Upcoming Event
2025 Leaders of the Americas Speaker Series: Iván Duque Márquez, 34th President of Colombia
October 2, 2025, Reception 6 p.m.
The Lewis Center of the Americas is honored to welcome Mr. Iván Duque Márquez that will speak on the promise of cross-border cooperation and humanistic leadership in the Americas
About the Lewis Center of the Americas
The Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas was established to promote better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Mexico, Canada, Central and South America through cooperative study, research, service and dialogue. The Lewis Center is designed to serve as a central resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, expand business opportunities and develop policy options.
Headquarters
Detailed architectural planning for the Lewis Center headquarters at Founders Hall is underway. Completion of the renovation is targeted for the summer of 2025. The images below are two of the renderings by Lake Flato Architects.
Central Stair Leading to Lewis Center
Double-height Space for International Events
Lewis Center Interview Series
The Lewis Center Interviews focus on colleagues who through their work are strengthening and expanding international relations in the Americas.
Meet Sherry Dowlatshahi
The City of San Antonio’s Head of Global Engagement and Chief Diplomacy and Protocol Officer, Ms. Sherry Dowlatshahi, speaks on a number of topics including her own international educational journey, the cultural diversity of San Antonio, and the importance of San Antonio’s universities to our thriving city.
Meet Carlos de León
UIW alumnus Carlos de León speaks about his current role as a marketing executive for the Romph Pou Agency, his connection to his Guatemalan raíces, his activism and involvement with the San Antonio community, his contribution to UIW’s recognition as a Bright Spot in Hispanic Education by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, and his continued commitment to UIW, now as a faculty member.
Lewis Center Faculty Network
A fundamental resource for the Lewis Center is the network of UIW faculty members, across the entire UIW system, whose perspectives have been shaped by formative cross-border experiences in the Americas.
Lewis Center of the Americas Leadership
Under the direction of Dr. Richard D Pineda, the Lewis Center forms part of UIW's Division of International Affairs, led by Mr. Marcos Fragoso. The leadership team also includes Dr. David Vequist, founder and director of UIW's Center for Medical Tourism Research, which now operates under the auspices of the Lewis Center.
Mr. Marcos Fragoso was the rector of the Centro Universitario Incarnate Word in his native Mexico City from 2004 to 2010. He was named UIW’s vice president for International Affairs in June of 2010 and has lived in San Antonio since that time. Mr. Fragoso is responsible for all the international initiatives and affairs for the University including sister school and exchange agreements, study abroad programs, faculty-led trips, UIW Global On-Line programs, and the Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas. Furthermore, he oversees the UIW Mexico campuses in Mexico City and Irapuato, and the UIW European Study Center in Strasbourg, having played an instrumental role in their creation and launch. Prior to joining the University, Mr. Fragoso worked for four years with an educational group overseeing 12 different K-12 schools and universities in Mexico. He has a Master of Business Administration in International Business and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of the Incarnate Word.
Dr. Richard D. Pineda joined the University of the Incarnate Word and became the Director of the Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas in the summer of 2025. Dr. Pineda had a distinguished 21 year career at The University of Texas at El Paso, where he was a professor and Chair of the Department of Communication, as well as the Director of the Sam Donaldson Center for Communication Studies. Pineda’s research and instruction areas are situated in the intersection of political communication, global affairs, public controversy, popular culture, and Latinidad. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Baylor University, a master’s degree in Communication from The University of Texas at El Paso, and a Ph.D. in Communication from Wayne State University. In addition to a number of peer-reviewed publications in flagship journals, Pineda is highly sought after for media interviews and commentaries nationally and globally.
Pineda has worked with several educational, non-profit, and private entities to teach leadership and speaking skills; a testament to his decade’s long involvement with competitive speech and debate.
Dr. David George Vequist IV is a professor of management in the H-E-B School of Business & Administration and the founder/director of the UIW Center for Medical Tourism Research, part of the Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas. He is also a managing editor for the Journal of Health Care Management Standards. Before joining UIW, Dr. Vequist was an executive for Methodist Healthcare and consulted for Ernst & Young. Dr. Vequist is an accomplished speaker, author and researcher and has been interviewed and featured in numerous media on five continents. His focus on international healthcare has exposed him to diverse perspectives on health and wellness and shaped his approach in the classroom and the content of his courses. In Latin America, Dr. Vequist has presented at conferences in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Guatemala and Panama. His cross-border experience has translated into a broader worldview and appreciation of how globalization has impacted health systems over the last few decades.
Lewis Center Online Gallery
Conversations with Ambassador Creagan with Commissioner Tommy Calvert
The Lewis Center of the Americas, in collaboration with the UIW Political Science Department, hosted Conversations with Ambassador Creagan, with special guest Commissioner Tommy Calvert.
