Louis J. Agnese Jr, Ph.D.

Dear Friends:

This issue of The Word features a cover story on one of the signature events at the University of the Incarnate Word: the annual Cutting Edge Fiesta® Fashion Show, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

While the Cutting Edge has evolved into a highly successful production, it’s worth remembering that it and our fashion program nearly folded about 20 years ago because of a lack of interest. In fact, fewer than a dozen students were enrolled in the program back then and it was in danger of disappearing in the way of big hair and shoulder pads.

Fortunately, both were saved in the early 1990s with the help of Dr. Annemarie Walsh, who retired from UIW three years ago. Her drive resuscitated the fashion program by injecting it with badly needed energy and professionalism. That fueled a renaissance of the Cutting Edge Fashion Show, which has since evolved into one of the most anticipated events of San Antonio’s Fiesta® season, regularly drawing hundreds of spectators to the student-produced show.

Today, more than 200 students are enrolled in our fashion program, which has been guided by Dr. Sharon Welkey since 2008. (By the way, Welkey was recently selected as the new dean of the UIW School of Interactive Media & Design.) Not surprisingly, it consistently ranks in the top 10 of our most popular academic programs.

Speaking of retirement, Dr. Pat Watkins, vice president of International Affairs, will be stepping down from that position at the end of May. Watkins has served our community in various capacities during her more than 20 years, always with passion and humor. The international affairs division, including our campuses in China and Mexico, has flourished under her leadership, which is a key reason why international students now comprise nearly 13 percent of UIW’s overall enrollment, an all-time high for us.

We’ll miss her when she retires, but she’s isn’t leaving UIW just yet. You’ll see her around campus during the next year, as she will be handling special projects associated with two events our community will celebrate in 2011: UIW’s 130th anniversary and my 25th anniversary as president. By the way, her successor as vice president of International Affairs will be Marcos Fragoso, who for the past few years has served as director of our Mexico City campus. You’ll be able to learn more about him in the summer issue of The Word.

I encourage you to read the rest of this issue to catch up on what else has been happening at UIW, including a profile on longtime benefactors Tena and Jim Gorman.  Remember, it’s because of your commitment to our community that we can continue fulfilling Incarnate Word’s goal of offering students the best possible educational opportunities within a context of faith.

In these continuing difficult economic times, please remember that an investment in higher education is something that will yield returns for a lifetime for you, your family and our community.

Special blessings on you and your loved ones throughout 2010.

Best Wishes,

Louis J. Agnese Jr., Ph.D.
President

By Ashley Festa

With the addition of football, alumni had even more motivation to rally together at Homecoming 2009. The celebration, held Oct. 25 – Nov. 1, was attended by more than 500 alumni, parents, students and friends. New traditions were started, such as the inaugural Homecoming Game and the naming of the Homecoming King and Queen. But old favorites were also kept in the mix, such as the President’s Wine and Cheese Reception and the family barbecue and concert before the game.

The UIW Alumni Red Zone entertained 200 attendees at the barbecue and concert by London Calling, who played hits for adults while kids played games. Bill Miller Bar-B-Q cooked up a traditional tailgate meal.

At the Homecoming Game against Southern Arkansas University, a new tradition began: UIW crowned its first Homecoming King and Queen in front of more than 3,200 fans. The Homecoming Court was full of potential royalty, but sophomore Vincent Marotta and senior Maggie Callahan were chosen through an extensive election process. Students were nominated to the court by the UIW community, interviewed by the committee and ultimately voted on by the student body.

Also during Homecoming Week, 40 alumni gathered at Silo’s for food, live music and dancing. Students started a new event called Wednesday Night Lights. It kicked off with a tailgate party, and then a powder-puff flag football game between the UIW Spirit All-star team, made up of cheerleaders and dance team members, and the UIW Greek All-star team, composed of members of the sororities. These alumni-in-training became an active part of a new Homecoming tradition.

Mark your calendar for Homecoming Week 2010, Oct. 24-30.

Dr. Louis Agnese announced the creation of the Archbishop José Gomez Scholarship.

UIW’s annual Light the Way celebration, sponsored by H-E-B, just gets better every year, and there were more than 5,500 attendees in November to prove it. Among the special guests were Congressman Charlie Gonzalez, Mayor Julián Castro, Archbishop José Gomez and H-E-B Public Affairs Director Dya Campos. Rounding out the evening was headliner Patsy Torres, a Tejano music legend and UIW doctoral student.

As part of the evening’s festivities, Dr. Louis Agnese Jr. announced the creation of the Archbishop José Gomez Scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded to any student graduating from a Catholic high school beginning May 2010 who chooses to attend UIW. Graduates from Incarnate Word High School and St. Anthony Catholic High School, both UIW Brainpower Connection high schools, will be awarded $3,000 per year ($12,000 over four years) and graduates from other Catholic high schools will be awarded $2,000 per year ($8,000 over four years) to attend UIW.

Be sure to join us for Light the Way 2010 on Saturday, Nov. 20 for this fabulous and free holiday event!

Convergent Media – The idea of convergent media as a concentration choice for communication arts majors took root last spring as the faculty searched for a way to keep students up-to-date with technological advances in the practice of journalism as it expands into the realm of social media. All communication arts students will likely take some convergent media courses to learn the skills to make them competitive in the job market. Now available are courses in audio and video production, multimedia, electronic publishing, electronic and digital writing, media convergence and graphics. With the addition of UIWTV last year and the move toward an interactive Logos student newspaper site, along with the student-run KUIW Internet Radio, convergence is well under way at UIW. Students can apply now for the program, which is also being offered as an Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s degree, enabling students to earn both degrees in only five years.

