UTA recognized for positive impact on Latino students
Two University of Texas at Arlington programs are among 19 nationally selected as 2023 Examples of Excelencia finalists for their intentional, culturally relevant, evidence-based practices tailored to Latino students and their communities.
Excelencia in Education, a national authority on promoting Latino student success in higher education, chose UTA’s Spanish Translation and Interpreting program and Bridge to Math Doctorate program as finalists for its baccalaureate- and graduate-level awards.
The Spanish Translation and Interpreting program prepares graduates to become bilingual and multicultural leaders in their communities, equipping students with the skills and professional opportunities to succeed in their careers. The program is oriented to serve the Hispanic community and enables communication between monolingual Spanish speakers and the public.
“We are extremely honored to receive this honor of being selected as a finalist,” said Alicia Rueda-Acedo, associate professor of Spanish translation and literature and director of the Spanish Translation and Interpreting Program. “In our program, we believe it’s essential to intentionally serve Latino students, and we’ve done that since its inception.”
UTA’s Bridge to Math Doctorate program, founded in 2016 with support from the National Science Foundation, provides one year of advanced courses and faculty mentoring to strengthen students’ mathematical and academic skills as they prepare for doctoral studies. The program targets students who demonstrate the talent and commitment to achieve a doctoral degree but aren’t yet ready to succeed in a doctoral program for reasons such as coming from an underserved institution where advanced mathematics courses may not be available.
“We see a lot of underrepresented minority students and students from minority-serving institutions who are quite talented, but for various reasons haven’t had access to the type of mathematical training that large research institutions offer,” said Jianzhong Su, professor and Mathematics Department chair.
Earlier this year, the American Mathematical Society selected the Bridge to Math Doctorate program for its 2023 Mathematics Programs That Make a Difference Award.
Examples of Excelencia was created in 2005 and is the country’s only national effort to identify, aggregate and promote evidence-based practices aimed at improving Latino student success in higher education.