TLU is sending a big shoutout to TLU Alum Dr. Victoria Rivas ’10, who recently earned her PhD from the University of Texas at San Antonio! A first-generation student, Rivas earned her BS in mathematics with minors in biology and music at TLU. During those undergrad years, she was a member of the TLU Wind Ensemble and Pep Band, Tau Beta Sigma, Delta Epsilon Iota, and the Mexican American Student Association. She went on to UTSA for her master’s in applied and industrial mathematics, then pursued her doctorate in interdisciplinary learning and teaching—which she received in December 2025. These days, Dr. Rivas works as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Co-Coordinator for the Faculty-Student Mentoring program at Northeast Lakeview College. 

Read her inspirational story right here: Graduating doctoral student is inspired to persevere by her grandmothers' stories of hardship - UT San Antonio Today.