Publishing Powerhouse

With a growing list of faculty authors and a book series partnership with a major university press, Texas A&M University-San Antonio is gaining recognition as a publishing powerhouse while steadily expanding its footprint in academic publishing.   

Since 2021, A&M-San Antonio has partnered with Texas A&M University Press on the Vistas book series, which publishes scholarly works on the history of the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands. Alongside this partnership, at least eight faculty members have recently published books or expect to see their manuscripts released by 2026. 

“Publishing is very important to our faculty here,” said Dr. Katherine Gillen, English professor and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “It shows we’re maturing as a University, that our faculty is becoming established in their fields. People are publishing with well-regarded presses. There’s a lot of good work happening.” 

Gillen herself is among the faculty authors. She co-edited “The Bard in the Borderlands: An Anthology of Shakespeare Appropriations en La Frontera,” a three-volume collection featuring multilingual reimaginings of Shakespeare’s plays rooted in the history, culture, and lived experience of the Borderlands. Her collaborators include Dr. Adrianna Santos, associate professor of English at A&M-San Antonio, and Dr. Kathryn Vomero Santos, associate professor of English at Trinity University. 

Gillen noted that students benefit greatly from being taught by actively publishing scholars. 

“It’s important for our students to learn from leading scholars,” she said. “Faculty who publish books have strong national and international networks they draw on in their teaching.” 

"It shows we're maturing as a University, that our faculty is becoming established in their fields. People are publishing with well-regarded presses. There's a lot of good work happening."

~ Dr. Katherine Gillen

She also emphasized the University’s support systems for faculty research. A&M-San Antonio provides an annual grant for faculty research or conference travel. Additional support comes from the Office of the Provost, which offers competitive Research Council Grants that often fund new projects. 

One of the University’s most notable recent achievements came in 2024, when Dr. Philis Barragán Goetz, associate professor of history, received a $60,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for her forthcoming book, “The Borderlands of Inclusivity: Jovita González and the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement.” The book, to be published by University of Texas Press, explores the life and influence of González, a pioneering but historically underrecognized folklorist, writer, and educator from Roma, Texas.

Barragán Goetz also received a Research Council Grant, allowing her to take a yearlong research sabbatical.  

I got a tremendous amount of research done,” she said. “It’s not an exaggeration to say it would have taken me up to five years to do the same research if I had been teaching full-time. When you consider our teaching load and the amount of resources we have—and compare that to our research and publication output—I think we’re definitely boxing outside of our weight limit.” 

Perhaps the University is, but they are holding their own.  Barragán Goetz’s first book, “Reading, Writing, and Revolution: Escuelitas and the Emergence of a Mexican American Identity in Texas,” was published by University of Texas Press in 2020 and earned multiple awards, including the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies Book Award. 

Another faculty author, Dr. Harris Bechtol, lecturer of philosophy, released his book “A Death of the World: Surviving the Death of the Other” in 2025. The work grew out of his personal experience with the death of a close mentor during his undergraduate years at Baylor University. 

“I had a pretty life-shattering experience with death,” Bechtol said. “It raised all kinds of questions for me.” 

Writing the book has strengthened his teaching, he added. 

“Students know I’ve lived through experiences like theirs,” he said. “Even though I’m the professor at the front of the room, there’s a shared level of experience that helps build camaraderie and makes the classroom more open and comfortable.” 

A&M-San Antonio reached a significant milestone in 2024 when it helped publish the first book in the Vistas series: “The Lost War for Texas: Mexican Rebels, American Burrites, and the Texas Revolution of 1811,” written by former adjunct history instructor James Bernsen. 

Dr. William Kiser, professor of history and chair of the Department of History, Philosophy, and Geography, serves as general editor of the Vistas series. He oversees a five-member editorial board composed of A&M-San Antonio faculty. The board reviews submitted manuscripts, provides detailed feedback to authors, and approves projects before they move on to Texas A&M University Press. 

“The purpose of this series is to promote scholarship—especially monographs on Borderlands history,” Kiser said. “It aligns with South Texas, with San Antonio, and with the University’s mission. Many of our faculty have expertise in Borderlands studies, and this series provides a public-facing scholarly venue to share that work through Texas A&M University Press.” 

Kiser said the partnership allows the University to champion scholarship from across the country. 

A&M-San Antonio’s growing presence in academic publishing, through faculty research, award-winning books, and the Vistas series, reinforces the University’s growing recognition and influence. As faculty authors continue to publish meaningful work, the University is strengthening both its scholarly reputation and the academic experience it offers students.