President Wilson: UTEP Keeps Building Excellence
State of the University highlights: Record high $67 million+ in fundraising Expected record enrollment of 27,000+ for fall Fifth straight year of record freshmen class sizes Tuition and fees flat since 2020 Research highest ever at $162.3 million
EL PASO, Texas (Aug. 21, 2026) – In her annual State of the University address to faculty, staff and students, The University of Texas at El Paso President Heather Wilson thanked Miners for their work over the past year that resulted in record-high fundraising, research activity and expected enrollment for fall 2027.
“When colleges across America are seeing declines, we are increasing,” said UTEP President Heather Wilson. “I am grateful for the dedication and hard work of our faculty and staff, whose unwavering commitment has made this year’s outstanding achievements possible.”
Fundraising
The president announced the annual total for overall giving in fiscal year 2026 is roughly $67.5 million, the first time in UTEP’s history that annual fundraising has surpassed $60 million.
Fundraising highlights this year included the largest gift in UTEP’s history — $30 million to name the Miguel A. Loya College of Engineering; 11 gifts of more than $1 million; and a projected record number of unique donors of more than 6,426.
Student Success
UTEP is expected to hit record enrollment this fall, surpassing the previous record of 26,297 students. This would also mark the fifth consecutive year of record first-time-in-college students at UTEP. Final numbers will be released on census day, which is Sept 9.
Wilson also shared how UTEP students are gaining national attention for their excellence. The Sun City Summit Rocket Team recently took first place in the Lone Star Cup statewide competition; the UTEP Dance Team won first place in their category at the National Dance Alliance College Nationals; and UTEP Volleyball won its first-ever Conference USA regular-season championship.
UTEP has also been recognized again for success in preparing Fulbright Scholars, with five recent graduates having earned this honor.
High-impact Research
In fiscal year 2025, UTEP set a new institutional record for annual research expenditures: $162.3 million.
Federal agencies provided $73 million of the total research expenditures for FY 2025. The National Science Foundation led federal support with $22 million, followed by the Department of Health and Human Services at $17 million, the Department of Defense at $16 million and the Department of Energy at $8 million. Additional funding came from NASA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal sources.
Wilson also announced the 2026 President’s Meritorious Service Awardees which recognize outstanding achievements by faculty and staff members in pursuit of UTEP’s mission. This year’s winners are:
- Staff Award: Jorge Vazquez, Assistant Vice President, Special Events
- Faculty Award: Guillermina Solis, Ph.D., Associate Professor, College of Nursing
- Team Award: The Miner Teacher Residency Site Coordinator Team in the College of Education – Cynthia Acosta Santillano, Joyce Asing Cashman, Ellen Baumler, Marco Delgado, Cynthia Donnelly, Erika Mein, Katrina Duarte-Meng, Celina Gamboa, Daniel Gomez, Rashan Isaac, Cristina Marin, Gloria Martinez, Erika Mein, Erica Nash, Patricia Ocana, Jennifer Parker, Anaeva Rodriguez and Susie Ruiz
Last Updated on August 21, 2026 at 12:00 AM | Originally published August 21, 2026
By MC Staff UTEP Marketing and Communications
