AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward’s University will launch our first of three exceptional nursing programs beginning Fall 2023 to meet the ongoing need for healthcare professionals across the country. Under the leadership of Dr. Donna Beuk, the Founding Director of Nursing, our new programs provide training and education that prepares nurses for careers offering compassionate and justice-oriented health care for all.

The launch of these new programs plays a vital role in the university’s health sciences initiative outlined in the Strategic Plan 2027. Graduates of our nursing programs will be able to address issues of disparity, justice and equity within the healthcare field which is a direct tie to our mission.

“Texas is the state with the second-most critical need for compassionate and bilingual nurses, and this need continues to grow. By answering the call, high-quality nursing programs like the ones we will offer at St. Edward’s are not only key to meeting this surging workforce demand, but necessary for developing practicing and aspiring nurses to have the educational foundation and mission-driven support they need to best serve their community,” said Montserrat Fuentes, president of      St. Edward’s University.  

The Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) program offers flexibility for practicing nurses enrolled at St. Edward’s University through online, in-person and hybrid class options. Research-based projects, leadership training and courses led by experienced nursing professionals will help our RN to BSN students gain additional expertise, skills and perspectives needed to be an effective leader in healthcare. The Bachelor of Arts in Biology, Pre-Nursing Track and Bachelor of Science in Biology, Health Professions Track are designed for traditional undergraduate students who wish to pursue a nursing degree. These tracks are an excellent opportunity to complete many of the prerequisite studies that provide a pathway for students to earn their BS in Nursing.

“We aim to educate nurses with a passion to address health inequities and disparities across communities and to be a positive impact on the lives of those they care for,” said Beuk. “We will train nurses who will exhibit supportive leadership, advocate for their patients, themselves and other nursing colleagues by making their voices heard.”

In addition to launching its nursing programs, St. Edward's began offering a certificate program to address challenges of health equity for Latino and Latinx populations in Fall 2022. The Advanced Spanish for Health and Helping Professions Certificate — offered through the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures for the School of Arts and Humanities — prepares students proficient in Spanish/English and second-language learners for health-related professions that require specific, technical vocabulary and cultural knowledge.

About St. Edward’s University

St. Edward’s University is a private university in the Catholic, Holy Cross tradition with approximately 3,600 students. Located in Austin, Texas, it is one of the top universities in the state and offers more than 55 undergraduate and 8 graduate programs. St. Edward’s delivers a premier, highly personalized education that provides students distinctive academics and extensive internships, research and service learning opportunities on a vibrant and inclusive hilltop campus in a world-class city. St. Edward’s has been recognized for 20 consecutive years as one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report. In the 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings, St. Edward’s remains in the list of top 10 Best Regional Universities in the West for the 4th consecutive year.

AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward’s University was awarded a five-year, $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program (NextGen) grant is the largest in the university’s history — benefiting undergraduate students who plan on pursuing a career in the food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences (FANH) workforce.

“This historic investment in St. Edward’s University will strengthen our ability to educate and cultivate the next generation of agriculture leaders that better represent individuals from all walks of life, background and experiences,” said Montserrat Fuentes, president of St. Edward’s University. “This monumental funding will help us build interdisciplinary education, training and research opportunities for our students to address the most pressing agricultural challenges and develop solutions for a sustainable and just future.”

The NextGen grant provides funding for the School of Natural Sciences’ “From Education and Experiential Learning to Employment: Cultivating the NextGen of Natural Resources and Food Science Leaders (E3)” program led by Project Director Trish Baynham, professor of Biological Sciences, and Co-Project Director Matthew Steffenson, associate professor of Biological Sciences. 

The goal of the E3 program is to increase the number, retention and graduation of diverse students interested in FANH careers and majoring in biology or environmental biology and climate change. This will be achieved through educational assistance awards (EAAs), infusing FANH into four core courses and developing two FANH leadership courses. Students will also complete eight-week long paid summer internships in FANH disciplines across the country, including at the USDA, beginning in the Summer of 2024 — students will present their internship work at local, regional and national meetings. In addition to offering rewarding internships, E3 will establish a Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) club connected to the national organization to provide networking and professional development opportunities for students. These experiences will prepare graduates to take leadership roles at the USDA and other federal sector agencies.

“Experiential learning is one of the hallmarks of a St. Edward’s education and is vital to success in the workplace. This funding will help us expand internship opportunities and ensure that these transformative experiences are available to all students who walk through our doors,” said Jonathan Hodge, dean of the School of Natural Sciences.

