Landmark symposium brings together experts on Valley history, economy, culture
South Texas College’s History Department and The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Mexican American Studies have joined forces to produce a landmark symposium, “The Old Valley/New Valley: Analyzing the Past, Present, and Future of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.” The event brings scholars and experts from across the United States and Mexico to talk about Valley history, economics, culture, education, medicine and more.
The symposium kicks off with a reception on the evening of Nov. 4, with full days of panel discussions from Nov. 5 through 7. All activities take place at STC’s Pecan Campus Cooper Center located at 3201 West Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. Admission to all symposium events is free and open to the public.
“Never before has an event of this magnitude and caliber been put together to discuss the evolution and future of the Valley, taking into consideration so many unique factors,” said Dr. Trinidad Gonzalez, STC history instructor of the event’s organizer. “We have participants from across two nations who will provide a broad view of and vision for the Valley. Attendees will hear a variety of new perspectives that may offer some surprises.”
Of particular note is a session planned for the afternoon of Thursday, Nov. 5, when five economic experts will discuss the past, present and future of the Valley’s economy. Panel participants include Bill Gilmer, senior economist and vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas; Agustin Del Rio, the regional delegate in Monterrey of the Banco de México; Jojo Estrada, an economist with the Local Government Assistance and Economic Analysis Division of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts; and Armando C. Alonzo, author and borderlands historian specializing on the social and economic history of Texas and Northern Mexico.
Additional speakers include experts and authors from The University of Iowa, Rice University, The University of California at Los Angeles, The University of Texas at Austin, the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and The University of Maryland, just to name a few.
Attendees from across the region will benefit from new knowledge shared on population growth, economic trends, health care issues, cultural practices and educational concerns. The information can be utilized for investment ideas, policy development, as well as general historical knowledge.
After each panel presentation, audience members will be able to interact with presenters in question and answer sessions.
For additional information and a schedule visit http://lass.southtexascollege.edu/events/ovnv/ or contact Dr. Trinidad Gonzales at 956-872-3513 or tgonzale@southtexascollege.edu.