Faculty-led International Travel – OLLU Offers Study Tours
Category: In The News
Help Welcome the Class of 2030: New Student Convocation and Providence Path
All OLLU staff and faculty are invited to join the community in welcoming OLLU’s 131st Incoming Class at this year’s New Student Convocation on Friday, August 14, 2026 at 11 a.m. in Sacred Heart Conventual Chapel. We will conclude this cherished tradition with Providence Path, where the community lines the hallway of Main Building to cheer on and welcome in our newest Saints.
Participating administration, faculty, and staff are asked to arrive by 10:45 a.m. on the 2nd Floor of Main Building.
Dress Code: Faculty, please wear regalia.
Staff: Please wear OLLU polos or similar.
Everyone is invited to join us for the New Student Convocation Reception immediately following New Student Convocation/Providence Path on Friday, Aug. 14, at 12:15 p.m. in the Mall Area. This is a wonderful opportunity to mingle with our incoming students and their families, extend a warm OLLU welcome, and help them feel part of our community from day one. Light appetizers will be served. We hope you can join us in celebrating the start of their OLLU journey! We look forward to seeing you there!
OLLU Launches Inaugural AI Algoritmo Academy, Equipping Educators to Lead the Future of AI in Higher Education
Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) welcomed 20 faculty and staff from institutions across San Antonio for the inaugural AI Algoritmo Academy, an invitation-only professional development intensive held July 20–21. Funded through the La Cosecha Seed Grant Initiative, the two-day program explored the evolving role of artificial intelligence in higher education, equipping participants with practical strategies to address algorithmic bias, academic integrity, ethical AI use, and innovative course design before the start of the fall semester.
Hosted on OLLU’s Westside campus, the Academy brought together educators from diverse disciplines—including social work, history, education, leadership studies, student development, institutional research, and business—from OLLU, the Alamo Colleges District, and community organizations such as United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County. The interdisciplinary approach reflected the Academy’s mission of fostering meaningful collaboration and dialogue across academic and professional fields.
“Twenty educators from completely different disciplines spent two days questioning, challenging ideas, and building solutions together,” said Stacy Ybarra Evans, Ed.D., Director of OLLU’s Center for Teaching Excellence and creator of the Academy. “What emerged was stronger than anything a single department could have produced on its own. That is the true meaning of cosecha—the harvest. Participants arrived with questions and left with a community of colleagues committed to advancing AI in education.”
The Academy opened with the keynote address, “The Human Algoritmo,” presented by OLLU alumnus Dr. Juan “JQ” Quintanilla, a Business Transformation Solutions Architect whose career has included leadership roles guiding digital transformation initiatives for organizations such as Wells Fargo, AT&T, and USAA. Returning to his alma mater, Dr. Quintanilla challenged participants to recognize and confront algorithmic bias while emphasizing that human insight, ethics, and cultural understanding remain the most powerful drivers of innovation.
Participants also engaged in masterclasses led by nationally recognized experts. Dr. Jamie Crosswhite, Assistant Professor and Faculty Lead for Writing at St. Mary’s University, explored teaching AI discernment as a critical academic skill. Organizational learning architect Dr. Steven Linley demonstrated strategies for designing assignments that use AI to support—not replace—student learning, while Naphtali Bryant, founder of Spark-ED University and Childcare Scholarship Coordinator at United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County, shared approaches for integrating AI into student coaching while preserving human judgment and connection.
One of the Academy’s most distinctive features encouraged open and honest dialogue. Throughout the program, participants anonymously submitted questions, concerns, and skepticism in traditional blue books. The second day began with a collaborative discussion devoted entirely to addressing those questions without attributing comments to individual participants. The exercise complemented the Academy’s largely paperless experience, where registration, program materials, evaluations, and digital credentials were delivered electronically.
The program concluded with an interactive innovation showcase in which each participant presented an AI tool, prompt, or classroom strategy successfully implemented in their own work before joining discipline-specific discussions to identify ideas they would bring into the upcoming academic year.
Educators who completed both days of programming and participated in the Academy’s synthesis session earned a verifiable digital badge from OLLU’s Center for Teaching Excellence, allowing them to showcase their professional achievement on LinkedIn, digital portfolios, and curricula vitae.
Building on the Academy’s momentum, OLLU’s Center for Teaching Excellence will host the upcoming AI Confluence Series, a collaborative retreat with the University of the Incarnate Word and St. Mary’s University. Scheduled for September 2026 at Providence High School’s Najim Campus Center, the retreat was organized by Dr. Evans and made possible through a Collaboration Kickstart Travel Grant awarded by the Center for Hispanic Serving Institution Community Coordination at Florida International University. The initiative will continue strengthening regional partnerships while advancing responsible, human-centered AI innovation in higher education.
Sueltenfuss Library Awarded $350,000 National Endowment for Humanities Grant
Our Lady of the Lake University has received a $350,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to preserve and expand access to archival records of San Antonio’s missions and related collections documenting the early history of Texas and the American Southwest.
OLLU was one of only 33 organizations funded nationwide through the NEH’s Rediscovering Our Revolutionary Tradition program—and the only NEH grant recipient in Texas during this funding cycle.
The project includes the only accessible research copies of many original handwritten records related to San Antonio’s five historic missions, including the Alamo. The two-year grant, beginning in January 2027, will support improved preservation and storage of the collections and make high-resolution digital images searchable online, with tools to assist researchers in transcribing and translating the records.
The proposal and vision for the project were developed by Maria Cabaniss, Director of the Sueltenfuss Library, and Liana Morales, Archives and Special Collections Librarian. Liana Morales will serve as Project Director.
Congratulations to the Sueltenfuss Library and on this extraordinary achievement!
