The Word: UIW Community Newsletter - December 4, 2020

On Monday, Nov. 23, UIW officially made its mark on Founders Hall, the previous AT&T Building at 4119 Broadway that the University purchased last year.

The eight story, 10-acre property was purchased by the University in the Summer of 2019. The 350,000 square feet of office space, the adjacent parking garage and the surrounding land will increase the UIW footprint at the corner of Broadway and Hildebrand by 20 percent.

For the first time ever, students from the University of the Incarnate Word’s UIWtv program have earned two awards from the Lone Star Emmy Educational Foundation. The first Emmy was awarded in the category of Public Service Announcement (PSA) and the second in the category of Magazine Program.

“I’m extremely proud of our students for excelling in their craft,” says Theresa Coronado, Communication Arts Instructor. “It’s a privilege to guide them in their filmmaking endeavors and witness their achievements.”

“I am incredibly astonished,” says Antonio Bocanegra who received the Emmy for his PSA titled “Self-Isolation”. Bocanegra produced the 60-second public service announcement about dealing with COVID-19 self-isolation while he himself was battling through a COVID diagnosis. “My whole household tested positive and I felt how self-isolation affects oneself,” says Bocanegra. “I wanted to inform others what to do during self-isolation. The goal of the PSA is to educate the public on why self-isolation is necessary during any health crisis, what activities you can do, and how to get support from national and local resources to manage your emotions and stability.”

The second Emmy award went to students at UIWtv who produced a 30-minute magazine program called “Cardstock” which highlighted programs and services offered at UIW. The show aired on the City of San Antonio’s TVSA-Education channel.

“It’s absolutely amazing. I’m ecstatic!” says Cardstock co-host Jacob Martinez. “This is the result of passionate individuals who were placed in the studio to make magic happen. Winning this Emmy to me is just absolutely phenomenal.”

“Producing a 30-minute news magazine show in half a semester requires a lot of coordination and production skill,” says Coronado. “The goal in the assignment was to allow students to produce a complete half-hour show while cultivating their storytelling abilities.”

“It’s a nice feeling knowing that our work was recognized,” says Allison Gomez, Cardstock producer. “I also enjoyed getting to know more about various projects that UIW is involved in, such as Cardinal Cupboard and Compassionate San Antonio.”

“I am humble and grateful to Professor Coronado for putting this program together,” adds Jason Futrell, "Cardstock" producer. “When we were nominated, I felt fulfilled. Knowing we won, I am overflowing with joy.”

The PSA was part of Bocanegra’s final assignment in Video Production I and the magazine program was part of the Spring 2020 Video Production II class.

The 2020 Startup Challenge Finals took place today, Friday, Dec. 4 as teams pitched their startup businesses to a panel of judges with $10,000 in funding up for grabs.

The H-E-B School of Business and Administration hosts the Startup Challenge each fall semester. The event is sponsored by HOLT Ventures, the venture capital arm of HOLT CAT, the largest Caterpillar dealer in the United States. The Startup Challenge Finals featured seven teams as they each made the case for their startup business and how they would best utilize the funding.

This competition is a true demonstration of the international reach of the UIW entrepreneurial ecosystem. Of the seven teams, two are from UIW's campuses in Mexico. Beckcream, a healthy ice cream startup, will represent Centro Universitario Incarnate Word in Mexico City. LU’UM, which utilizes recycled materials in the production of its flooring products, represented Universidad Incarnate Word Campus Bajío in Irapuato.

Meanwhile, students from UIW's sister school, SRH University in Heidelberg, Germany, will presented their startup SpheriEarth – a gaming company with a mission to promote environmental awareness among young people. The other four teams, comprised of students from around the world, represented the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.

Meet the teams

In a series hosted by the UIW Teacher Network, educators across San Antonio joined in a virtual workshop to listen to UIW Alumna Adriana Moreno (BA, 2013) present “Can We Talk? Using Current Events to Create Meaningful Conversations Around Critical Thinking.” 

