Table Of Contents
Tree Topping Marks Milestone in Ancira Tower Construction
UIW Receives Grant for Ministerio de Salud Health Project
Degrees Awarded at China Campus Commencement
Tree Topping Marks Milestone in Ancira Tower Construction
The University of the Incarnate Word celebrated reaching the highest point
of construction on the university’s newest structure, the Ancira
Tower, with a tree topping and beam signing ceremony on July
11, 2008.
The tree topping ceremony is a tradition that dates back to about 700 A.D.
and has been 
attributed to numerous groups from Scandinavians to Vikings
to German tribes. From the time of the first practitioners, the sentiment
has remained similar throughout the years. When the highest beam of a building
is put into place, a tree is hoisted atop the beam to celebrate the construction
reaching the sky without loss of life or serious injury to the workers.
Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr., UIW President, Gary Joeris, Joeris General Contractors
and Joe Bianco, McChesney/Bianco Architecture attended the event.
The Ancira Tower is scheduled to be completed early in the fall of 2008.
The nine-level, 292,000-square foot structure will feature covered parking
for 800 vehicles. The tower will open in stages. The first will occur in
August and will be able to accommodate 200 vehicles.
“We are very excited about the newest addition to the campus, the
Ancira Tower,” said Dr. Louis Agnese, Jr., UIW President. “As
the university continues its rapid expansion due to our tremendous growth
in student enrollment, this structure will play a major role in addressing
our future parking needs. “We are grateful to Alonso Ancira and
his family for their friendship and support of Incarnate Word, without
which this tower would not have been possible.”
Alonso Ancira is chairman of the board of Altos Hornos de Mexico, the largest
steel manufacturing company in Mexico and one of the largest in the world.
For more information, contact the UIW Office of Public Relations at (210) 829-6001.
UIW Receives Grant for Ministerio de Salud Health Project
The University of the Incarnate Word is proud to announce receipt of a three year, approximately $1 million grant from the Nurse Education, Practice and Retention program of the Department of Health and Human Services – Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
This grant will allow for the continuation of the Ministero de Salud Ministry partnership for health between St. Philip of Jesus Catholic Church and the university. The Ministero de Salud Ministry, which serves approximately 900 clients per year, is solely dependent on grants for funding.
The Ministero de Salud Ministry began in Fall 1999 to serve the community surrounding St. Philip’s parish and provide outreach opportunities for UIW nursing faculty and students. The program focuses primarily on Hispanic elderly, offering health screenings, education about disease management and health promotion. Home health care visits, cancer support groups, a bereavement group and an exercise group are also offered as part of this ministry. Foot care is the newest service provided which offers foot assessments, care and education, especially to those struggling with diabetes.
“Continuation of the partnership for health between St. Philip of Jesus and UIW gives faculty, students and the community the opportunity to work together to fulfill the university's Mission of service. We all learn together while helping to meet a need that the community has identified - the health needs of the elderly living in the area,” said Dr. Sara Kolb, Project Director, faculty member, UIW School of Nursing.
HRSA nursing programs address the nation's registered nurse shortage by supporting nurse education, practice and retention with grants to registered nurse training programs to help them increase the number of nurses, improve their skills and keep them in the nursing field.
For more information, contact the UIW Office of Public Relations at (210) 829-6001.
Degrees Awarded at China Campus Commencement
The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is proud to announce that on Saturday, June 28, China Incarnate Word (CIW) - Hua Li Campus held its 11th Commencement ceremony. Five associate degrees were conferred to graduates by UIW President Dr. Louis J. Agnese, Jr. who also welcomed guests and dignitaries to the event. Four of the graduates will return to CIW and one will join UIW in the fall; all five will continue their studies toward a bachelor of business administration.
CIW, located in Zengcheng, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, opened in Fall 2001, holding its first commencement in Spring 2003. In 2004, CIW moved to its current location - Hua Li Campus. CIW is a partnership between UIW and Guangdong Hua Li College. CIW offers a bachelors degree in business administration in international business and associate’s degrees in international business and international accounting. UIW was the first American institution to award full degrees of higher learning in China without requiring students to leave the country to complete their degree.
In addition to UIW President, Dr. Louis J. Agnese, other dignitaries and special guests attending the commencement included Zhang Zhi Feng, Director of the Board - Hua Li Investment Company, Ye Ya Ming, General Manager - Hua Li Investment Company, Pan Zhao Guo, President - Guangdong Hua Li College, Michael Liu, Director, Foreign Languages Department, Guangdong Hua Li College, and Misty Chen, Director, Institute of World Cultures, UIW.
For more information, contact the UIW Office of Public Relations at (210) 829-6001.