Rigoberta Menchu Tum
Evening reception on Oct. 4, 2023 to honor Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum, with a presentation by Dr. Menchú Tum and a special introduction by Afro-Indigenous storyteller, culture writer, literacy editor, and Emmy-award-winner Sandra Guzmán.
Conversations with Ambassador Creagan with General Consul Rubén Minutti Zanatta
The State of U.S.-Mexico Diplomatic Relations "The State of U.S.-Mexico Diplomatic Relations on Their 200th Official Anniversary" with special guest Dr. Rubén Minutti Zanatta
Featured Publications
This section features and lists publications, written by UIW faculty, that focus on an international topic within the Americas.
Border Crossings
In this section, we shed light on missions, research, faculty exchange and study abroad programs that take members of the UIW community across national borders in the Americas.
Guatemala
Led a service mission service program” instead of “will be leading a service mission program
Mexico
Dr. Erlinda López-Rodríguez led a group of students and faculty from UIW health professions schools on a service mission trip to Oaxaca, Mexico.
Guatemala
Dr. Rachel Pittman, Dr. Arunabh Bhattacharya, and Dr. Leticia Vargas led a medical mission program to Antigua, Guatemala, and surrounding areas.
Honduras
Dr. James Creagan, Fellow of the Lewis Center, is supporting the Texas Water Mission with ongoing efforts to provide fresh water and combat cholera in underserved villages in Honduras.
Perú
Dr. Teresa Harrison’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management students engaged in a social entrepreneurship project with the women of the Shipibo Tribe in Perú.
Colombia
Dr. Jeanette Wong Powell shared her expertise with UIW Sister School Fundación Areandina.UIW Mexico Campuses and Sister Schools in the Americas
UIW has over 35 sister school agreements with universities in the Americas. These relationships facilitate the exchange of visiting scholars, study abroad, collaborative research and cross-border service learning, in order to promote a more global perspective at UIW and our valued partner institutions. For more information about agreements in each country, please use the buttons below:
Canada
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
- Universidad Centro Americana Jose Simeon Canas, San Salvador (Spanish only)
Mexico
- Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey
Study Abroad at Monterrey Tech - Universidad Anáhuac, Mexico City (Spanish only)
- Universidad Anáhuac, Mayab English Courses Available ( Anáhuac Fact Sheet)
- Universidad Anáhuac, Querétaro (Spanish only)
- Universidad Autonoma Chapingo (Spanish only)
- Universidad Autonoma del Noreste (Spanish only)
- Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City ( Iberoamericana Fact Sheet)
- Universidad Internacional, Cuernavaca
- Universidad La Salle ( La Salle Fact Sheet)
With campuses in:- Cancún
- Cuernavaca
- Morelia
- Chihuahua
- Mexico City
- Monterrey
- Ciudad
- Obregon
- Puebla
- Leon
- Torreón
- Universidad de Monterrey
- Universidad Olmeca, Villahermosa, Tabasco (Spanish only)
- Universidad Regiomontana, Monterrey ( U-ERRE Quick Facts)
- Universidad Tecmilenio, Nuevo León and other campuses throughout Mexico ( Tecmilenio Fact Sheet)
- Universidad Valle del Grijalva, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas (Spanish only)
- UPAEP University, Puebla ( UPAEP Fact Sheet)
- Universidad de las Américas Puebla ( UDLAP International Student Guide)
Panama
- Universidad Catolica Santa Maria La Antigua (Spanish only)
Puerto Rico
Argentina
- Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE), Buenos Aires (Spanish only) UADE Fact Sheet
- Universidad Austral, Buenos Aires ( Austral Fact Sheet)
- Universidad Católica Argentina, Buenos Aires ( UCA Fact sheet)
Bolivia
- Universidad Privada Franz Tamayo, La Paz (Spanish only)
Brazil
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro ( PUC-Rio Fact Sheet)
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paolo, São Paulo (Portuguese only) ( PUC-SP Fact Sheet)
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUC-PR), Paraná ( PUC-PR Fact Sheet)
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte ( UFMG Fact Sheet)
- Universidade de Fortaleza, Fortaleza
Chile
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago
- Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta and Coquimbo (Spanish only) ( UCN Fact Sheet)
Colombia
- Universidad Autónoma De Occidente, Cali
- AREANDINA - Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina, Bogotá (Optometry only)
Ecuador
Partners
The Lewis Center of the Americas collaborates with local and international strategic partners who share a belief that greater possibilities can be realized when we reach across borders to develop alliances and broaden our perspective.