyone.

And for faculty and staff, YES, perhaps you might make more elsewhere. Or perhaps you wouldn’t have to carry such a heavy class load. But let’s remember today why we do what we do. Let us appreciate again, the students who are coming to explore the WHYs of life with us. We need to give them every day the fulfillment we experience on our very best day!

We can’t, however, sit too long pondering the WHYs or even praying! Jesus will say to us, Get up! Complete your community service. Do your job. Treat people ethically. And be the best whatever you are—doctor, teacher, lawyer, waitress, anthropologist, wife or husband. A very troubled global community needs your presence and influence.

The word heritage means something transmitted by or acquired from someone who went before. Let us take time today to be grateful for those early Sisters and for all of the professionals who joined them in the pursuit of truth at UIW. Let us be grateful for all those who made it possible for us to be celebrating today. Those who both sat at Jesus’ feet listening, and then got up and worked hard every day. We did nothing to deserve what has been given to us. Our heritage is gift. Today, let us look at one another in whatever role we are playing— student, faculty member, administrator, board member—and let us offer a sincere and heartfelt “Thank you!”

The UIW Office of Mission and Ministry has put together a helpful summary of Pope Francis' third encyclical, as well as a question and answer featuring many common questions people of faith have about the recent work.

Fratelli tutti summary and Q&A

University Mission and Ministry invites you to attend our weekly Sunday Morning Prayer at 11 a.m. on Oct. 11. The platform will open at 10:45 a.m. for an opportunity to greet one another. This week's service is based on the scriptures of the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time. While we cannot gather in person to celebrate the Sunday Eucharist in Our Lady’s Chapel or the Chapel of the Incarnate Word, we can gather virtually and unite our prayers of petition with our extended Incarnate Word family during this celebration of the Liturgy of the Word. The service will be held on Zoom. We hope you’ll be able to join us this Sunday!

RSVP to receive a Zoom link to Sunday Morning Prayer

UIW is proud to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution and the top faith-based institution in the nation for graduating Hispanic students with bachelor’s degrees. We couldn’t accomplish this without the many Hispanic voices of our community members who are committed to serving students of diverse backgrounds with the attention, care and thoughtfulness they deserve. We caught up with UIW Athletic Director Richard Duran, for his take on what it means to him to be one of only nine Hispanic athletic directors at a DI Hispanic-Serving Institution and what Hispanic heritage means to him personally.

1. Family is important in many cultures, especially the Hispanic culture. Tell us about what it was like growing up with your family.

Growing up on the eastside of Los Angeles (Montebello, CA), I always felt like I had so many people looking out for me. My father was the disciplinarian, and my mother was always the nurturer. My father was always educating me and teaching me right from wrong. I was lucky enough to have amazing grandparents and great-grandparents who were always supportive and loving. I had a younger brother who, though only 21 months apart in age, was the complete opposite of me and always kept me on my toes. My sister, who is eight years younger than me, helped bring some balance to the family, and protecting her was one of the few things my brother and I could agree on.

2. In your opening press conference, you thanked three family members: your father, your grandpa Tony and your grandma Marty. What kind of values did they instill in you that you carry with you today?
My great grandfather Tony instilled in me leadership qualities at a young age, but he also taught me the importance of knowing when to follow. My grandma Marty taught me how to love and respect all people. My father has taught me to work hard at everything I do, and he instilled in me the values and work ethic that I have today. Each of these qualities molded me into the person I am today, and I can’t thank my family enough for that.

3. How has your close relationship with your family influenced the relationships you have made throughout your career and especially at UIW?
I have learned the importance of building trust and always staying true to yourself from my family. Knowing the difference between right and wrong – while also trying to do the right thing for the right reasons – is something I have learned from my family, and that is something I try to instill in our staff and student-athletes each day. Even when mistakes happen, take ownership, learn and become better from them. These are the beliefs that I use in building relationships. Without meaningful relationships, reaching goals can be quite a challenge.

4. You are a first-generation college graduate and the youngest DI athletic director in the nation. How have those two things impacted you as a leader?
Being able to earn my college degree was one of the most transformational moments of my life. Walking across that stage was not only a moment of joy for me, but for my entire family. So many people poured into to me and helped provide me the opportunity, and that moment was in honor of all of those people. Being the youngest DI AD in the country is honestly a point of pride for me and my entire community back home. I wake up every day knowing how blessed I am to have this opportunity at this point in my career, and I know I have to give my absolute best to serve our student-athletes and community. 