Moreno spoke to area teachers, students, faculty, and community members as part of a 2020-2021 Professional Development Series titled Social Justice in Action: Empowering Educators and Their Communities, which uses Teaching Tolerance’s social justice standards of identity, diversity, justice and action. Dr. Elda Martinez, professor of Education and Director of Teacher Education stated, “We invited Adriana to lead this discussion because she undertook a purposeful exploration of controversial topics. At a time when many choose to avoid controversy or to focus on their own opinions, Adriana sought to learn more about the issues from various perspectives. This is a great example of respecting others, practicing social justice, and living our University’s Mission.”

In the workshop, Moreno identified strategies to help students analyze how messages are presented in the media to reflect social and cultural views. Participants learned how to help students synthesize and make logical connections between ideas and details in texts that reflect a range of viewpoints on the same topic and support those findings with textual evidence. “Now more than ever, it is vital for educators to have meaningful conversation with their students around current events in our society,” said Moreno. “These conversations will equip students with the tools they need to respectfully express their beliefs and ideas with others." According to Brandi Coleman, induction coordinator for UIW the Teacher Network, “The UIW Teacher Network has hosted several amazing workshops in the past, however this professional development workshop series is timely because it addresses various social justice issues that are occurring within our country. We were excited to have one of our very own UIW Teacher Network alumna contribute engaging and empowering lessons that educators can utilize in their classrooms.”

The UIW Teacher Network is an induction program in the Dreeben School of Education designed to serve as a bridge between teacher preparation and the teaching profession offering support to UIW graduates with an emphasis on the first three years of teaching.

On Nov. 17 and 19, 2020, more than 130 graduate students, professors and community members attended the Graduate Studies Research Symposium, a two-day event that served as a platform for graduate students in the Dreeben School of Education to showcase and share scholarly research and activities. This year’s theme “University Community Engagement in Times of COVID-19" highlighted faculty, students and community engagement, struggles and solutions in the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The annual symposium consisted of two events, a World Café and a Poster presentation. The World Café event offered students an opportunity to gather in a virtual conversation to generate knowledge and share new ideas. Dr. Denise Staudt, dean of the Dreeben School of Education, welcomed participants to the event. Dr. Alfredo Ortiz Aragón, associate professor of Graduate Studies, facilitated the event, which encouraged meaningful interactions among students grappling with the overall question “What are we learning from our community engagement in times of COVID-19?” Posters presented by students on included literature reviews, proposals and completed research.

Dr. Norman St. Clair, professor of Education and director of Graduate Studies explained that planning for the symposium was different than planning for previous traditional, in-person events. “This was our first totally virtual Graduate Studies Symposium, and it went surprisingly well, given the unknowns we were facing with logistics and technology. The student presenters were prepared, faculty were supportive and involved in each aspect of the planning to ensure a successful symposium, and the graduate studies student community was engaged and inspired meaningful dialog.” Dr. Sandra Guzman-Foster, associate professor of Graduate Studies stated, “Although we met via zoom, students were engaged and interactive throughout the symposium and they were very responsive to questions asked by the moderator, using the chat box to respond. This allowed them to share their thoughts with everyone on zoom, which is something different from last year. Student participation was great. Students provided interactive and engaging research presentations.”St. Clair explained, “Each event hosted over 65 participants, which demonstrated our students’ dedication and enthusiasm about their studies and research. I offer my congratulations and appreciation to the Graduate Studies community and look forward to our next research event.” 

Sixteen posters were presented by students at the annual poster presentations session. Keynote Speaker Dr. Mariannella D. Nuñez, visiting assistant professor of Teacher Education, presented “Amplifying Community Stories” to kick-off the event. Participants attended four rounds of sessions, each ten minutes, to learn about various research topics. They chose which virtual breakout room to attend before switching to another virtual room to meet new presenters. Dr. St. Clair facilitated the event and Dr. Guzman-Foster shared closing remarks.  

