H.R. No. 1468
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Dr. Diana Natalicio is celebrating her 25th
anniversary as president of The University of Texas at El Paso in
2013, and the occasion presents a fitting opportunity to recognize
this remarkable woman; and
WHEREAS, Raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Natalicio was a
first-generation college student at Saint Louis University; she
went on to earn a master's degree in Portuguese and a doctorate in
linguistics from The University of Texas at Austin; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Natalicio joined UTEP in 1971 and served as a
professor of linguistics, chair of the modern languages department,
dean of liberal arts, and vice president for academic affairs
before becoming the university's president in 1988; she is the
longest-serving president of a four-year public university in Texas
and the first woman and first former faculty member to have been
named UTEP president; and
WHEREAS, During her exemplary 25-year tenure, Dr. Natalicio
has seen UTEP's enrollment grow from about 15,000 students to
nearly 23,000, 90 percent of whom come from the surrounding Paso del
Norte region, and the school's annual budget grow from $65 million
to more than $400 million; the number of doctoral programs has
increased from 1 to 19 and the yearly research budget has increased
from $6 million to $76 million, helping to make UTEP a nationally
recognized research and graduate institution; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Natalicio is a leader among university
presidents as a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation and a
director of the American Council on Education and the Association
of Public and Land-grant Universities; she served two terms on the
National Science Board, including three terms as vice chair, and
she has served on the boards of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation for
Science, the NASA Advisory Council, Trinity Industries, the
National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, the Sandia
Corporation, and Internet2; she was appointed by President George
H. W. Bush to the Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for
Hispanic Americans; and
WHEREAS, This outstanding educator's many accolades include
the Orden Mexicana del Aguila Azteca from the president of Mexico,
the Harold W. McGraw, Jr., Prize in Education, and the
Distinguished Alumnus Award from UT Austin; moreover, she has
received honorary degrees from Georgetown University, Smith
College, and the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, and she has
been inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, With her vision, energy, and enthusiasm for her
work, Diana Natalicio has been instrumental in the evolution of
UTEP into a national success story, and she is a role model for
educators and women throughout the Lone Star State and beyond; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. Diana Natalicio on her 25 years
of service to The University of Texas at El Paso and extend to her
sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Dr. Natalicio as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Marquez
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1468 was adopted by the House on April
24, 2013, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House