U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX) was elected to Congress in 1996 and currently is serving his seventh term as the representative of the 15th District of Texas, stretching from the Rio Grande Valley to historic Goliad County and the Coastal Bend region.
   In Congress, Hinojosa is regarded as a champion for the disadvantaged and has distinguished himself as a strong advocate for education, housing and economic development.
   As a senior member of the Education and Labor Committee, Congressman Hinojosa is widely recognized as a champion for investing in human capital through education. On March 30, 2010, Congressman Hinojosa joined President Barack Obama for the signing of H.R.4872: Reconciliation Act of 2010. Better known as the Health Care and Education Reform Act, this legislation represents the single largest increase in student financial aid since the GI Bill was signed in 1945. This bill invests $2.55 billion in historically Black Colleges and Universities and in Hispanic-Serving Institutions and other Minority Serving Institutions.
   He is a powerful voice for the aspirations of communities traditionally left behind in America’s education system: low-income families, minorities, students with disabilities, English language learners, and the children of migrant and seasonal farm workers. He also is committed to making sure that every child graduates prepared and able to afford a college education.
   In January 2007, Hinojosa was appointed chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness. As incoming chair, Hinojosa helped guide into law the historic College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, which represents the single largest increase in student financial aid since the GI Bill. Hino- josa’s leadership also has enabled the passage of an unprecedented number of measures in the 110th Congress that boost the achievement of Hispanics and African-Americans in higher education. His successful initiatives include a landmark $510 million investment in minority institutions and a program to support graduate degree attainment at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). In 2007, Hinojosa was presented with the American Society for Public Ser- vice Award honoring his legislative efforts to help students pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
   In 2008, Hinojosa played an instrumental role in successfully ushering through Congress the first reauthoriza- tion of the Higher Education Act in 10 years. Now signed into law, The Higher Education Opportunity Act will provide greater access to higher education for every student. During his 12 years in Congress, Hinojosa also has succeeded in vaulting Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to a position of prominence in higher education. In the 1998 amendments to the Higher Education Act, he succeeded in establishing a separate title of the act dedicated to the development of HSIs. Since that time, funding for HSIs has grown from $12 million to nearly $95 million.
   Prior to his election, Congressman Hinojosa served 20 years as president and chief financial officer of a family- owned food processing company, H&H Foods. He earned a Bachelor in Business Administration and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Texas in Austin and in Edinburg, respectively.

The University of Texas at El Paso
Millennium Lecture Series

The Millennium Lecture Series brings speakers to the UTEP campus to address topics that impact our soci- ety, culture and lives. The lectures in this series are intended to provoke our thinking and stimulate discussion about important issues of the day. This year’s theme is “Issues in U.S. Public Higher Education.” From Fall 2010 through Spring 2011, we will sponsor lectures that focus on such issues as: closing educational achieve- ment gaps across demographic groups; preparing a competitive 21st century workforce; serving as a catalyst for regional economic development; and developing more sustainable funding models. We hope that you will join us in exploring these critical issues with our distinguished Millennium Lecturers.