FEBRUARY 4, 2025 — UTSA will host the Thomas E. Moseley Texas Academic Decathlon State Finals for the first time this spring. This prestigious competition will take place at the UTSA Main Campus from Friday, February 28 to Sunday, March 2, 2025, and is expected to bring more than 450 visitors to campus.
The Texas Academic Decathlon brings together 40 high school teams from across the state, each consisting of nine exceptional students, to compete in a rigorous academic contest. Each of the 360 competitors will participate in 10 events, demonstrating their expertise in subjects such as math, literature, economics, science, social science, art and music. The teams will vie for $247,500 in scholarships and a chance to compete in the national competition, which will take place later this year in Des Moines, Iowa.
“We’re excited to host so many top high school students from across the state,” said Jill Fleuriet, UTSA vice provost for honors education. “This is a great opportunity to showcase UTSA’s welcoming community to future Roadrunners, their coaches and families.”
Fleuriet and Lynn Barnes, UTSA senior vice provost for strategic enrollment, worked with Texas Academic Decathlon Executive Director Rick Hopkins, to bring the annual event to UTSA. The state finals competition had previously been hosted at the University of Incarnate Word.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase UTSA’s welcoming community to future Roadrunners, their coaches and families.”
The university invites its faculty and staff to support the event by volunteering as proctors and judges on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1.
Volunteer opportunities:
- Test Proctors: Oversee test distribution and collection while maintaining academic integrity.
- Speech Judges: Score prepared (3.5 to 4 minutes) and impromptu (1.5 to 2 minutes) speeches.
- Interview Judges: Conduct round-robin interviews using approved questions and assign scores based on a 10-area rubric.
Shift times vary throughout the weekend and training will be provided immediately before each session.
Interested faculty and staff should fill out the volunteer signup form by Monday, February 17.
Questions can be directed to Lydia Bueno, UTSA Honors College assistant dean for strategic enrollment and student life, who is serving as the competition’s manager.
“We’re looking forward to making this year’s Texas Academic Decathlon an unforgettable experience and to introducing these talented students to the UTSA community,” Bueno said.
