Southwest Regional Community Engagement Consortium Convening
The Southwest Regional Community Engagement Consortium is a first-of-its-kind, two-day, in-person gathering designed to foster institutional collaboration across universities and community/cultural organizations throughout the Southwest.
January 12–13, 2026
This convening will bring together faculty, staff, community partners, and engagement leaders from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah to develop innovative, sustainable strategies for regional collaboration and community impact.
Purpose and Focus Areas
Participants will engage in interactive workshops, roundtables, and strategy sessions focused on:
- Models for community-engaged scholarship and inter-institutional partnerships
- Collaborations with university presses and museums for engaged scholarship
- Regional micro-credential and workforce initiatives
- Shared frameworks for governance, funding, and sustainability
This convening builds an inclusive, resilient network of institutions and leaders working to advance equity, cultural engagement, and knowledge-sharing across the region.
About the Host Sites:
The 2026 Southwest Regional Community Engagement Convening is hosted collaboratively by The University of Texas at El Paso (¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ), Texas Tech University (TTU), Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso), and The University of New Mexico (UNM). As leading public research universities in the Southwest, each institution brings a strong record of community engagement and a shared commitment to strengthening connections between campuses and communities.
This collaboration began in 2024, when UNM hosted a regional gathering focused on community engagement and institutional strategies related to the Carnegie Classification. ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ and TTU participated as invited presenters, and the success of that initial meeting sparked the idea of creating a broader, recurring space for collaboration across the region. Building on that momentum, TTUHSC El Paso joined the partnership, further expanding the scope and impact of this regional effort.
Together, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ, TTU, TTUHSC El Paso, and UNM are co-designing the event to bring together faculty, staff, students, and community partners to exchange ideas, explore collaborative projects, and support the growth of engagement efforts. This partnership underscores the convening’s goal to build a sustainable, cross-institutional network of engagement practitioners across the Southwest.
Southwest Regional Community Engagement Consortium (SWCEC) Convening
January 12–13, 2026 | The University of Texas at El Paso
Primary Convening Location:
¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Union Building East
500 W University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968
Day 1 — Monday, January 12, 2026
| Time & Location | Session |
|---|---|
| 8:30 – 9:00 AM Room: TRCC |
Breakfast & Welcome Tomás Rivera Conference Center (TRCC) ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Union Building East |
| 9:00 – 10:00 AM Room: TRCC |
Opening Plenary: The Future of Hispanic-Serving Institutions Speaker: Dr. Anne-Marie Núñez, Inaugural Executive Director, Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Drawing on nationally recognized scholarship, Dr. Núñez will explore how HSIs advance inclusive community engagement, cross-sector collaboration, and organizational transformation. |
| 10:15 – 11:30 AM Room: TRCC |
Panel: Building Regional Pathways for Student Success
Leaders from ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ, TTUHSC El Paso, EPCC, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, and K–12 partners discuss aligned pathways to support student transitions and regional workforce needs in the health and science fields. Panelists:
Moderators: Dr. Alyssa Benavides, Managing Director I Office of Interprofessional Education | Office of Academic Affairs Dr. Christiane Herber-Valdez, Assistant Vice President | Office of Academic Affairs |
| 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM Room: TRCC |
Lunch: Presidential Remarks & Emerging Microcredentials in Engagement Remarks: Dr. Heather Wilson (President, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ) & Dr. Richard Lange (President, TTUHSC El Paso) Followed by an introduction to emerging microcredentials in community-engaged scholarship and networking. Microcredentials: Sarah Garcia, Program Director | Faculty & Graduate Engagement | Outreach & Engagement |
| 1:15 – 2:30 PM | Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Track 1: Strengthening the Infrastructure for Community-Engaged Scholarship Room: University Suite 312
Track 2: Interdisciplinary Campus Partnerships & Communication Strategies Room: Templeton Suite 313 Exploring how externally and internally facing campus units collaborate to advance engagement and grant deliverables.
