UTEP Press at The University of Texas at El Paso has announced the winners of its first round of book awards since the press was relaunched in fall 2025. The awards, which recognize both academic and popular works, were given in two categories for the inaugural 2026 and upcoming 2027 cycles.
Lucas Roebuck, UTEP Press publisher and the University’s vice president for marketing and communications, commented on the selection process: “The publishing process from proposal to manuscript to printing is lengthy, but these four award-wining books coming out in the next two years will be worth the wait. The forthcoming books showcase the breadth of expertise of UTEP faculty – topics include the history of runaways in the borderlands, the unique hand-painted sign culture of El Paso, understanding AI and quantum computing effects on entrepreneurship, and cancer treatment breakthroughs.”
Due to a large number of high-quality proposals submitted for this inaugural cycle, both 2026 and 2027 awards were selected from submissions originally intended for 2026.
The Texas Western Fellowship Award recognizes new works that capture experiences in the Southwest or borderlands. For 2026, Christina Villarreal, Ph.D., former assistant professor in UTEP’s Department of History, received this award for her book “Fugitives of Empire: Apostates, Deserters, and Runaways in the Texas-Louisiana Borderlands, 1714-1803.” Her work examines Spanish borderlands history through stories of Native Americans, soldiers, and enslaved Africans who fled forced missionization or enslavement. Villarreal will receive $10,000; her book is scheduled for publication in spring 2027.
The 2027 recipient is Anne M. Giangiulio, associate professor of art at UTEP. Her book “Rotulistas: Sign Painters of El Paso” explores over seven decades of hand-drawn business signage by local artists known as rotulistas. It covers historical developments from the late nineteenth century through recent trends valuing handmade aesthetics. Giangiulio will receive $5,000; her book is set for summer 2027 release.
The UTEP Discovery Fellowship Award honors books that align with UTEP’s mission to spread research benefiting communities locally and globally. Waymond Rodgers, Ph.D., professor of accounting and information systems at UTEP, won for his forthcoming title “Quantum Pathways: Harnessing AI and Decision Science for Entrepreneurial Discovery.” The book investigates how artificial intelligence and quantum-inspired models influence decision-making among entrepreneurs. Rodgers will receive $10,000; publication is planned for fall 2026.
For 2027’s Discovery Fellowship Award, Zahid Rafiq, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in UTEP’s School of Pharmacy, was recognized for “Closing the Cancer Care Gap: Research and Hope in the Borderlands.” This book presents advances in cancer research such as immunotherapy and precision medicine while highlighting patient experiences along the U.S.-Mexico border where disparities persist. Rafiq will be awarded $5,000; his work is expected to publish summer 2027.
In addition to these new titles, UTEP Press plans to release seven legacy books from its original Texas Western Press imprint throughout the remainder of the 2025-26 academic year. These releases cover topics including public health history (“Epidemic in the Southwest: 1918-1919” by Bradford Luckingham), political biography (“Ben Dowell: El Paso’s First Mayor” by Nancy Hamilton), religious history (“The Carvajal Family: The Jews and the Inquisition in New Spain in the Sixteenth Century” by Alfonso Toro), prohibition-era movements (“The Struggle for Sobriety: Protestants and Prohibition in Texas:1919-1935” by Jeanne Bozzell McCarty), regional essays (“Home Country: An Elroy Bode Reader” by Elroy Bode), national conflict (“The Mexican Republic: 1847” by Dennis E. Berge), and abolitionist missions (“Anti-Slavery in the Southwest: William G. Kephardt’s Mission to New Mexico: 1850-53” by Lawrence R. Murphy). All titles will be available as print-on-demand or ebooks; select Southwestern Studies series books will also be offered as free downloads.
UTEP Press is now accepting submissions for its next round—the 2028 Discovery Fellowship Award—with a $5,000 prize going to a work advancing discovery or research relevant to community needs. Proposals are due April 1, 2026; preference will be given to submissions from members or affiliates of UTEP.
Roebuck emphasized that anyone may submit proposals but stated that priority would go to those affiliated with UTEP.