5. As a first-generation college graduate, how has your family reacted to the advancement of your career?
If you ask my father, he would have asked what took me so long to become an AD! These positions are highly competitive, and many professionals never get the opportunity to serve in this capacity. I have shared this with my family, and their appreciation for this opportunity has grown even more. My story is unique, but it is not that different from many of our student-athletes. So being able to show young people back home, as well as our own student-athletes, that accomplishing your professional goals is possible, is something I will never take for granted. 

6. What is your favorite part about working at UIW?
The Mission of the institution and the people! This is the most mission-driven institution that I have ever been part of. Being able to serve in support of the amazing legacy of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word is a blessing. Working alongside so many amazing people in service of our students and institution still inspires me daily.

7. In your opinion, what is the most important part of your job?
Serving for the greater good. It is easy to get caught up in the wins and losses, but I remind the athletics department team that we are here to do more than just compete. I no doubt want to win in everything I do as we work to develop the whole student-athlete, but we must remember that sport is just one part of their lives. I also love that we are not only serving our student-athletes, but also our campus and community. Athletics intertwines with the entire campus and the greater community, and we must do our part in the big picture. I work daily to try to do the right things for the right reasons in service of all our communities. 

8. You talk about the student-athletes being champions in the classroom, in the community and in competition. Can you talk about what you and the department do on a daily basis, and for the big picture, to help the student-athletes achieve that?
Simply put, as I learned from my family, I ask our department team to do the right thing for the right reasons. I believe if we make decisions with the greater good in mind, then we will move toward achieving our goals. Athletics is only one part of the University, and we work to align our department with the direction of the University. If we fail to do this, then we will not be able to serve our student-athletes and campus community in the best manner possible.

9. You are one of nine Hispanic ADs leading the athletics department at a DI Hispanic-Serving Institution. What does that mean to you?
It is incredible to even be one of the 357 Division I athletic directors in the nation, let alone serving at one of the 34 Division I Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Working at UIW and living in the City of San Antonio is a complete honor and provides me an opportunity to serve both a diverse campus and community.  

Archive photo, Feik School of Pharmacy students, 2017

Advancing the quality of care in diverse populations is more than a motto at the University of the Incarnate Word’s Feik School of Pharmacy (FSOP). Inspired by University founders, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, FSOP’s mission informs every part of its work – from education to community outreach to its strategy for the future. Now in its second year of a five-year Strategic Pipeline Development Program, FSOP is working to create programs aimed at recruiting and producing highly skilled pharmacists with a desire to serve the Hispanic community. The program is part of a $175,000 gift from CVS Health received in 2019.

Among the opportunities developed through the Strategic Pipeline Development Program is the opportunity to introduce UIW and the pharmacy profession to high school students through multiple community events and demonstrations, summer camps and clinics in the Rio Grande Valley.

“The most successful part of the program has been our week-long summer camps called PharmCAMP, where we host 30 high school students from Valley schools to explore pharmacy and the college life at UIW,” said Dr. Amy Diepenbrock, FSOP assistant dean of Student Affairs.

The first PharmCAMP in 2019 was truly a one-of-a-kind experience for students in attendance. Participants were provided transportation to and from the Rio Grande Valley, housed at UIW residence halls and engaged in lessons ranging from how to make lip balm to the opioid crisis. FSOP now has six students enrolled at UIW who attended that first PharmCAMP class.

While the COVID-19 pandemic presented obstacles for proceeding with the program this year, FSOP faculty continued their work by providing a safe, online experience.

“This year we had a virtual camp where we set up a supply box for students and had online sessions for students to continue to learn,” explained Diepenbrock.

The program’s overall goal is to recruit and develop students with a strong desire to work in and serve the people of underserved Hispanic communities. In addition, the program is intended to lift up students of Hispanic backgrounds by providing better access to educational opportunities and career paths, with the understanding that many students eventually choose to give back to their own communities in their careers.