The poster presenters included: 

• Amy Migura, Ann Lee and Marc Gilbert - Opening a Space for Support and Collaboration in PhD Programs 
• Ashley Click - A Quantitative Study Analyzing the Impact of COVID-19 on San Antonio Community College Face-to-Face Courses Success and Retention 
• Brooke Vasquez - Walking in Their Shoes: A Qualitative Interpretive Study to Explore High School Teachers’ Experiences Utilizing Hy-Flex Instructional Modalities During the COVID-19 Pandemic 
• Ciji Couvetier, Yesenia Alcala and Alexander Ortiz - Homelessness During COVID-19 in San Antonio, Texas 
• Cindy Peña, Jessica M. Quintero and Sonia Rey López - Adapting a New Research Method During the COVID-19 Pandemic 
• Ksenija Kraic -  The Role of Motivation Among Employees Conducting Repetitive Work Tasks 
• Marcus Seels - Organizational Infrastructure: Improving University Sustainability, Application of Aesthetics 
• Melinda Perez - Financial Literacy Among Lantinx Women in the United States 
• Monica Baietti - Big Data Analytics: Literature Review 
• Nicole Dickson - How Does an All-Girls Robotics Team Increase Girls’ Interest in Engineering? 
• Pamela McCray - Ethical Training and Millennials’ Moral Decision Making 
• Patricia Williams - A Literature Review of How Restorative Justice Can Shape Sexual Misconduct Cases 
• Rey Lopez, Glenna R. Bruun and Cindy Peña - COVID-19: Implications of Mandatory Online Teaching During a Pandemic Round 2 
• Robert Greener - U.S. Army Physician Assistant Retention 
• Virginia Mata - A Broad-based Community Organizing Response to COVID-19; A Participatory Action Research Project 
• William Anthony - Exploring International Students’ Experiences and Attitudes Towards Exclusionary Policies in the United States 

The Graduate Studies Department in the Dreeben School of Education prepares students to become scholarly researchers, educators and leaders that are fully prepared to affect positive change in global, organizational and community settings. 

Dr. Kiran Mainali, assistant professor of Mathematics, presented his poster “Sylvester Type LASSO and its Application to EEG Inverse Problem” at the 3rd annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) Texas-Louisiana Section in October 2020. SIAM is an international organization of 14,500 members from academia, manufacturing, research, government, and the military.

Dr. Lale Asik, assistant professor of Mathematics, served as co-organizer of the mini-symposium “Mathematical Advances in Ecology and Evolution” at the SIAM Texas-Louisiana Section conference and presented her research “The Effects of Excess Food-Nutrient Content on the Coexistence of Competing Consumer Species.” Dr. Asik also published her research paper “Elements of disease in a changing world: modeling feedbacks between infectious disease and ecosystems” in Ecology Letters. 

Learn more about her research

Dr. Suleyman Tek, associate professor of Mathematics and chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and his collaborator’s conference paper "An Overview of Microfluidics and its Applications in the Oil and Gas Industry" has been accepted to the Society of Petroleum Engineers Oklahoma Oil and Gas Symposium 2021. 

The UIW community celebrated the 34th annual Light the Way from Nov. 20 - 22. In light of the ongoing pandemic, the University made the decision to transform the event into a drive-through Christmas light display. The lights will remain lit from 5:30 p.m. - midnight every day from now through Jan. 6, 2021. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the Christmas lights. Please note, masks are required while on campus. 

Watch the Light the Way Ceremony livestream: 

Watch the event recap video:

This holiday season we are thankful for you! With your continued support, we are able to empower our UIW students and help them build a bright future. Please enjoy a special message directly from our students. If you’re inspired, please consider making a gift. 

Make a gift

This semester, the UIW Cardinal Chorale collaborated with UIW Music Ministry to produce a special rendition of Undivided by Karen Marrolli. The final recording is a reminder that near or far, the UIW family remains One Word. Watch the finished video:

The University of the Incarnate Word will hold its Fall Baccalaureate Blessing on Friday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. via Zoom. The virtual doors will open at 5:45 p.m.

The history of the Baccalaureate ceremony is firmly entrenched in the medieval European custom of presenting graduating candidates for the degree of bachelor (bacca) with laurels (lauri) or recognition of their achievement. It is traditionally a religious service of celebration and thanksgiving for the time the graduates (Bachelor and advanced degrees) have devoted to growing in wisdom at a place of education.