St. Edward’s University has a long-standing relationship with the USDA and is proud to earn this outstanding achievement and recognition aligning with the goals of Strategic Plan 2027 as we continue our commitment to provide educational quality, an inclusive environment, advancement of knowledge, experiential learning and student success. We value the support of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the E3 program’s efforts to diversify the FANH workforce and build infrastructure that transforms the undergraduate experience on the hilltop.

About the NextGen Program

The primary goal of the From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program (NextGen) is to enable 1890 institutions, 1994 institutions, Alaska Native-serving institutions and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions (specifically, the certified Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities (HSACUs), and insular area institutions of higher education located in the U.S. territories to build and sustain the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) workforce including the future USDA workforce primarily through providing student scholarship support, meaningful paid internships, fellowships, and job opportunity matching, and also facilitating opportunities to learn the processes and pathways leading to training and employment in the federal sector.

About the U.S. Department of Agriculture

The USDA provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.

The USDA has a vision to provide economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve our Nation's natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands.

About St. Edward’s University

St. Edward’s University is a private university in the Catholic, Holy Cross tradition with approximately 3,600 students. Located in Austin, Texas, it is one of the top universities in the state and offers more than 55 undergraduate and 8 graduate programs. St. Edward’s delivers a premier, highly personalized education that provides students distinctive academics and extensive internships, research and service learning opportunities on a vibrant and inclusive hilltop campus in a world-class city. St. Edward’s has been recognized for 20 consecutive years as one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report. In the 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings, St. Edward’s remains in the list of top 10 Best Regional Universities in the West for the 4th consecutive year.

AUSTIN, Texas — The National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program has awarded a $1.5M grant to the Supporting Ecology and Data Science (EDS) Scholars program at St. Edward’s University. 

Beginning in the Fall of 2023 and for the next six years, four-year scholarships of up to $10,000 per year will be provided for three cohorts of seven to 10 students (~24 students total), with eligible recipients majoring in one of five majors: mathematics, biology, bioinformatics, environmental biology and climate change or environmental science and policy.

This $1.5M grant will benefit selected students through academic support, housing assistance, paid research opportunities, paid conference travel, experiential learning at the Wild Basin Creative Research Center, mentoring opportunities and much more!

About the EDS Scholars Program

The EDS Scholars Program at St. Edward’s provides a pathway for low-income, academically talented students to achieve career and financial upward mobility through equipping them with in-demand skills for ecology and data science, providing targeted cohorting and mentoring, and facilitating nature-based recreation and co-curricular activities.

About St. Edward’s University:

St. Edward’s University is a private university in the Catholic, Holy Cross tradition with approximately 3,600 students. Located in Austin, Texas, it is one of the top universities in the state and offers more than 55 undergraduate and 8 graduate programs. St. Edward’s delivers a premier, highly personalized education that provides students distinctive academics and extensive internships, research and service learning opportunities on a vibrant and inclusive hilltop campus in a world-class city.  St. Edward’s has been recognized for 20 consecutive years as one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report. In the 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings, St. Edward’s remains in the list of top 10 Best Regional Universities in the West for the 4th consecutive year.

AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward’s University is proud to announce the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded more than $94,000 in grants to two professors with the School of Arts and Humanities.

Georgia Seminet, associate professor of Spanish, was awarded $34,903 for a one-year project creating a certificate in Advanced Spanish for the Health and Helping Professions. Seminet is one of 19 recipients nationwide for the Humanities Connections grant — connecting non-humanities fields to the humanities curriculum at two and four-year institutions.

Jimmy Luu, associate professor of Graphic Design, received $60,000 for the development of a lecture series incorporating new materials and making graphic design history more inclusive. Luu is the one of 30 recipients nationwide for the Spotlight on Humanities in Higher Education grant — supporting smaller humanities projects at small-to-medium two and four-year higher education institutions that benefit underserved populations.

The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency, and one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States. These two generous grants are part of the NEH’s efforts to support 258 new humanities projects across the country.

About St. Edward’s University:

St. Edward’s University is a private university in the Catholic, Holy Cross tradition with approximately 3,600 students. Located in Austin, Texas, it is one of the top universities in the state and offers more than 55 undergraduate and 8 graduate programs. St. Edward’s delivers a premier, highly personalized education that provides students distinctive academics and extensive internships, research and service learning opportunities on a vibrant and inclusive hilltop campus in a world-class city.  St. Edward’s has been recognized for 20 consecutive years as one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report. In the 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings, St. Edward’s remains in the list of top 10 Best Regional Universities in the West for the 4th consecutive year.