BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Brownsville Mayor John Cowen says UT-Rio Grande Valley has agreed to run more of its engineering programs at its Brownsville campus.
Cowen spoke about UTRGV doing more for Brownsville when he gave the opening keynote discussion at a YTexas regional conference held at The Livery Venue.
YTexas CEO Ed Curtis asked Cowen how the Brownsville is collaborating with higher education institutions to produce a more skilled workforce. Curtis noted that major projects that will require more engineers are coming to Brownsville.
Cowen responded:
“Collaboration with every educational institution is essential. Working with UTRGV, we created what's called the ‘Task Force of the Future’ to really emphasize, at least the gap on our side of the Valley, on the Brownsville side. What we need UTRGV to come to the table with.”
Cowen continued: “A lot of our kids are having to travel to Edinburg for classes. So, this semester, they (UTRGV) are opening up 3,000 more seats here in Brownsville. And they've committed, in the fall, to bring engineering fully back to Brownsville. A lot of kids would have to go to Edinburg for engineering, and we know we're going to need lots of engineers in the future.”
Cowen said that through the new task force, UTRGV has also committed to “filling a second campus of Brownsville on the north side.”
He explained: “That's going to create more permanent room for growth, especially when it comes to engineering and other types of programs.”
Cowen gave a shoutout to other higher education institutions.
“Having Texas A&M in the region is huge for workforce development. And one of our key partners, TSC, plays an enormous role for workforce development. So, I think there's a role for everyone at the table.”
Cowen pointed out that UTRGV has 35,000 students while local public schools have 50,000 to 60,000 students.
“Having that pipeline really starts early to connect kids, to get them excited for the jobs of the future, so they can see that this is the path. Not everyone needs to go to college, but showcasing the types of careers that are here, and these are the type of pay rates, they will have that motivation to get there once they graduate. So, that's all happening right now.”
Curtis then asked about the role of community colleges, noting that Texas Southmost College (TSC) President Jesus Rodriguez was in the audience and was slated to speak at the conference later.
“Absolutely, they (TSC) are a huge part of our success. A lot of our students are first generation college students, and it gives them an opportunity to get associates degree or technical training in a very effective and efficient way without having that student incurring debt. I think having that pathway and having it be local; it's such a such an enormous thing. And I know they're celebrating their 100th year anniversary. It's an amazing thing for our city, and they've been such a great part of what we do. The collaboration with industry I found with community colleges is really unbelievable.”
Curtis also asked Cowen about housing, noting that the City of Brownsville is launching its first ever housing master plan to address the huge demand for housing.
Cowen replied: “Brownsville is about 139 square miles. That's how big we are. I was in the City of Pittsburg last week on an economic development trip. They're 55 square miles. We are only 50% built out, as a city, which gives us a great opportunity to say, we want to dictate how we're going to grow. We want to be very mindful and thoughtful on how we're planning our housing, our park systems, our transportation networks, so that it lays the groundwork for the next 20, 30, 40, years of growth.”
That said, housing is a huge issue, Cowen explained.
“We’re going to need to really leverage the private markets here to work hand in hand to make sure we address the 25,000 jobs that are likely coming here within the next five years. We only have 55,000 households here in Brownsville, so that's 25,000 new jobs coming on the market. So, what does that mean? We want all those jobs for Brownsville residents, making sure our people have those opportunities first, that they have the ability to up-skill and get those jobs that are coming.”
Curtis also asked Cowen to explain how big new industrial projects are going to shape the region. He referenced SpaceX, LNG, and an oil refinery project.
Cowen said: “Brownsville is now being known for space, energy and potentially now, going forward, defense and advanced manufacturing. We are a finalist for Project Alpha, which, potentially, would be one of the largest shipbuilding sites in the world, making the next generation of ships for the US Navy, right? We are strongly committed to that project. That’s 10,000 jobs. It's another game changer. This is another SpaceX-level investment. And all those projects create a snowball effect with suppliers coming here as well. And so having that ecosystem of industry will just create more momentum for other industry to come as well. And so, I think our task is to make sure we have the infrastructure in place, the workforce in place, obviously, dealing with water and electrical capacity as well. And we feel very strongly that we're well positioned to deal with all of that.”
By way of example, Cowen pointed out the City of Brownsville is building a 730-acre industrial park on the north side of the city.
‘We’re finishing the first phase, and we're working on starting the second phase right away. So that's making sure that companies, when they want to come here, we have shovel-ready sites. We have people that can help them get off the ground as soon as possible.”
Curtis also asked about development at the Port of Brownsville.
Cowen responded: “The Port is absolutely the biggest economic driver for our region, for our city. It is the jewel. And I think you're seeing that. My understanding is most or a lot of ports in Texas and other ports are already built out. So, this is the land of opportunity. Brownsville is a place that where people can come and invest and be successful, and you're starting to see that momentum. I think that we just have to work together to make sure that these projects that are coming are successful. And I think we are. We are showcasing that, we are able to do that and operate a very high, high rate of effectiveness.”
Editor's Note: The above news story is the second in a two-part series based on Brownsville Mayor John Cowen's keynote remarks at a YTexas regional conference held April 29, 2026, at The Livery Venue. Click here to read Part One.