University Mission and Ministry cordially invites the UIW family to gather in thanksgiving on this interactive Zoom platform to celebrate the sacrifices and accomplishments of our soon to be graduates. Though we are unable to gather in the traditional way, we know that having the opportunity to see friends, family, and mentors who have impacted one's life is an important part of the celebration of this day. To RSVP for the Zoom link, please  register by Sunday, Dec. 6. Due to security purposes, the registration deadline is  firm.  If you miss the deadline, however, the Zoom celebration will be aired on YouTube.

UIW graduates and families

• Graduates, please register using your UIW email. This is the email all correspondence will be sent to and with which you will be identified.
• Graduates, please provide the names (and emails) of any family members to whom you are providing the registration link. This information will help us ensure a secure and safe virtual event space for our graduates and guests.
• Graduates, we encourage you to wear your cap and gown during the service
• Everyone who wishes to participate on the Zoom interactive platform must register. RSVPs must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6.
• The Zoom link with log-in credentials unique to each registrant will be emailed from  UIW Media Ministry. Please do not accept links from any other source. The passcode for this service will be embedded in this link.
• The cell phone number you provide will be used to contact you by text should we have any questions. Information gathered on this registration form is for staff use only and will not be shared.

• Please follow the prompts on the registration form appropriate to your circumstance.
• Faculty: We encourage you to wear your academic regalia during the service.

Thank you for your understanding and assistance in helping us create a meaningful celebration.

RSVP for the Baccalaureate Blessing

University Mission and Ministry invites you to attend our weekly Sunday Morning Prayers. 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 during this celebration of the Liturgy of the Word. The service will be held on Zoom. The platform will open at 10:45 a.m. for an opportunity to greet one another before prayer. We hope you’ll be able to join us! For more information, please contact Lena Gokelman or Carmen Aguilera at ministry@uiwtx.edu or (210) 832-3207.

RSVP to receive a Zoom link to 12/04 Prayer Service

"University of the Incarnate Word branded the former AT&T building on Broadway Street with its logo Monday, beginning the process of expanding the university’s physical footprint, President Thomas Evans said.

The addition of the “iconic building” designed by noted architect Atlee B. Ayers will expand the UIW campus by more than 15 percent and double the university’s academic space, Evans said.

The eight-story building will be the home of the Liza and Jack Lewis III Institute of the Americas, established to improve relationships among North, Central, and South American nations and residents."

Read the full San Antonio Report feature

The Cardinals' Cupboard Food Pantry received 588 pounds of canned and non-perishable items thanks to the generosity of the UIW and San Antonio community during the Light the Way Holiday Drive.

Additionally, over 350 pounds of food was donated before the Thanksgiving holiday to The Society of St. Vincent de Paul as part of the annual Golden Harvest canned food drive.

For more information or opportunities for faculty or student organization collaboration, please contact the Ettling Center for Civic Leadership & Sustainability at ccl@uiwtx.edu.

The University community participated in a South Texas Blood and Tissue Center Blood Drive sponsored by the UIW and the Gordon Hartman Family Foundation on Thursday, Dec. 3. The effort was a collaboration between the foundation, and the University's Ettling Center for Civic Leadership and Sustainability and Office of Campus Life. 

UIW and the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center both reached their donor goals. Thank you to all who participated. 

Cristian Gonzalez, a UIW student who serves as the Honors Program peer mentor coordinator, has been offered early acceptance to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Cristian is a third-year Biology major with a concentration in Neuroscience. He also serves as a science tutor for UIW Tutoring Services. This past summer, he was one of 10 students in the country selected to participate in the Summer Premedical Academic Enrichment Program (SPAEP) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. SPAEP is a seven-week program that consists of learning about research, improving presentation skills, learning about medical disparities, speaking to physicians at UPMC, and most importantly, concludes with an interview for the Early Assurance Program (EAP) for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Acceptance into the program guarantees a seat in the medical school and an individual research project with a faculty member. On Oct. 15, Cristian received acceptance into the Early Assurance Program. 

