The University of Texas at Dallas has been honored with a top award from the state of Texas for its work to help student veterans succeed academically.
UT Dallas was one of nine recipients of the Veteran Education Excellence Recognition Gold Award from the Texas Veterans Commission’s Veterans Education Program. In its first year, the award includes gold-, silver- and bronze-level honors, which recognize institutions of higher education for excellence in providing education and related services to student veterans and military-connected students.
“This award demonstrates the importance of having a center and dedicated staff for military-affiliated students at institutions of higher education,” said Lisa Adams, director of the Military and Veteran Center and a former Air Force pilot.
“The gold award recognizes that we continue to provide innovative programs — such as the center’s Green Zone training — and holistic support for students who have served or currently serve in the U.S. military.”
The Texas Veterans Commission evaluated award applicants on a number of criteria, including the quality of academic support services; staff and faculty training; mental health and disability services; and career services.
Entrepreneurship Institute Wins Excellence Award
The University of Texas at Dallas Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) received the Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Education award at the 2021 Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) Conference held Oct. 14-16 in Baltimore.
The institute was honored for its Innovate(her) program, a one-day conference that introduces middle school girls from North Texas to entrepreneurship and a mentor network of female corporate professionals and entrepreneurs.
“We are honored to be recognized among the best entrepreneurship centers in the world,” said Dresden Goldberg, director of programs and operations at the IIE. “The Innovate(her) program engages middle school girls early on to inspire them to consider careers in STEM and entrepreneurship. With the support of Capital One and volunteers from our community, we have served over 700 students.
“The program continues to evolve year over year, offering topics such as coding, robotics, budgeting and personal branding. Attendees’ interest in STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] and entrepreneurship increased between 15% and 30% just from engaging in this conference. It is truly rewarding to know we are making an impact.”
The IIE also was a finalist for the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation award.
Housed under the Naveen Jindal School of Management and supported by the Office of Research and Innovation, the IIE operates across UT Dallas’ eight schools to promote and facilitate student, faculty and alumni entrepreneurship.
The GCEC is an academic organization that addresses emerging topics of importance to the nation’s university entrepreneurship programs. Its membership includes 250 university entrepreneurship programs that share best practices, develop programs and initiatives, and collaborate to advance the role of universities in educating future entrepreneurs.
Accolades is an occasional News Center feature that highlights recent accomplishments of The University of Texas at Dallas faculty and students. To submit items for consideration, contact your school’s communications manager.