Track 3: Collaborative Museum Networks
|
| 2:45 – 4:00 PM Room: TRCC |
Idea Incubator Roundtables
Highly interactive, themed discussions focused on emerging regional priorities including communications, tenure & promotion, course designations, microcredentials, and museum-press partnerships. |
| 5:45 – 7:15 PM Location: Union Depot | 700 W. San Francisco Ave |
Panel
Building Collaborative Partnerships Beyond the Academic Context
|
| 7:30 - 8:30 PM Location: Union Depot | 700 W. San Francisco Ave |
Closing Remarks & Social: |
Day 2 — Tuesday, January 13, 2026
| Time & Location | Session |
|---|---|
| 8:30 – 9:00 AM TRCC |
Breakfast & Informal Networking |
| 9:00 – 10:00 AM TRCC |
Keynote: University Museums in the 21st Century—Catalyzing Broader Impacts Speaker: Dr. Bruce MacFadden, University of Florida | Distinguished Professor Emeritus Exploring how museums advance research, education, and public engagement across regions and disciplines. |
| 10:15 – 11:15 AM | Concurrent Sessions
Option A: Campus Leadership & Infrastructure for Engagement Option B: Practitioners & Staff Roundtables |
| 11:20 AM | Transition to Texas Tech Health Science Center El Paso for Lunch Discussion and Tour |
| 12:00 – 1:30 PM Location: Medical Science Building II (MSBII) Hunt School of Dental Medicine building | Room # 1A103 B&D | 137 Rick Francis Street, El Paso, TX 79905 |
Lunch Discussion Session: Simulation Showcase & Texas Tech Health Sciences Center El Paso Tour
This lunch discussion session will feature guided table discussions designed to encourage networking and collaboration around shared regional priorities. During lunch, the TECHS Simulation Team will offer a focused presentation demonstrating how simulation is used to build clinical skills, support interprofessional teamwork, and expand hands-on, experiential learning opportunities. Closing Remarks: Dr. Rod Williams, Associate Vice Provost for Outreach & Engagement, Texas Tech University |
| Optional | 1:30 – 2:30 PM | Guided Campus Tour - Texas Tech Health Sciences Center El Paso
An optional guided tour (up to one hour) will follow, highlighting key campus spaces, the simulation clinic, and the dental community clinic. |
Opening Plenary – Monday, January 12
Dr. Anne-Marie Núñez, The University of Texas at El Paso
Executive Director, Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success
Dr. Anne-Marie Núñez, Executive Director of the Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success and Distinguished Centennial Professor of Educational Leadership and Foundations at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ, will frame the convening by drawing on her nationally recognized scholarship on HSIs and organizational transformation. In her role with the Natalicio Institute, she leads efforts to advance research, policy, and practice that promote Hispanic student success and strengthen partnerships between higher education and communities. She will explore how HSIs can advance inclusive community engagement, foster cross-sector collaborations, and translate research into actionable strategies that reinforce institutional equity and public mission.
Presidential Luncheon – Monday, January 12
Presidents Wilson and Lange will offer reflections on the power of regional collaboration in strengthening educational pathways and community partnerships, setting the stage for deeper exploration of innovative strategies such as microcredentials to recognize and advance community-engaged work.
Dr. Heather Wilson
President, The University of Texas at El Paso
Dr. Heather Wilson has been President of The University of Texas at El Paso since 2019. Before that, she was a member of Congress representing New Mexico for a decade and later U.S. Secretary of the Air Force. A Rhodes Scholar, Wilson earned graduate degrees from Oxford University. She sits on the National Science Board, serves with the Texas Space Commission, and is on several corporate boards. She was the first in her family to attend college, and is granddaughter of immigrants.
Dr. Richard Lange
President, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
Dr. Richard Lange, M.D., M.B.A., has served as President of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso and Dean of the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine since 2014. Previously, he was Vice Chair of Medicine and Director of Educational Programs at UT Health Science Center San Antonio and held faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins University. He earned his B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of North Texas, his M.D. from UT Southwestern Medical School, and completed fellowship training and faculty leadership at UT Southwestern and Johns Hopkins. An active clinical investigator, Dr. Lange has published extensively on ischemic and valvular heart disease, served on national guideline panels, and received numerous teaching awards.
Keynote – Tuesday, January 13
Dr. Bruce McFadden, Florida Museum of Natural History
Former Director, Thompson Earth Systems Institute
Drawing on his distinguished career leading broader impacts initiatives and innovative museum outreach programs Dr. MacFadden will share activities and strategies for integrating public engagement across research, education, and community outreach—offering insights on building partnerships and scaling engaged scholarship across disciplines.