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Student Success and Student Life News

University of Houston-Downtown Data Science major and Bayou's Best recipient Shikyna William

Bayou's Best: Shikyna William

February 26, 2026 | By Adrin Martin

Five years ago, Shikyna William was a student at Pakistan’s Forman Christian College, a liberal arts university based in the city of Lahore. Today, she is a UHD Data Science major who now joins Bayou’s Best, “one of UHD’s highest student leader and...

Tremaine Kwasikpui and José Vázquez and Jack Weisberger smile in front of a GatorCon backdrop at the university's first comic and cosplay convention

Gator Con 2026: A Smash Hit with UHD Students and Community Members

February 16, 2026 | By Marie Jacinto

A playful mix of comics and anime characters invaded UHD’s Wellness & Success Center (WSC) on Saturday, Feb. 7, for the first-ever Gator Con, UHD’s incredibly well produced version of Comicpalooza. Half of the more than 300 attendees were UHD...

Cheerleaders on the University of Houston-Downtown squad smile with university bags at a Zumba class held at the wellness and success center

WSC’s Fitness Classes Offer Challenging Workouts in Supportive Environment

February 11, 2026 | By Natalia Ruiz

The Wellness & Success Center is more than a place to work out. It's a shared space for challenge, learning, and empowerment. This holds especially true for the WSC's group fitness classes. From dance-based cardio to mindful movement, each class...

students at Houston ISD's Dogan Elementary wave and smile at University of Houston Downtown's mascot Ed-U-Gator

UHD Goes All In on Its Promise to Dogan Elementary

December 19, 2025 | By Marie Jacinto

Right before the winter break on Friday, Dec. 15, Provost Deborah Bordelon, Dean José Ricardo-Osorio, and members of the Office of the President and the Division of Student Success and Student Life headed over to HISD’s Dogan Elementary in Fifth...

Ten racecars on a track with an esports racecar with a gator on it

Student Takes the Lead in Driving Growth of UHD’s iRacing Team

December 10, 2025 | By Natalia Ruiz

For Miguel Carrera-Castillo, iRacing—an organized, highly technical form of virtual racing—has grown from a pandemic hobby to both a competitive arena and a community-building effort on campus.  “Motorsports is a huge passion of mine. I've always...

University of Houston-Downtown mascot EduGator folds arms at the heb thanksgiving day parade with a 45 foot tall alligator ballon with

Ed-U-Gator's Big Appearance: UHD Returns to Houston's Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade

December 3, 2025

Before the sun rose over Downtown Houston's skyline, 85 members of the UHD community were busy preparing for their favorite Gator's appearance at the H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade. For the third year in a row, a 45-foot-tall Ed-U-Gator, led by a...

Alligator eye. Text reads

Be a Part of UHD’s Inaugural Gator Con

December 1, 2025

This February, pop culture, comics, anime, gaming, cosplay, local artists, vendors, and community partners are coming together for UHD’s first-ever Gator Con from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in the Wellness & Success Center! Gator Con...

givingtuesday logo on a blue background

Support Our Gators This GivingTuesday

November 20, 2025

GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate...

womens volleyball team from university of houston downtown play a game of volleyball at the wellness and success center

In UHD Club Sports News…

November 20, 2025

We’re proud of our Lady Gators Volleyball Team! They had a fantastic season, completing it with a 6-3 record. The season ended with a 2-0 loss to the tournament champions, LSC Houston North. Not to worry…we’ll get them next year! And special...

A student holds a calculator with a heart on it while a second student works a math equation on a whiteboard in the W.I. Dykes Library at the University of Houston-Downtown

Give To Gators Gifts Strengthen Student Resources in the W.I. Dykes Library

November 12, 2025 | By Sandra Jacobson

Thanks to the generosity of university faculty and staff, the W.I. Dykes Library has expanded its collection of tools and technology designed to enhance student learning, collaboration, and academic success.