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Rettig joined ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ amid the COVID-19 pandemic and played a crucial role on the University’s COVID-19 Response Team. His expertise and dedication helped ensure the safety and well-being of the University community. Since then, Rettig has spearheaded various efforts to enhance the quality of life for ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ students, faculty and staff.

Perhaps one of his most ambitious and impactful programs has been the creation of ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ's Basic Needs initiative, a University-wide effort to promote the well-being and academic success of students by helping to provide access to essential basic needs, such as food, clothing, housing, healthcare, finances, transportation and more. Dr. Rettig noted, “Studies show that food insecurity and mental health have a direct impact on student retention and graduation rates. We felt that we could make a significant impact on those areas.”

His deep understanding of the challenges students face, and his proactive approach to addressing them, led the team to establish a centralized website, Students Basic Needs, for students to access available resources. Understanding that food insecurity as a top priority, Rettig worked with campus partners expand offerings and collaborated with the national organization Dairy MAX to bring dairy coolers stocked with products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and more, to campus. The food items are available for free to ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ community members.

Dr. Rettig distributes weekly Healthy Monday emails and established the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Health Hut to share information about healthy living with the entire campus community. These efforts and more demonstrate his commitment to improving lives. Through these programs, he aims to provide valuable resources and information on health and wellness topics, fostering a culture of well-being on campus.

“The award was a pleasant surprise,” says Rettig. “It shows that when we get out of our silos and work for a common cause, collectively, we can do great things for our students.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Michael Valdes, Media and Public Relations Manager, Office of Communications & Brand Marketing, (210) 829-6001, (210) 422-4052 or michael.valdes@uiwtx.edu

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With over 140 years of tradition, the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ is committed to educational excellence in a context of faith in Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God. ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ programs constitute a liberal education that fosters a well-grounded intellectual resilience, a disposition toward lifelong learning, and an acceptance of responsibility for the ethical consequences of our ideas and actions. Founded in 1881, ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ is the largest Catholic university in the state and the fourth largest private university in Texas. ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ students can choose from degrees offered at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. The University is committed to graduating students with the lowest amount of debt load possible and to help them secure a career that lifts their lives, their families and their communities. With a beautiful main campus in the heart of San Antonio, in 2019, ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ purchased a 10-acre landmark property at 4119 Broadway which increased the footprint of the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Broadway Campus by 15%. The building is now known as Founders Hall.  ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ has locations throughout San Antonio, South and Central Texas, two campuses in Mexico and a European Study Center in Strasbourg, France.  ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ is a leader in international education, with over 146 “sister schools” in 45 countries and it is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution. The University is a member of the NCAA Division I Southland Conference and is proud to have 25 teams representing 14 different sports. ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.