HR1321 - Honoring UTSA professor emerita Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark for her contributions.

      H.R. No. 1321       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark, professor emerita at The   University of Texas at San Antonio, continues to find new avenues to   elevate Mexican American traditions in the popular sphere; and          WHEREAS, Legendary for her scholarship in   bicultural-bilingual studies, Dr. Clark is the subject of a   documentary short recently nominated for a James Beard Media Award;   La Mera Mera Tamalera showcases her passion for Mexican heritage,   exemplified by the tradition of the tamalada, which turns the   laborious tamale-making process into a celebration of connection;   and          WHEREAS, Dr. Clark earned her master's degree from UTSA and   her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from UT Austin; in   1978, she began serving UTSA as a Title VII coordinator, and over   more than four decades, she worked tirelessly to advance   bicultural-bilingual studies and Latino education; her research   has been published in numerous national and international journals   and received multimillion-dollar funding from the U.S. Department   of Education and the Rockefeller Foundation; and          WHEREAS, A mentor to countless people, Dr. Clark served as a   faculty advisor for student organizations and encouraged young   scholars to explore their own identities and their role in their   communities; she benefited UTSA in a host of leadership roles,   including as a member of the faculty review advisory committee and   faculty senate budget committee; moreover, she lent her expertise   to media productions, serving as content director for the   groundbreaking PBS KIDS series Maya & Miguel and producing a   documentary series on Latino and Latina artists; along the way, she   served as a strong voice for equity and social justice; and          WHEREAS, When she retired in 2012, the university named   Dr. Clark professor emerita, and in 2023, an endowed chair was   established in her honor; since her retirement, she has furthered   her cultural studies, particularly in the realm of cuisine; her   latest book, Pan Dulce , is set for September 2025 publication by   Trinity University Press; she has also built on her long record of   service to the wider community as a member of the San Antonio Arts   Commission and the Centro de Artes Committee; and          WHEREAS, An energetic, engaging culture-bearer and champion   of education, Ellen Riojas Clark has uplifted her community and   enriched the lives of innumerable people by sharing her deep   knowledge and longtime advocacy; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby honor University of Texas at San Antonio   professor emerita Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark for her contributions and   extend to her sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be   prepared for Dr. Clark as an expression of high regard by the Texas   House of Representatives.     Martinez Fischer     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 1321 was adopted by the House on June   1, 2025, by a non-record vote.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House