President's One Main Message: Welcoming Scholar-in-Residence, Latinx Exhibition
We are just a few weeks into the semester, and it has been a particularly productive time at the University of Houston-Downtown. Last week alone, our university participated in a significant community service initiative on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and this week, we are signing a letter of intent with the Port of Houston Authority, Houston Independent School District, and Houston Community College to enhance educational opportunities for maritime professionals. Another recent highlight was UHD’s inclusion in U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Online Programs.
So far, 2019 is picking up where 2018 left off … with momentum and promise. This edition of the One Main Message will spotlight two major UHD events this week – the annual Center for Critical Race Studies Scholar-in-Residence program and the opening of “Close to Home: Latinx & Identity” at the O’Kane Gallery.
Great universities host discussions and exhibitions that inform and enlighten communities. Dr. Bonilla-Silva’s residency and “Close to Home” are just two such events to be presented at UHD in 2019, and I look forward to many more in the months to come.
UHD Welcomes Dr. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
This week, our university welcomes noted sociologist and author Dr. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva as its 2019 Center for Critical Race Studies Scholar in Residence. Dr. Bonilla-Silva, a professor of sociology at Duke University, will participate in several events aimed at different segments of the UHD community, including an Administrator & Staff Development Seminar at 9 a.m., Jan. 29 followed by a Student Activists & Community Leaders Seminar at 11 a.m. He also will preside over Faculty Development Seminars at 2:30 p.m., Jan. 30 and 10 a.m., Jan. 31. All of these events will be conducted in the Milam/Travis rooms. I encourage our community to meet Dr. Bonilla-Silva at both of these events and others scheduled throughout the week.
“Close to Home: Latinx & Identity”
The O’Kane Gallery is hosting this exhibition featuring art from some of the most prolific Latino artists in the country. The artwork in “Close to Home” belongs to Drs. Harriett and Ricardo Romo who spent decades collecting works that showcase the Hispanic experience in our country. These pieces are on view as part of the Latino Arts Now! exhibitions taking place in Houston and can be experienced within our gallery. The Romos have contributed an impressive collection of art to this exhibition, and I look forward to sharing it with our university and our city.
The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.
U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.
