In 2002, the US Department of Agriculture Office of Community Development designated The University of Texas-Pan American as a National Center of Excellence.  The National Center of Excellence program consists of one-year cooperative partnerships between eight rural institutions of higher education and the USDA. Designed to promote economic development in underserved rural communities, it focuses on economic opportunity, sustainable community development, community-based partnerships and a strategic vision for change.

"There are eight of them in the United States, and we are happy to be one of them," said Bret L. Mann, executive director of the UTPA Office of Center Operations and Community Services (CoSERVE).

"The National Center of Excellence goes out to rural areas, especially empowerment zones, and provides strategic planning, develops leadership, and conducts training for local government, higher education and empowerment zone officials. The ultimate goal is to improve economic self-sufficiency of those rural areas."