82R17140 MMS-D
By: Lozano H.R. No. 1013
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr., is celebrating the 25th
anniversary of his inauguration as president of the University of
the Incarnate Word on March 25, 2011; and
WHEREAS, Now the longest-serving president of a
comprehensive, four-year university in Texas, Dr. Agnese was 34
years old when he assumed the helm of UIW in 1985; under his
guidance, the university has been transformed into a dynamic,
innovative institution that is preparing its students for success
in an increasingly interconnected global environment; and
WHEREAS, The impact that Dr. Agnese has had on UIW cannot be
overstated; since his arrival, enrollment has surged from about
1,300 to more than 7,700, making the school the fourth-largest
private university in Texas; at the same time, annual student aid
has risen from $500,000 to more than $100 million, the endowment has
increased from $3 million to over $80 million, and the operating
budget has grown from $7 million to more than $160 million; and
WHEREAS, Similar expansion is evident in the school's
academic programs; Dr. Agnese has overseen an increase in the
number of majors offered, from 56 to nearly 80, along with the
opening of the Feik School of Pharmacy and the Rosenberg School of
Optometry; in addition, UIW now awards a Ph.D. in education, and it
has won approval to begin conferring doctoral degrees in nursing
practice and physical therapy; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Agnese has also promoted initiatives to make a
UIW education more widely accessible; the school has launched a
virtual university, which offers a number of degrees through online
instruction, as well as a program that enables working adults in the
San Antonio and Corpus Christi areas to complete a degree through
accelerated study; moreover, UIW has opened academic sites in
Mexico City and Guangzhou, China, where students can earn
undergraduate degrees without leaving their country; and
WHEREAS, In keeping with the original focus of the
university's founders on serving the people of South Texas,
Dr. Agnese has promoted outreach efforts that have led to the
school's demographic profile more closely mirroring that of the
surrounding region; with Hispanic students now composing about half
of its student body, UIW today enrolls the most Latinos of any
private school in Texas, and it has been ranked as one of the top 100
universities serving Hispanics in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The great diversity of the student body is
additionally reflected in the students' economic and religious
backgrounds and in the fact that approximately 13 percent of the
students come from foreign countries; so serious is Dr. Agnese
about the importance of the international dimension that the
university offers more than 70 study abroad programs and presents
information on its website in Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish,
Chinese, Japanese, and Korean; and
WHEREAS, While greatly expanding the educational reach of
UIW, Dr. Agnese has sought equally to honor the school's mission as
a values-based, Catholic institution of higher learning; whatever
students' religious affiliation might be, he believes it is vital
that they grow in their faith through their academic experience;
and
WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan currently serves on the boards
of Adelante!--U.S. Education Leadership Fund and an online think
tank, MATT.org--Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together, as well
as on the executive committee of the World Affairs Council of San
Antonio; he is the recipient of numerous professional and civic
honors, including most recently a Best and Brightest award from the
University Roundtable of San Antonio and designation as an
Outstanding Leader in Catholic Education by the Archdiocese of San
Antonio; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Agnese holds a bachelor's degree from St. Mary
of the Plains College, a master's degree and education specialist
degree from Gannon University, and a doctorate in counselor
education from the University of Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, The skillful, visionary leadership, deep
experience, and tireless commitment that Dr. Louis Agnese has
brought to his office as president of UIW have contributed
immeasurably to the university's growing stature and to the
transformative experience it provides to thousands of future
leaders of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby honor Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr., on the 25th
anniversary of his inauguration as president of the University of
the Incarnate Word and extend to him sincere best wishes for
continued success in all his endeavors; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Dr. Agnese as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.