State of theCity— Week of 02/07/2022

students into classes [and] it speaks highly of our advisors [and graduate advisors of record],” Rosencrans added. Through the degree programs it offers and its asynchronous nature, UTSA online caters to the needs of “[a] different population [of students] than what [one] would see on campus.”

According to Rosencrans, students are given extensive help navigating the admission process and other things like financial aid.

Since the program’s significant growth in enrollment last spring, the program has also added to the degree programs it offers. While this was not a factor considered for the U.S. News rankings, Rosencrans explained that the program’s emphasis on quality is also reflected in adding new degree options.

“We’re not just throwing up any degree online,” Rosencrans said. “There needs to be a workforce need that is met. It needs to serve our local population, and there has to be the potential for growth for us to want to partner and move forward.”

Vito also emphasized that UTSA Online plays a significant role in the university’s outlook on social mobility, adding that the online program can help its students advance in their respective careers.

“Having a strong online program, where students come in and succeed and they don’t come in and go back out again, is an important [part] in the broader kind of way that we think about UTSA and social mobility,” Vito explained.

“We’re not trying to take over the world,” Rosencrans said. “We’re just trying to grow our roots even deeper here in the community in San Antonio and help our students meet their path. Whether it’s a career, whether it’s getting that degree, whether it’s making their families proud [or] setting an example for their children — whatever that is, we want them to succeed.”

In developing countries, PRJKTRUBY accomplishes this by working with Population Services International (PSI), a nonprofit global health organization dedicated to addressing health challenges impacting people around the world, including sexual and reproductive health. In the United States, PRJKTRUBY utilizes a 501c3 organization called Power to Decide, whose mission is to prevent unplanned pregnancies. You can schedule your free consultation for contraceptive services or learn more about PRJKTRUBY and its impact at http://www.prjktruby.com.

By Luna Infante Staff Writer

Last week, Texas faced a cold front, leaving the city with closures and power outages. The City of San Antonio and Bexar County did not open warming centers; officials said that the weather conditions did not meet the criteria. According to KSAT, Spokesperson for the City of San Antonio Laura Mayes stated, “The policy is that we’re looking at 32 degrees or lower for a sustained period of time, or if there’s a combination of precipitation and temperatures below 32 that make it dangerously inclement.” Warming shelters began to open in December but were not popular among the general public. Due to this, the city has focused on working with outreach programs and temporary shelters that offer overnight services. At the start of the cold front on Monday, Jan. 5, the city’s outreach crews began to provide help to the community by passing out cold weather gear, jackets, gloves, hats and blankets to people in need while also encouraging many to utilize temporary shelters. Chef Edward Villarreal’s highly anticipated cannabis cafe is now officially open in San Antonio.

On Friday, Feb. 3, Mxicanna Cafe, located near Southtown, held its grand opening. The new cafe offers traditional Mexican food during the day and

As molecular architects, the researchers at UTSA are using pharmacokinetics — how a drug or molecule moves throughout the body — to manipulate these small molecules to have the best possible bloodbrain barrier penetration.

The biological target of these small molecules is estrogen receptor-beta, shown to be a tumor suppressor that McHardy believes is a “valuable target to go after for GBM.”

“We have in vivo data [research done within a living organism] to show that if you have a xenograft model — taking a human GBM tumor and growing it in a muscle of an animal — and then treating that animal with the developed drug, we can decrease that tumor size and knock down the tumor,” McHardy said.

All the in vivo data is collected at UT Health San Antonio by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Mays Cancer Center using hemp-infused dishes at night. With the exception of medical marijuana, cannabis remains illegal in Texas. Hemp, however, contains less than 0.3% THC, making it legal under state law. the small molecules developed in McHardy’s lab. This project is a prominent multidisciplinary collaboration and is only possible for McHardy and his team with the help of the UT Health San Antonio research partners.

On Friday, Feb. 3, SAPD Chief William McManus’ department-issued car was broken into. His ballistic vest was taken, officials say. SAPD responded to his home after receiving a call about a vehicle break-in. It was reported that a person in Chief McManus’ neighborhood was driving when they noticed someone in a red hoodie inside the police car. When the witness’ car headlights illuminated the suspect, the latter allegedly got out and jumped into another vehicle. The suspect has not yet been found.

On Saturday, Feb. 4, the Animal Defense League of Texas and Animal Care Services hosted a free pet vaccination and microchipping event. They recently began holding these events twice a month, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., offering these services for free to San Antonio residents who provide proof of residency. According to the organization, these events will be hosted in neighborhoods that have been “historically … underserved for veterinary services.” The Animal Defense League will offer free vaccines, microchips and prevention for select districts. Their next event is scheduled for Feb. 18.

“We do all the compound design, we make the compounds and we analyze the data, the structure, the activity. But we could not do this without our other partners; this is really and truly a cross-institutional, multidisciplinary collaboration; you don’t see that all the time in academics,” McHardy said.

In April, the CIDD is hosting its fifth Annual Drug Discovery Symposium, for which registration is open. For more information on the drug symposium, visit https://research.utsa.edu/ events/2023/04/03-cidd-annualdrug-discovery-symposium. html. For additional information on the CIDD and GBM research, visit https://cidd. uthscsa.edu/.