“A few things that caught my attention about Pitt Med is their rank (14th overall), their research, and their efforts for underrepresented minorities in medicine," said Christian. "I feel excited, grateful, and relieved to have received my acceptance to such a prestigious medical school. I want to thank everybody who helped me get to where I'm at because I could not have done it without the support of the faculty at UIW."

Cristian has worked in the laboratory of Dr. Marieke Burleson, assistant professor of Biology, and has been advised by Dr. Bonnie McCormick as his pre-med advisor. 

Help us honor the UIW Fall Class of 2020! Faculty, staff and parents are invited to nominate Graduating Cardinals to be featured on UIW social media platforms and next week's UIW Community Newsletter. Nominations are due Sunday, Dec. 6.

Nominate a graduating Cardinal to be featured

Note, not all nominees will be featured, but we invite all our graduating Cardinals to post a photo on their Instagram or Twitter accounts with #UIWGrad for the chance to be featured on a billboard! Social media accounts must be public in order to be featured on the billboard.

"Physical therapist Abi Guerra has developed a specialized cancer program, lymphedema and post-mastectomy physical therapy, for Uvalde Memorial Hospital.

Guerra, one of only 68 oncology certified physical therapists in the country and the first female in her inaugural class, has completed the necessary credentialing to become a board certified clinical specialist in oncologic physical therapy.

She has also obtained a lymphedema certification, which further qualifies her to serve those affected by cancer and cancer treatments within our community."

Read the full story

University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball Head Coach Dr. Carson Cunningham was named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame's 2021 Silver Anniversary Team for his outstanding high school performance in 1996, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday. 

The honor is awarded based on outstanding accomplishments as a senior basketball player 25 years ago. Dr. Cunningham is one of 18 honorees. 

The Andrean High School product capped his high school career in 1996 as an Indiana All-Star, AP and the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association second team all-state selection, a two-time Bloomington H-T first team all-state selection and Indianapolis News first team all-state as he amassed 1,476 career points. He was also a two-time (1995, 1996) NWI Times Area Player of the Year and the 1996 Gary Post-Tribune Area Player of the Year. 

In his senior season, Cunningham averaged 23 points, five assists and two steals per game leading Andrean to a 19-2 record. As a junior, Cunningham averaged 20.9 points per game to lead the Fighting 59ers to a 19-6 record, capturing the sectional title and earning first-team underclass all-state honors. 

After high School, Cunningham started 26 of 27 games as a freshman at Oregon State before transferring to Purdue. Cunningham totaled 1,289 points, 444 assists and 108 steals in 123 games played with the Boilermakers. He was a member of the 1999 Sweet 16 team and started on the Boilermakers' 2000 Elite Eight team, averaging 11.25 points, 3.75 assists and 2.25 rebounds in the tournament. 

Cunningham was a two-time academic All-American and earned his doctorate in history. He played professionally for three seasons in Estonia, Australia and the CBA. After his playing career, Cunningham spent five seasons – from 2008-13 – as head coach at Andrean, winning four sectionals and one regional title. From 2013-18, Cunningham was the head coach at Carroll College (MT), winning two conference championships and two conference tournament titles before coming to UIW in 2018. Cunningham currently holds a 123-100 mark in seven seasons as a collegiate coach. 

The Indiana Basketball Silver Team includes 13 members named to the 1996 Indiana All-Star squad and five other all-state players included to recognize the top of Indiana's high school class of 1996.

1996 Indiana All-Stars include: Mr. Basketball Kevin Ault, Ben Anderson, Lee Coomler, Jaraan Cornell, Carson Cunningham, Andrew Graves, Chris Hahn, Mickey Hosier, Michael Lewis, Gary McQuay, Greg McQuay, LaMont Roland and Carl Sykes. 

The remaining five, named to various all-state teams are Duane Clemens, Brian McCauley, Jeff Poisel, Yon Price and B.J Watts. 

University of the Incarnate Word Athletic Director Richard Duran has added Ashley Winning Poronsky to the Cardinal staff as deputy athletic director, announced the department on Monday. Poronsky has more than 13 years of experience in collegiate athletics at the FCS, Group of Five and Autonomous Five levels.