UIW Computer Graphic Arts students took home 26 ADDY® awards at the annual event sponsored by the San Antonio chapter of the American Advertising Federation held Feb. 20.

The event recognizes excellence in the advertising industry presenting the highest ranking agencies and individuals with the prestigious ADDY® Award. Students also compete in a special category, judged by a committee of industry professionals, and are recognized for their efforts in student advertising.

More than 20 UIW Computer Graphic Arts students entered over 60 pieces of work in the competition. Of those, 13 students were announced as finalists with 26 pieces of work winning an ADDY®. They were:

Student Gold ADDY® winners:
Leslie Ann Bernal, Kevin Herrera, Marcus Martinez, Tawny Sambrano, Rebecca Stanford and Josh Medrano. Both Kyle Copley and Greg Cuellar were each awarded two Gold ADDY’s ® for their entries.
Student Silver ADDY® winners:
Mauricio Braun, Greg Cuellar, Martin Lopez, Marcus Martinez, Matt McGehee and Josh Medrano. Both Rebecca Stanford and Ellice Sanchez were each awarded two Silver ADDY’s® for their entries.
Student Bronze ADDY® winners:
Kyle Copley, Vanassa Marie Olivia Garcia, Kevin Herrera, Josh Medrano and Ellice Sanchez

“We are extremely proud of our students and the work that they do. It is wonderful to see the San Antonio advertising and design community recognize them in this way,” said Michael Clayton, associate professor and discipline coordinator.

The ADDY® Awards is a three-tiered national competition conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation. Gold and Silver ADDY® award winners at the local level advance to the district level and then to the national level for competition.

You will be able to connect to the university’s own YouTube Channel. Download the sports app to find everything you wanted to know about the Cardinals, including schedules, scores and more. Find photos from campus, browse the faculty and staff directory, and coming soon is a KUIW Live application that will allow users to stream music played by KUIW deejays.

To download, open iTunes and search for UIW. Check back often as more features will be added to the app as they become available.

Tickets for this event go fast, so get your tickets early. We’re celebrating something special this year. See the cover story on page 8 for more information.

When: Monday, April 19
Where: Marriott Rivercenter Ballroom, 101 Bowie St.
Cost: From $25 to $1,000
More information: Office of Development at (210) 829-6013
Web site: www.uiw.edu/cuttingedge

Swing-In
Join party-goers and golfers for the 33rd annual Swing-In to raise funds for student scholarships.

This year’s theme is Safari Adventure.

When: Thursday, April 29 and Friday, April 30
Where: Auction party in UIW’s Rosenberg Sky
Room; Golf tournament at the Republic Golf Club
More information: Office of Development at (210) 829-6013
Web site: www.uiw.edu/swingin

Dr. Louis Agnese and the Rev. Buckner Fanning announce a UIW scholarship for graduates of the Buckner Fanning Christian School.

Dr. Louis Agnese Jr. announced a partnership with the Buckner Fanning Christian School (BFCS) at a news conference in January. Beginning May 2010, BFCS graduates who complete the 8th grade with a B average or better (minimum 3.0 GPA) will be awarded annual $2,500 scholarships to one of UIW’s two Brainpower Connection high schools and to UIW after high school. This scholarship is independent of any additional scholarships the student may receive.

“This partnership that Dr. Agnese has extended to the Buckner Fanning Christian School and its students is truly a gift from God. We are very honored and proud to become a partner with the University of the Incarnate Word and the Brainpower Connection. These four schools together will do great things and provide a marvelous Christian education to all that participate.

We thank God and Lou Agnese for this wonderful blessing,” said the Rev. Buckner Fanning, BFCS founder who was awarded an  honorary doctorate degree by Incarnate Word in 1992 in recognition of his many humanitarian contributions.

“We’re pleased to be in a position to continue the academic and faith formation these outstanding students already receive,” Agnese said. “We feel they’ll excel in our Brainpower schools.”

The Buckner Fanning Christian School at Mission Springs is an interdenominational school established by the Buckner Fanning Evangelistic Foundation in 1998. The school’s dedication to inspire its students to be good citizens exemplifying principles of leadership, discipline, initiative and integrity through service and faith is a natural tie to UIW’s Mission.

Financial assistance abounds

The university also created a $3,000 Bishop Edmond Carmody Scholarship for students from John Paul II High School, a private Catholic high school in Corpus Christi, Texas, to attend UIW. Students who maintain a 3.0 grade point average may renew the scholarship for four years, and the scholarship is added to any other academic award students may receive. The scholarship is named in honor of Bishop Edmond Carmody of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, a longtime friend of Incarnate Word High School, UIW and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. For more information about this and other scholarships, visit www.uiw.edu/finaid/grantschol.html.

Greg Cuellar

By Ashley Festa

Greg Cuellar, a senior concentrating on graphic design in the Computer Graphic Arts Department, had his work selected recently for publication in CMYK Magazine.

The issue, No. 46, was published in February.

“It still hasn’t sunken in,” Cueller said of his accomplishment. “This could definitely lead to some great opportunities for me as I begin my career. And it also helps bring attention to the relatively young design program at UIW.”

Cueller’s project was to create a timeline of a subject with a 200-year history, and his was called “U.S. Whiskey Time Line.” It was first developed in Professor Denny Fagan’s Print III: Information Design course, and it was selected for the Promotional Materials/Timeline category.

“The timeline I created featured a tipped over bottle of whiskey with the drink itself splashed across the length of the piece. The dates and information included on the timeline seem to have been thrown from the bottle as well, signifying the history contained within each bottle,” Cueller explained.

The magazine features the work of the “Top 100 New Creatives” from more than 35 different art schools, universities, departments and workshops across the globe.