DIANA CARDENAS NAMED ACADEMIC COUNSELOR FOR UTPA ATHLETICS
For Immediate Release: Monday, January 26, 2004
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240

EDINBURG, TX-Diana Cardenas, who has experience working with students in several areas of The University of Texas-Pan American and is a UTPA graduate, has been named the athletic department's new academic counselor. Cardenas will assist UTPA Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Support and Student Services Chris Uchacz. She replaces Kim Cochrane, who resigned at the end of the fall semester.

Cardenas joins the athletic department after serving as Texas-Pan American's Women's Residence Hall Director. In that position, Cardenas helped recruit students, provided tours of residence halls, and assisted with special events and activities.

Prior to working in Residence Life, Cardenas served as a Career Placement Specialist with UTPA's College of Science and Engineering. She helped UTPA students prepare resumes, conducted classroom presentations, assisted with career fair events and workshops, and participated at the Hispanic Engineers National Association Awards Conference at South Padre Island. While working for the College of Science and Engineering, she completed work on a Master of Arts degree in English.

A native of Pharr, TX and a graduate of Hidalgo High School, where she played volleyball, Cardenas began working at UTPA while studying for her bachelor's degree. She worked in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and in the Housing Department, and then was a substitute teacher for the Valley View Independent School District after earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Cardenas served as a college tutor at PSJA High School, and then worked as a teaching assistant in UTPA's English Department before moving to the College of Science and Engineering. Her duties included assisting at the University Writing Center, and serving as a writing lab mentor.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge," said Cardenas. "We want our student-athletes to excel in academics, not just in athletics. I'm looking forward to working with our student-athletes, and showing them that academics are important."

"We are very fortunate to have hired a person with Diana's familiarity with the university," said Uchacz. "Her experiences working as a teaching assistant and writing lab mentor will be a valuable resource for our student-athletes. She is certainly a welcome addition to our staff."

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