News Release

UTSA Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos & Native Americans in Science Student Chapter honored with Outstanding Mentoring Award at SACNAS National Conference

Only two of 18 student chapters in Texas recognized

Grant and Award Announcement

University of Texas at San Antonio

The University of Texas at San Antonio Student Chapter of the Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) was recently honored with the Outstanding Mentoring Award at the SACNAS 2014 National Conference in Los Angeles. This year's theme, "Creativity, Vision and Drive: Toward Full Representation in STEM", commemorated 41 years of dedicated service by the organization.

In 2012, the UTSA SACNAS student chapter opened on the Main Campus, adding to the list of more than 50 student chapters nationwide. Since opening, the students have received mentoring from a number of College of Sciences faculty members who have been recognized nationally or previously held prominent positions in the SACNAS as past presidents or board members. In 2011, UTSA Biochemistry Professor Andrew Tsin received the White House Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. In 2012, UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy Chair Miguel Yacaman was honored with SACNAS' Distinguished Scientist Award.

"We were honored to receive the SACNAS Outstanding Mentoring Award and thank the UTSA faculty and staff for their support," said Zachary Jordan, president of the UTSA SACNAS Student Chapter. "We appreciate the SACNAS national organization for recognizing our collaborative efforts."

Last year, UTSA was the first university in Texas to sponsor the 40th Annual SACNAS Conference at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, which drew more then 3,700 participants and generated an economic impact of nearly four million dollars for San Antonio.

With more than 6,900 paid members serving a community of more than 25,000 at more than 1,000 institutions nationwide, SACNAS seeks to increase the number of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans with advanced degrees in science and motivate them to be leaders in their scientific disciplines. SACNAS' goals include increasing the number of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in scientific research, leadership and teaching careers and increasing governmental commitment to advancing Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in science, resulting in increased resources, elimination of barriers and greater equity.

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To learn about the 41-year history of SACNAS visit http://sacnas.org/about/our-history

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About UTSA

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is an emerging Tier One research institution specializing in health, energy, security, sustainability, and human and social development. With nearly 29,000 students, it is the largest university in the San Antonio metropolitan region. UTSA advances knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. The university embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property – for Texas, the nation and the world.


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