TAMIU Breaks Ground for $71.2M Construction, Expansion

The latest chapter in Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) growth and development story was writ large Friday, April 5, 2024, with Groundbreaking Ceremonies for the construction of the Health Sciences Education and Research Center (HSERC) and the expansion of the Western Hemispheric Trade Center (WHTC).

Joining TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz at the ceremony were TAMIU students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni.  Special guests included State Senator Judith Zaffirini, James R. “Randy” Brooks, Regent, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, and Jenny Jones, A&M System Vice Chancellor for Governmental Relations. Scheduled guest State Representative Richard Peña Raymond was unable to attend 

Construction of these projects is scheduled for substantial completion in Spring of 2026.  The total project budget is $71,200,000.

Dr. Arenaz said this latest chapter in the University’s history will be pivotal to its continued and critical mission delivery.

 “The state-of-the-art HSERC is the newest addition to the 300-acre campus.  Funded in part through Capital Construction Assistance Project (CCAP) funds appropriated by the 87th Legislature, this new construction will drive continued and relevant program growth and expand impactful teaching, service, and research opportunities that deliver our mission.  The WHTC expansion will house multiple business outreach programs,” Arenaz explained.  

Senator Zaffirini, who champions higher education across the state and especially at her hometown University, shared her elation.  She reminded those attending of the contributions of the University’s Trailblazers, whose names are immortalized on TAMIU’s Trailblazer Tower, and shared a favorite Winston Churchill quote, “We shape the buildings and then they shape us.”

Recalling how her family’s history is forever linked to TAMIU’s success, she paraphrased a selection from the 1989 film Field of Dreams, noting...“If  you build it they will come...and we will be worthy.”

Regent Brooks said there was never any doubt that the Regents would support TAMIU’s growth.

“It was an easy decision...investing to build high-demand programs here was a no-brainer. The  HSERC allows for an expansion of health sciences offerings, helping to address the acute needs here. The WHTC expansion will help fuel the continued economic growth of this region. TAMIU is a great steward of our investment, and it has the highest retention rate in our System and one of the highest graduation rates,” Brooks said.

He noted that the TAMIU project would only have been possible with the support of the Texas Legislature and praised the leadership of Sen. Zaffirini and Rep. Raymond. 

“Your support for CCAP is what makes this possible today.  Today’s celebration is part of a historic investment The Texas A&M University System has made in higher education over the past few years.  We have more than $4.1 billion worth of projects in planning and design, construction, or development across Texas,” Brooks explained

Vice Chancellor for Governmental Relations Jones, representing A&M System Chancellor John Sharp, also commended the partnership of the Texas Legislature and in particular TAMIU’s legislative team.

“Without the capital assistance project funds Sen. Zaffirini and Rep. Raymond supported, none of this would have been possible,” Jones observed, “We also want to thank the A&M System’s Board of Regents for their wisdom in supporting TAMIU’s continued growth. I can’t wait to get back here to celebrate the completion of construction and the start of the real work here to serve Laredo.” 

At just under 60,000 square feet, the three-story HSERC will be an interactive clinical building that promotes learning and research within the health sciences, one of TAMIU’s fastest-growing study areas, through interaction with the public by TAMIU faculty and students.  It will be a home for greater clinical/demonstration appointments for the community through public-facing communications disorders, kinesiology research, and public health. The HSERC will also be a fitting home for two new programs funded in the 88th Legislative Session—Clinical Lab Sciences and the Doctor of Physical Therapy programs.

The approximately 27,000 square-foot, two-story addition to the WHTC will consist of office and classroom space, along with instructional and research laboratory spaces to the west of the existing building.  

The addition will create an integrated public interface by housing business outreach programs, including the Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade, the Texas Center for Economic Development, and the Small Business Development Center.  

For more information, contact the TAMIU Office of Public Relations, Marketing, and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu, call 956.326.2180, or visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, 268.

TAMIU Registration for Maymester, Summer, and Fall is underway.

More on the University’s story can be found at tamiu.edu and on its social media channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. 

Related Link: Visit TAMIU's Master Plan