"When looking for our next deputy athletic director, I knew I wanted to find someone with a proven history of fundraising/revenue generation success, a servant-leader who will uphold the mission and core values of UIW, and someone who shares my vision for UIW Athletics," said Duran. "I believe we hit a home run with Ashley joining our team, and I could not be more excited for her support and efforts as we work toward building champions in the classroom, community, and competition." 

Poronsky joins the Cardinals following nearly two years at UTSA, where she was hired as the director of the Roadrunner Athletic Fund before being promoted to assistant athletics director for development in January 2020. As the assistant AD for development, Poronsky was responsible for the cultivation of 200 major gift donors and prospects for the $41.5 million Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence (RACE) capital campaign, as well as oversight of the Roadrunner Athletic Fund (RAF). 

"I am thrilled to join the UIW team and be a part of Richard's dynamic vision for the future of Cardinal Athletics," said Poronsky. "This role positions me to make a meaningful impact on the San Antonio community and on the lives of 540 spectacular young people. I look forward to working with the administration, staff, coaches and fans to achieve tremendous success for this incredible institution." 

In addition to managing a large portfolio of major gift donors, Poronsky was in charge of the UTSA Athletics' annual fund, guiding the department to an all-time high in revenue with $365,000 in philanthropic non-per-seat donations in 2019. Poronsky created a growth model that included a new loyalty points system, membership benefits updates and the Roadrunner Leadership Circle. 

Poronsky drafted press releases and donor communications, in addition to coordinating department-wide projects with Roadrunners Sports Properties, marketing, media relations and the ticket office, to promote the development efforts of the RAF. 

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic during the past eight months, Poronsky oversaw significant changes with donor seating and game day experience plans for football and basketball, while also spearheading a fundraising appeal to help with the financial impact of COVID-19. 

Prior to arriving at UTSA, Poronsky spent five years with the University of Texas Athletics Department, first as the director of events and stewardship before being promoted and spending the final four years as the director of development campaigns and communications. Her primary responsibilities for the Longhorns included creating and executing a strategy for fundraising campaigns for the Longhorn Foundation as well as ensuring high-quality donor engagement for more than 15,000 Longhorn Foundation members. 

Poronsky added over $2 million in annual donations and led three record-breaking membership drives at Texas. Additionally, she created marketing materials for five campaigns and three multi-year scholarship endowment campaigns that raised over $100 million.

Before joining the Longhorns, Poronsky was the assistant director of development, annual giving for the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation, where she was responsible for the cultivation and customer service of 8,600 donors. She also managed a portfolio of prospects for the $150 million Forward Together capital campaign, securing capital gift agreements totaling more than $500,000. 

From 2012-13, Poronsky was the director of development for the Southeastern Louisiana Athletics Department. While with the Lions, she handled the daily management of the Lion Athletics Association and philanthropic gifts to Athletics. 

Poronsky started her Athletics career at LSU, going from a game management graduate assistant to a special projects assistant and ultimately a special events and community relations coordinator, where she oversaw the revitalization of the LSU National L Club and coordinated membership initiatives, programming and events for former letterwinners. 

Poronsky has two degrees from LSU, a Bachelor of Arts in political science (December 2006) and a Master of Science in sports management (December 2008). She is married to 2005 Texas football National Champion offensive tackle Bradley Poronsky and has a stepson, Preston. 

Katy Young Staudt of Ventura Partners assisted with the search. 

The University of the Incarnate Word continues to monitor the local, regional and state-wide progression of COVID-19 to inform decisions about safe campus operations. Below you will find links to helpful information regarding UIW's COVID-19 warning indicators, case tracking, safety guidelines and resources for the UIW community. These sites will be updated to reflect changes or new information.

Cardinal Daily Health Check

COVID-19 Information Site

COVID-19 Case Updates

Cardinal Flight Plan 

Schedule a COVID-19 test on the Broadway campus (students and employees ONLY)

Schedule a COVID-19 test at the UIWSOM campus (open to general public)