Honoring UTSA professor emerita Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark for her contributions.

89(R) HR 1321 - Enrolled version - Bill Text

H.R. No. 1321

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark, professor emerita at The

University of Texas at San Antonio, continues to find new avenues to

elevate Mexican American traditions in the popular sphere; and

WHEREAS, Legendary for her scholarship in

bicultural-bilingual studies, Dr. Clark is the subject of a

documentary short recently nominated for a James Beard Media Award;

La Mera Mera Tamalera
showcases her passion for Mexican heritage,

exemplified by the tradition of the
tamalada,
which turns the

laborious tamale-making process into a celebration of connection;

and

WHEREAS, Dr. Clark earned her master's degree from UTSA and

her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from UT Austin; in

1978, she began serving UTSA as a Title VII coordinator, and over

more than four decades, she worked tirelessly to advance

bicultural-bilingual studies and Latino education; her research

has been published in numerous national and international journals

and received multimillion-dollar funding from the U.S. Department

of Education and the Rockefeller Foundation; and

WHEREAS, A mentor to countless people, Dr. Clark served as a

faculty advisor for student organizations and encouraged young

scholars to explore their own identities and their role in their

communities; she benefited UTSA in a host of leadership roles,

including as a member of the faculty review advisory committee and

faculty senate budget committee; moreover, she lent her expertise

to media productions, serving as content director for the

groundbreaking PBS KIDS series
Maya & Miguel
and producing a

documentary series on Latino and Latina artists; along the way, she

served as a strong voice for equity and social justice; and

WHEREAS, When she retired in 2012, the university named

Dr. Clark professor emerita, and in 2023, an endowed chair was

established in her honor; since her retirement, she has furthered

her cultural studies, particularly in the realm of cuisine; her

latest book,
Pan Dulce
, is set for September 2025 publication by

Trinity University Press; she has also built on her long record of

service to the wider community as a member of the San Antonio Arts

Commission and the Centro de Artes Committee; and

WHEREAS, An energetic, engaging culture-bearer and champion

of education, Ellen Riojas Clark has uplifted her community and

enriched the lives of innumerable people by sharing her deep

knowledge and longtime advocacy; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas

Legislature hereby honor University of Texas at San Antonio

professor emerita Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark for her contributions and

extend to her sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

prepared for Dr. Clark as an expression of high regard by the Texas

House of Representatives.

Martinez Fischer

______________________________

Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 1321 was adopted by the House on June

1, 2025, by a non-record vote.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House