RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Friday that Letty Hernandez has been promoted to Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services. 
 
"I am so very grateful for the opportunity to lead this department. It means that I've earned a vote of confidence from UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque and Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator Molly Castner, and that's valuable to me," Hernandez said. "The growth of our department has been amazing, especially when I think about where we were when I first started at legacy institution UTPA back in 2008. I'm excited for what's to come and will do my best to continue contributing to student-athlete success." 
 
Hernandez will continue to work with baseball, a sport she has been overseeing academically for 15 years, along with men's basketball and women's soccer. In her elevated role, she'll also take on more administrative duties such as supervising student-athlete advisors, tracking the academic progress rate, and working closely with compliance to monitor student eligibility. Additionally, she'll be involved with the mental health task force. 
 
Throughout her time at UTRGV, Hernandez has played a pivotal role in improving the departmental GPA and the athletic department's graduation rate. She was recognized has a campus Unsung Hero in 2021, which was particularly special because of the challenges the department faced at that time due to COVID-19. When the baseball team won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championship in 2019, head coach Derek Matlock gave Hernandez a championship ring because of the impact she has working with the team, specifically transfer students. 
 
Hernandez's work ethic is at the center of the success she has helped the department earn, and why she was the top choice to lead the academic team. She credits her mom, who never missed a day of work, for showing her what it means to be committed to her job. She also thanked her network of people across campus, from admissions to financial aid to the registrar's office and faculty, for helping her consistently get better professionally. 
 
With 15 years of experience in academic services, Hernandez has learned how to troubleshoot and develop the most efficient plans to help each student-athlete earn their degree and accomplish their career goals. She takes a hands-on approach to assist students in meeting both the institutional and NCAA requirements and strives to always be available to support the Vaqueros however they need.
 
"I enjoy empowering our student-athletes and helping them find their way both academically and professionally," Hernandez said. "As Associate AD, I hope to improve our departmental GPA of 3.32 and our graduation rate, which is currently 84%. Our numbers are excellent, but we can always find ways to improve. We're doing great work and it's due to our dedicated staff and hard-working student-athletes." 
 
Hernandez genuinely believes in UTRGV's mission and in the student-athletes she works with, and her contributions are appreciated by all. 
 
"I am thrilled about Letty's promotion. With over 15 years of experience at our university, Letty has institutional knowledge and expertise that helps us graduate champions. She has a passion for athletics and our student-athletes that is unmatched," Castner said. 

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