“It gives us an opportunity to meet with Hispanic students and gives them an opportunity to interview for the program at the UIW,” said Dr. David Maize, dean of the FSOP. “We want to increase the number of Hispanic students and Spanish-speaking students in pharmacy to positively help communities down the road.”

The Strategic Pipeline Development Program has also helped FSOP create opportunities for students already enrolled at the University. Undergraduate students are provided the chance to gain first-hand experience serving Hispanic communities.

“Last school year, we named the first student chapter of the National Hispanic Pharmacy Association, which gives students opportunities to attend a lot of different events and clinics around the community,” Diepenbrock explained.

One of those events gave students an opportunity to take part in a flu vaccination drive to help members of the community get vaccinated. The drive resulted in a 32 percent increase in residents of the local Hispanic community getting their flu vaccination compared to the year before.

“It has had a great response, and the program is doing very well at preparing these students for an opportunity to become better pharmacists that will positively impact Hispanic communities after their time at UIW,” Maize said.

In addition to FSOP’s efforts to introduce more young, Hispanic students to the pharmacy field, the school has taken the initiative to ensure that all of its graduates can effectively communicate with Spanish-speaking community members. Because representation in health care and the ability to communicate with healthcare professionals is vital to helping underserved communities maintain their health and well-being, the FSOP’s Doctor of Pharmacy degree requires all students to complete two 2-credit hour courses of Spanish for Pharmacy. An optional Spanish certification is also available to FSOP students who wish to further develop their verbal and written Spanish skills. The Spanish course requirement aims to “increase fluency with basic patient counseling in Spanish that increase practice-readiness among our students and provides the training necessary to provide effective patient care to diverse patient populations in South Texas.”

These efforts and more have earned the UIW Feik School of Pharmacy the 2020 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The national recognition is a reflection of UIW FSOP’s commitment to serving students and communities of diverse backgrounds. The data is clear – FSOP graduated the largest number of Hispanic pharmacists in the continental US in 2018 and 76% of FSOP students are from a minority population.

“I am very proud of the school being selected for the 2020 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award,” said Maize. “Our mission at the Feik School of Pharmacy is to advance healthcare in diverse populations. The first step in meeting that mission is to educate a diverse group of student pharmacists, and this award recognizes our efforts.”

Learn more about the Feik School of Pharmacy

Join the Ettling Center for Civic Leadership and Sustainability for Stories Shaping Our World Views, a virtual meetup with internationally acclaimed writer for Religious News Services, Dr. Simran Jeet Singh (pictured in image). Dr. Singh will speak about positive ways to build a more inclusive society and share his new children’s book Fauja Singh Keeps Going. The book tells the story of Sikh centenarian Fauja Singh (pictured in image), who in 2011 became the oldest person believed to have run a marathon.

Who are we as the people of the U.S.? At this event, participants will consider books for children and how stories form us and learn from some delightful stories from multifaith and multicultural perspectives for the young at heart, as much as for children. 

Speakers include Dr. Stephanie Grote Garcia, associate professor of Education, Dr. Deepti Kharod, assistant professor of education, Dr. Orit Eylon, associate professor of Music, Brandi Coleman, MA, induction coordinator for the Dreeben School of Education, Dr. Sumeyra Tek, adjunct Physics faculty and Lauren Gonzales, UIW student. The event will be moderated by Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, CCVI, a recipient of an Interfaith Youth Core Award to explore We Are Each Other's resources and activities to help young people in interfaith cooperation, anti-racism, and service with their communities. The event will be held Monday, Oct. 12 at 9 a.m. via Zoom. For more information and to receive the Zoom link, please contact Sr. Martha Ann Kirk at kirk@uiwtx.edu. 

"University of the Incarnate Word officials announced plans Friday to further cement its major academic medical campus in the traditionally medically underserved community on the South Side of San Antonio."

Find the full story 

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” — Chinese proverb

As part of the City of San Antonio's efforts to plant 20,000 trees in the year 2020, Mayor Ron Nirenberg will ceremonially and symbolically plant a tree at the Headwaters of the San Antonio River, adjacent to the University of the Incarnate Word, on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 10 a.m. UIW President Dr. Thomas Evans will also speak at the event. 

As part of the greater Compassion Tree Project, so far, more than 7,000 trees have been planted in San Antonio this year. 

