The University of Texas Education and Research Center at Laredo (UT Center at Laredo) is a public, multi-institution academic health science center in Laredo, Texas, United States. While the UT Center at Laredo does not yet confer its own degrees, it offers degrees and graduate certificates through five affiliate University of Texas (UT) System institutions: UT Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health SA/UTHSCSA), UT San Antonio (UTSA), UT Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health Houston), UT Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), and UT Medical Branch (UTMB).

The center also collaborates with Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), a member of the Texas A&M University System. Through this partnership, the center offers an Undergraduate Accelerated Master’s Degree, a five year program in which students pursue a Bachelor of Arts/Science and, concurrently, a Master of Science or graduate certificate in Biomedical Informatics.

History

MRGB-AHEC (1993—1999) In 1993, the MRGB-AHEC (Mid Rio Grande Border Area Health Education Center) was created and located on the current campus before the construction of the center's two main buildings, the D.D. Hachar and Academic Buildings.

UTHSCSA Laredo Regional Campus (1999—2021) On June 19, 1999, Texas Senate Bill 1288, authored by Judith Zaffirini and sponsored by Henry Cuellar, was passed during the 76th Texas Legislature which established the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Laredo Regional Campus(UT Health San Antonio Laredo Regional Campus) from the existing MRGB-AHEC. The MRGB-AHEC remains in operation in another location in Laredo.

UT Center at Laredo (2021—Present) On May 28, 2021, Texas Senate Bill 884, authored by Judith Zaffirini and sponsored by Richard Raymond, was passed during the 87th Texas Legislature which led to the establishment of the UT Center at Laredo. The bill did not take effect until September 1, 2021; and on November 30, 2021, a ceremony was held on campus to commemorate the center's creation. Also in 2021, along with the center's creation, came several programs from new affiliate universities, UTSA and UT Health Houston.

2022: The center entered an MOU with UTRGV which also brought several programs offered by the university to the center. 2023: UT Health SA began offering it's Bachelor of Science in Entry Level Dental Hygiene which led to the creation of three new, unnamed buildings on the center's campus. 2024: It was announced that UTMB would begin offering it's hybrid Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at the center starting in 2025. 2025: UT System Board of Regents approved the allocation of funds for the design and construction of the Laredo Multipurpose Building, along with the creation of a campus master plan.

Programs The UT Center at Laredo offers health degrees and certifications from five UT System institutions:

UT Health SA

Bachelor of Science in Entry Level Dental Hygiene Master of Physician Assistant Studies Graduate Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry

UTSA

Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Community Health Multidisciplinary Studies

UT Health Houston

Graduate Certificate in Biomedical Informatics Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics

UT Health Houston & TAMIU Undergraduate Accelerated Masters (4+1) Program Bachelor of Arts/Science Masters of Science or graduate certificate in Biomedical Informatics

UTRGV

Bachelor of Arts in Social Work Masters of Science in Social Work Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science Master of Education in Counseling

UTMB

Entry-Level Doctorate in Occupational Therapy

Campus Buildings D.D. Hachar Building A two-story building, designed by Guillermo "Willy" Cavazos of Cavazos Architects,https://www.cavazosarchitects.com opened in 2002. The architectural style of the building is meant to be evocative of Spanish Colonial Architecture with its use of Cantera Stone and "over-sized Mexican brick." An accompanying unnamed clock tower was also constructed with the building and follows the same architectural style.

Laredo Academic Building A two-story building, designed by Alta Architects and constructed by Bartlett Cocke General Contractors,https://www.bartlettcocke.com opened in 2007. The building's L-shape allows it to wrap around the D.D. Hachar Building creating a courtyard with paths connecting the two buildings. The building also followed a similar architectural style as the D.D. Hachar Building and accompanying clock tower.

Library

The library of UT Center at Laredo, found on the first floor of the Laredo Academic Building, contains physical books that pertain to the subject areas instructed and digital access to other UT System digital libraries for enrolled students.

Laredo Veterans Affairs(VA) Outpatient Clinic The Laredo VA Outpatient Clinic is owned by the University of Texas System and operated in conjunction with the UT Center at Laredo, the City of Laredo, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The single-story building was constructed by the US Federal Properties Companyhttps://www.usfpco.com and opened in 2013. To achieve a sense of cohesion, the building followed an architectural style similar to the aforementioned buildings.

Dental Program buildings With the addition of the Bachelors of Science in Dental Hygiene program, from UT Health SA's School of Dentistry, in 2023, came the creation of three single-story portable buildings which house two classrooms and three "specialized" labs for the program.

Laredo Multipurpose Building The Laredo Multipurpose Building is a proposed three-story building designed by Alta Architects and Ayers Saint Gross to be constructed by Joeris General Contractors. The first and second floors will be reserved for academic facilities, including classrooms, labs, and offices, and the third floor will be designated as shell space for building utilities and climate control. The project has been allocated a budget of with construction estimated to begin in June 2026. Once completed, the building will be the first permanent construction building erected under the UT Center at Laredo’s stewardship.

Clinics

Dementia, Geriatric & Brain Health Clinic The Dementia, Geriatric & Brain Health Clinic stems from the UT Health SA's Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseaseshttps://biggsinstitute.org and is operated on campus. This clinic provides the Laredo region with local access to neurology services, neuropsychology/diagnostic testing, genetic counseling, genetic testing, online support groups, support resources, and advanced treatment with clinical trials.

On May 23, 2025, was allocated for the "expansion" of the center's dementia clinic

Laredo VA Outpatient Clinic The Laredo VA Outpatient Clinic, located at 4602 Bartlett Avenue, Laredo, Texas, one block north of the main academic buildings, offers primary care, mental health care, podiatry, pathology, and nutritional/dietary services for veterans. The clinic also has a pharmacy and laboratory on-site for prescribed medication and testing, respectively.

Logos & Wordmarks

Logos The UT Center at Laredo utilizes multiple variations of their name for branding across their website and social media accounts. While the center's website does not provide the center's official school colors, the colors of the horizontal, vertical, and simplified logos/wordmarks have three recurring colors: Orange , Navy Blue , and Light Blue (wordmarks and logos)/(simple).

Simple Logo In 2017, The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) faced issues with retaining its identity across social media platforms. This dilemma led to the creation of UT Dallas' simplified logo, the UTD Monogram, which aimed to solidify its brand and identity while maintaining the message of UTD's communications.

Similarly, the UT Center at Laredo employs a simplified logo for branding, and to maintain their identity and message across their social media accounts. The simplified logo features a shortened version of the center's name, "UT Center @ Laredo," in three different font styles and colors. Horizontal Logo The UT Center at Laredo's horizontal logo features the Seal of the UT System to the right of the center's wordmark.

Vertical Logo The UT Center at Laredo's vertical alternative logo depicts hierarchy by including the Seal of the UT System above the center's name.

Wordmarks

References