Dr. Kenneth L. Buckman, associate professor of Philosophy, was selected as the Director of the Guerra Honors Program in January of 2007 . Dr. Buckman came to UTPA in the Fall of 1992 and has been teaching Humanities Honors Courses since 2001. Prior to coming to UTPA, Dr. Buckman taught two years at the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Buckman cares for his students and hismain goals are to cultivate in them intellectual growth, character and social responsibility. The primary task Dr. Buckman has as Hnors Director is to create a foundation of excellence to provide a transition for the Honors Program to become and Honors College. Although this goal is far in the future, the responisbiliety of investigating the reality of such a goal lies in his hands. Dr. Buckman sees his mission as nurturing students who are pursuing research, enabling them in the transition from undergraduate work to graduate work, medical school, law school, and professional careers. He is additionally seeking opportunities for finding money for the program to provide increased scholarships for research, to expand study abroad opportunities, to locate on-campus housing for honors students, to increase the number of faculty members who teach honors, to establish upper dvision courses and to find a larger space for the Honors offices. By setting these goals, as well as many others for the program, Dr. Buckman strives to maintain and expand the commitment to excellence that has been the hallmark of the University of Texas-Pan American Guerra Honors Program.