VELA DRC STORY Denton's newest soccer fields at North Lakes Park have been named for G. Roland
Vela, professor emeritus of biological sciences. Denton LULAC Council 4366 began
a process three years ago under former President, Dr. Isabella Piiia-Hinojosa,
continued with former President, Dr. Roberto Calderon. Current President, Anita
Strickland-Martinez saw the final steps come to a reality at a groundbreaking
ceremony for the G. Roland Vela Athletic Complex held Aug. 10, 2013. The complex
is located on Riney Road between Bonnie Brae Drive and North Elm Street, between
the main UNT campus and UNT's Discovery Park campus. It includes four new
soccer fields.
Vela joined the faculty in 1965 after receiving his doctoral degree from the University
of Texas at Austin, and became the first Latino professor at UNT to be awarded
tenure. He was recognized nationally and internationally during his 35-year career at
UNT for his research on bacterial physiology and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and
published 75 scientific papers, a textbook an accompanying lab manual. Vela is a
member of the American Academy of Microbiologists, which is limited to 1 percent
of the member of the American Society of Microbiologists.
In 1991, UNT established an award in Vela's name that is given to individuals and
groups that make significant contributions to the education of Hispanics.
During his years at UNT, Vela became the first Latino elected to the Denton City
Council and also served for more than 11 years as Denton's representative on the
Texas Municipal Power Agency board.
He retired in 2000, the same year that he was named one of the top 100 Texas Latinos
of the 201 century in the millennium editor of Latino Monthly magazine. Vela's
scientific papers from 1962 to 1990 are now part of the UNT Archives.