Collaborative partners include the City of San Antonio (Department of Human Services; Parks & Recreation Department; Office of Sustainability), Compassionate San Antonio, Compassionate San Antonio Grassroots, Eco Centro, Environmental Defense Fund, Gardopia Gardens, Climate Reality Project/San Antonio Chapter, San Antonio Interfaith Environmental Network, SoL Center, University of the Incarnate Word, Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, and Headwaters at Incarnate Word. 

The event cannot be attended by the public in person, but can be livestreamed on the SACRD.org Facebook page.

The Ettling Center for Civic Leadership & Sustainability continues to seek volunteers to make face masks for members of our community who are most in need. Volunteers that register will be mailed a “face mask kit” that includes fabric, paper pattern, elastic, thread, nose bridges and a prepaid return envelope.

This project has been organized by Margaret Mitchell, professor of Theatre, Teri Lopez, Fashion program director and Yesi Grancharoff, costume shop supervisor, with video and visual documentation by Nick Grancharoff. This project is a collaboration with the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and the Ettling Center for Civic Leadership & Sustainability. 

If you would like to contribute but may not know how to sew, your financial contribution is just as important to support this effort. For more information or opportunities for faculty or student organization collaboration, please contact the Ettling Center at ccl@uiwtx.edu or call 210-283-6423. 

The UIW Autonomous Vehicle Systems (AVS) Lab kicked off the month of October by receiving the highly anticipated and newly upgraded DraganFly Commander unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This high-endurance, electric multirotor UAV has a carbon fiber folding airframe with an interchangeable payload, and the potential for 35-minute flight-time.

The AVS Flight Ops team, consisting of meteorology major Orion Jones, engineering major Jovany Avila, and the newest team member Daniel Potter were able to fly the UAV on Friday, Oct. 2 at the Headwaters Sanctuary. Following not only COVID-19 safety guidelines, the team also abided by FAA safety guidelines in testing the new UAV. The team was able to test the controls for basic flight as well as the auto-land feature. This feature allows the Pilot-In-Command to land with one single button. The Commander will soon be equipped with the FLIR LiDAR camera which will allow the team to continue to advance the lab.

Registration is now open for UIW Homecoming 2020 events! We invite all of our alumni back to the Nest for a variety of fun and festive events from Oct. 30 - Nov. 8. This year, we're celebrating Homecoming with a week full of activities, new adventures and a whole lot of Cardinal pride just for our alumni and their loved ones! 

If you have any questions about Homecoming 2020, please contact our Alumni Relations team at alumni@uiwtx.edu or (210) 805-5899. 

See all events and register

The University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team is set to play a 12-game conference schedule for the Spring 2021 season, announced by the Southland Conference on Monday. 

The Cardinals will split the season, hosting six opponents at the McDermott Center: Abilene Christian, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Nicholls, Lamar and McNeese. 

UIW will hit the road for the other six matches, traveling to Central Arkansas, Northwestern State, Houston Baptist, Sam Houston, New Orleans and Southeastern Louisiana. 

With Jan. 23 set as the first permissible date for competition, UIW will look at the possibility of scheduling additional non-conference competition. 

The SLC tournament, consisting of the top four teams this year, will be hosted on April 2-3 at the site of the No. 1 seed. 

• Feb. 4 vs. Abilene Christian, 6 p.m.
• Feb. 6 vs. Stephen F. Austin, 1:30 p.m.
• Feb. 11 @ Central Arkansas, TBA
• Feb. 13 @ Northwestern State, TBA
• Feb. 23 vs. A&M-Corpus Christi, 6 p.m.
• Feb. 27 vs. Nicholls, 11 a.m.
• March 4 @ Houston Baptist, TBA
• March 6 @ Sam Houston, TBA
• March 18 @ New Orleans, TBA
• March 20 @ Southeastern La., TBA
• March 25 vs. Lamar, 6 p.m.
• March 27 vs. McNeese, 1:30 p.m.

The schedule is subject to change. UIW Athletics will continue monitoring the ongoing situation involving the COVID-19 pandemic and will follow the University's Emergency Response Team, Southland Conference, NCAA, and CDC guidelines and recommendations as they develop and change. We will continue to notify our Athletic community as information is updated.