Momentum Continues: OLLU Reaches 1,554 Enrolled for Fall 2026
OLLU’s Fall 2026 enrollment continues its steady climb, reaching 1,554 students as we work toward our goal of 1,800. Every new Saint represents another life transformed through education and brings us one step closer to achieving our enrollment goal.
This milestone reflects the collective efforts of the entire OLLU community. From faculty and staff to student ambassadors, alumni and coaches, every conversation, campus visit, referral and shared experience helps prospective students discover what makes OLLU unique.
As we enter the final stretch of the enrollment cycle, your continued support remains essential. Whether you’re participating in the internal enrollment challenge, connecting with prospective students, sharing your OLLU story or simply extending a warm welcome to visitors on campus, your efforts make a meaningful difference.
With 246 students remaining to reach our Fall 2026 goal, every interaction counts. Thank you for your dedication, enthusiasm and commitment to helping future Saints find their home at OLLU. Together, we are building a stronger university—one student at a time.
OLLU Alumna Cassandra Valdez Earns Spot on National Team
Our Lady of the Lake University proudly celebrates Cassandra “Cassie” Valdez, a two-time OLLU graduate and former Saints softball standout, on earning a spot on the National Team for the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Games.
Valdez, who recently joined the OLLU softball program as an assistant coach, continues to build on an impressive athletic career while inspiring the next generation of Saints. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from OLLU, most recently crossing the commencement stage as a Spring 2026 graduate.
Looking ahead, Valdez is working toward earning a place on the Mexican National Team as it pursues qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Congratulations, Cassie, on this outstanding achievement. The OLLU community is cheering you on as you represent your team and continue your journey on the international stage.
Award-Winning Mural Showcases the Power of Community and Service-Learning
“We are so excited to announce that the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Mural has been voted by the people as the Best of San Antonio in 2026 with The San Antonio Current!
This past semester, students in Prof. Suzy González’s Barrio Arts and Popular Culture service-learning class partnered with the original artists and community organizations to help restore this historic mural.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Mural is a historic public artwork gracing the Cassiano Homes, a public housing community in San Antonio. This mural and the hundreds around San Antonio painted by Anastacio “Tache” Torres and Juan Hernandez are a result of the important Chicano Movement efforts in San Antonio, of which OLLU has been an incubator on the Westside. This work commemorates the Treaty and the formation of Mexican-American identity, preserving an important piece of community history and cultural memory. This project was co-sponsored within OLLU by the Visual & New Media Arts Program, the Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism and the International Folk Culture Center with the Segundo de Febrero Planning Committee.
The students worked alongside the original artists who generously donated their time and expertise to the project and to our students. The project also could not have been successful without the support of Opportunity Home SA and District 5 City Councilwoman Teri Castillo.
We are so thankful for everyone who voted to support this project, especially given that the competition is intense for best mural in a city with so many talented muralists. We think it shows a dedication and belief in the importance of our cultural history. We also hope that it shows the crucial role of public art in our communities and the strength of service-learning and community engagement as a way to bring students and the surround neighborhood together to do amazing things and provide world-class education on the ground and, in this case, in the streets!”
Faculty Publish Research Advancing Science Communication and Student Learning
Faculty from Our Lady of the Lake University, The University of Texas at San Antonio, and St. Mary’s University have published a new peer-reviewed article in the inaugural issue of Literate Activity: Perspectives on Textual Practices in the World that explores how interdisciplinary teaching can strengthen science education and prepare students for today’s workforce.
The article, “Composing Science: Everyday Genres and the Power of Literate Activity,” highlights an innovative assignment developed in BIOL1410: Environmental Science & Sustainability II, a lower-division general education course at OLLU. The project brought together expertise from Environmental Science and English faculty to help students translate complex scientific concepts into engaging, public-facing formats like short-form animations, infographics, videos, games, and social media content.
In an era when misinformation is widespread and scientific issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and public health affect communities every day, scientists must do more than conduct research; they must also communicate their work in ways that are accurate, accessible, and meaningful to the public. This project demonstrates that science communication is not a “soft skill,” but an essential component of scientific literacy and professional preparation.
The publication also reflects the interdisciplinary philosophy of OLLU’s Environmental Science & Sustainability program, where students combine scientific knowledge with communication, creativity, critical thinking, and community engagement to solve real-world environmental challenges. By designing authentic assignments with audiences beyond the classroom, students gain practical experience developing the skills increasingly sought by employers and graduate programs.
The article features numerous examples of student-created projects developed in the course. Additional examples of student work can be viewed on the Department of Mathematics and Science YouTube channel (@OLLUDeptMathSci), on Dr. Briana Hauff Salas’s Instagram page (@brianasalasphd), or are available upon request. The full article is available open access here:https://wacclearinghouse.org/docs/literate-activity/v1n1/hum-crosswhite-salas.pdf
Every Student Counts: OLLU Reaches 1,519 Enrolled
OLLU’s Fall 2026 enrollment continues to gain momentum, reaching 1,519 students as we work toward our goal of 1,800. Every new Saint strengthens our university, advances our mission, and expands our ability to transform lives through education.
As we celebrate this milestone, remember that every student counts. Whether you’re participating in our internal enrollment challenge, referring a prospective student, sharing your OLLU experience, or welcoming visitors to campus, every interaction plays an important role in helping us reach our goal.
Enrollment success is a shared commitment across the OLLU community. From faculty and staff to student ambassadors and alumni, each conversation, connection, and act of service helps prospective students see the value of an OLLU education. Together, we are building momentum and creating opportunities for future Saints to thrive.
With 281 students to go, every effort makes a difference. Thank you for your continued dedication, enthusiasm, and commitment to helping OLLU reach our Fall 2026 enrollment goal of 1,800 students. Together, we can finish strong.
Save the Date: Kick Off the New Academic Year at Convocation
