RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Thursday that Dr. Margaret Graham, Professor Emerita of Anthropology at UTRGV, has returned to serve as the Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR). 
 
Graham served as the FAR from July 2021 to September 2024 and was re-appointed by UTRGV President Dr. Guy Bailey in October 2026 to be the liaison between the university and athletics department. She is a regular in the stands at all athletic events and continues to be a loyal season ticket holder and one of UTRGV's biggest fans. 
 
"I am delighted to return to my role as Faculty Athletics Representative for UTRGV. I look forward to re-engaging with my FAR partners at the Southland Conference and, of course, our student-athletes, coaches, athletics department staff, and faculty at UTRGV," Graham said. "I am truly grateful for the trust that President Bailey, [Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics] Chasse Conque, and [Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator] Molly Castner have in me to connect effectively with such different audiences. I have not been a stranger to UTRGV Athletics, but I cannot wait to dig back in and get to work again!" 
 
As she did previously, Graham will again serve as chair of the athletics council and as a member of the mental health task force and will advise the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). With her return, she will once again offer guidance and assistance with student-athlete academic welfare and consult with FARs across the conference and the country to ensure a first-class student-athlete experience for all Vaqueros as a representative of the university in Southland Conference and NCAA affairs. 
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Graham back as our Faculty Athletics Representative. During her previous stint, Dr. Graham developed meaningful relationships with our coaches, staff, and student-athletes. She has continued to stay engaged, rarely missing an athletics event, and understands the value we place on student-athlete welfare and success," Conque said. "It is an important time for UTRGV Athletics, and we are all pleased that Dr. Graham has agreed to return to serve in this capacity. On behalf of our coaches, staff, and student-athletes, we look forward to continuing our work with Dr. Graham to help us further enhance the student-athlete experience." 
 
Graham started working at the university in 2005 when she joined legacy institution The University of Texas Pan American (UTPA) as Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Anthropology. Graham became a UTRGV professor in the Department of Anthropology in 2016 and became Chair of the newly formed Department of Sociology & Anthropology in 2019. 
 
Among Graham's honors and distinctions are the 2014 College Faculty Excellence Award for Mentoring and the 2009 Provost's Award for Latin American Studies. She was a member of the Leadership Team for the UTRGV ADVANCE Program from 2012-2018. 
 
Graham earned her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with Distinction while also completing a certificate in Latin American Studies at Indiana University in 1980. She completed a Master of Arts in Anthropology at Michigan State in 1985 before earning her Ph.D. in Anthropology from Michigan State in 1991.

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