Remembering journalism professor Mercedes de Uriarte

We are saddened to hear the news of the passing of UT School of Journalism and Media Associate Professor Emerita Mercedes de Uriarte. Professor de Uriarte began teaching in the School of Journalism and Media in 1987 and became a UT Austin faculty affiliate of the Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies. In 1991, she became the second woman and first Latina to be awarded tenure in the then Department of Journalism. 

Throughout her years, the award-winning, nationally noted scholar built an impressive legacy of publications, grant work, and instructional innovation, all expressing her passion for social justice. At the School of Journalism, she established Tejas, a UT classroom publication which ran for a decade, and established several courses, including “Third World Coverage,” which is credited as the first of its kind in US journalism education, according to Pluralizing Journalism Education: A Multicultural Handbook (1993).

We honor Mercedes de Uriarte’s memory and the lasting contributions she made to the field of journalism and the Moody College. To read more about her life or offer memories and condolences, visit her obituary page.