UIW Welcomes New Director of the Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas

The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) and the UIW Division of International Affairs are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Richard Pineda as the new Director of the Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas.

Pineda joins UIW from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where he served for more than two decades, most recently as Director of the Sam Donaldson Center for Communications Studies. During his tenure at UTEP, he also held the roles of tenured faculty member and Chair of the Department of Communications. Pineda’s primary research interests include Latina/Latino identity, society and politics. His scholarly work includes publications on immigrant narratives and media representation of the U.S.-Mexico border. Given his expertise, Pineda is frequently invited to speak on topics related to U.S.-Mexico relations.

“Dr. Pineda’s vision and previous experience in communication will take the Lewis Center to the next phase,” says Marcos Fragoso, vice president for International Affairs. “We will showcase the Center’s activities and new initiatives to a broader audience and new countries.”

In addition to his academic expertise, Pineda brings valuable experience in international education programming in Latin America. At UTEP, he served as faculty director for study abroad programs in Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico, and has supervised master’s theses on diverse topics across the Americas, including Jamaican identity, Mexican diplomacy and political rhetoric in Bolivia and Chile. Beyond the university setting, Pineda collaborated closely with the El Paso Chamber, where he designed and led the revitalized Leadership El Paso program – an initiative aimed at cultivating emerging leaders in the region,

“I’m thrilled to be taking the helm of the Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas,” says Pineda. “The Lewis Center has done so much work to deepen the understanding of the Americas for UIW students, the San Antonio community and for the region. The Lewis family’s generous support has provided so many important experiences and in addition to keeping those efforts moving forward, I am planning on adding to the research base of the center. There is so much good work to be done on situating UIW and our students, faculty and staff in important conversations about the Americas. I’m grateful to the work of my predecessor, Dr. Rafael Hoyle, for embarking on this journey with the Lewis family. I look forward to my time at UIW, especially with so many milestone moments ahead.”

Established in 2019, the Lewis Center of the Americas stated goal is 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.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Michael Valdes, Assistant Director/Media and Public Relations, Office of Communications & Brand Marketing, (210) 829-6001, (210) 422-4052 or michael.valdes@uiwtx.edu