UTRGV’s College of Engineering and Computer Science welcomes its largest ever freshman class

EDINBURG, Texas – UT-Rio Grande Valley’s College of Engineering and Computer Science is welcoming its largest ever freshman class, the dean of the college tells the Rio Grande Guardian.

Dr. Ala Qubbaj says there are over 1,100 new students arriving on campus for the fall semester.

“We have the largest freshman class ever in engineering, over 1,100 new students. We are the fastest growing college at UTRGV with over 5,000 students, both prospective engineers and computer scientists. This includes almost 1,000 girls, which is 20 percent. These are historic numbers,” Qubbaj told the Guardian.

“This significant growth is a result of our growing record/reputation as a major producer of high-quality engineers in the state and nation. Our students are getting a high quality and affordable education right here in the RGV.”

Dr. Ala Qubbaj, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at UTRGV, speaks to this year’s freshman class. (Photo courtesy: Dr. Ala Qubbaj)

Farias award

In his interview with the Guardian, Qubbaj said he will be recognizing Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Chairman Fred Farias, III, with the Dean’s Medallion at the Fall 2024 CECS Convocation. 

“Dr. Farias has been instrumental in approving all the new PhD programs at THECB. He is fully deserving of this award,” Qubbaj said. 

Faculty, staff and students, including new PhD students, will be present for the Convocation. It takes place Friday, August 30, 2024, from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. at HPE2 Gym (Room 118), at the Edinburg Campus.

About Fred Farias, III

Dr. Fred Farias III, OD, MS, FAAO, of McAllen, Texas, is president and CEO of 20/20 Vision Care. He has served on The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board since 2015 and was appointed chairman of the board by Governor Greg Abbott on June 3, 2021. He was previously vice chairman of the board and chairman of the Academic and Workforce Success Committee. He is also member of the Texas Higher Education Foundation.

Dr. Fred Farias, III.

Dr. Farias is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, former president of the Texas Optometric Association and the Rio Grande Valley Optometric Society, and a former member of the American Optometric Association Board of Trustees. He was named the Texas Optometric Association’s Optometrist of the Year in 2015 and the National American Optometric Association’s Optometrist of the Year in 2016.

He is a past gubernatorial appointee to the Texas Optometry Board, where he chaired the Licensing and Administration Committee, and is a charter member of Optometry Cares – The AOA Foundation. He is a lifetime member of The University of Texas (UT) System Chancellor’s Executive Committee and the UT Austin Development Board, and he is a member of the UT Longhorn Foundation Athletic Advisory Council.

Dr. Farias is a past recipient of the Outstanding Young Texas Exes Award from The University of Texas at Austin, and in 2017, he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Southern College of Optometry. In 2019, Dr. Farias was named an Outstanding Alumnus by The University of Texas at Austin’s Moody College of Communication.

Additionally, Dr. Farias is active in the McAllen community, serving as chairman of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Council; volunteering for InfantSEE, a no-cost public health program to provide professional eye care to infants nationwide; and organizing and sponsoring vision screenings throughout south Texas. He has served on many local and statewide boards, including the Vannie E. Cook Cancer Center, the Rio Grande Valley Arthritis Foundation, and the Museum of South Texas History.

Dr. Farias received a Bachelor of Science from The University of Texas at Austin, a master’s degree from Harvard Medical School, and a Doctor of Optometry from Southern College of Optometry.

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