Posted on August 28, 2025 by Rebekah Alegria
Since joining the Carlos Alvarez College of Business in 2020, Andrea Caldwell Marquez has become known for more than her expertise in management strategy and entrepreneurship.
Andrea Caldwell Marquez, assistant professor of management
She’s excelled at creating classrooms where students feel seen, challenged and supported--and where learning extends far beyond course content.
Her teaching philosophy is built on three core principles: making meaningful connections, embracing continuous improvement and cultivating compassionate boundaries. These values shape everything from how she structures her courses to the way she interacts one-on-one with students.
“I want my students to walk away not just understanding the material, but feeling more capable and connected,” said Andrea Caldwell Marquez, assistant professor of management. “Building relationships and confidence is just as important as mastering the course concepts.”
Marquez approaches that philosophy in a number of ways in her teaching. On the first day of every class, she learns each student’s name, creating an immediate sense of connection. She also incorporates team-based activities and class icebreakers to help students engage with one another, emphasizing that the relationships they form in the classroom can become valuable professional networks.
Her courses are also designed with hands-on, real-world applications. In her Innovation & Entrepreneurship class, students don’t just learn theories; they develop venture ideas, conduct customer interviews and present their work to local business leaders in competition format. Recent partnerships have included the City of San Antonio and Geekdom, a downtown co-working space focused on entrepreneurship. In the spring 2025 semester, Geekdom even awarded free six-month memberships to the winning student teams, opening doors for them to further their ideas beyond campus.
“Experiential learning gives students something tangible they can bring to an interview,” Marquez explained. “The goal is for them to foster skills that will take them farther than just one semester.”
Her approach is also shaped by her own experience as a first-generation college student. She recalls the financial stress of her early semesters and the uncertainty of navigating academic expectations without a roadmap. Those experiences now inform the way she designs her courses, with accessibility, clarity and compassion in mind.
“I try to be very intentional about costs and expectations,” she said. “And I remind students that my class isn’t the most important thing in their lives. If they’re juggling a lot in their lives, I encourage students to work with me to better balance their academics with their mental and physical health.”
At the same time, Marquez maintains high standards that prepare students for their professional careers. She uses detailed rubrics, structured team evaluations and consistent policies to balance empathy with accountability. “I always try to distinguish between a student who wants leniency, and one who genuinely needs grace,” she said. “It’s about being fair and helping them build habits that will serve them long after graduation.”
Students have responded enthusiastically to her approach. Her courses consistently receive outstanding evaluations, with students describing her as “engaged,” “supportive” and “genuinely invested in our success.” One student shared, “I’ve never seen a professor so open to improving the course for everyone,” while another wrote, “She made me feel like I mattered.”
Marquez also models what she teaches. She regularly seeks out professional development, including completing Mental Health First Aid certification, earning a STAR grant to integrate open educational resources into her courses and attending Notre Dame’s Experiential Classroom to further strengthen her approach to hands-on instruction.
This commitment to her craft was recognized this past spring when Marquez was awarded the 2025 Richard S. Howe Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, one of UTSA’s highest honors for faculty excellence in the classroom. “Being nominated alongside so many talented faculty members was already such an incredible honor,” she said. “When I learned that I had been selected as the award recipient, I was quite literally speechless. So, it’s a good thing I didn’t have to give a speech!”
Even as she celebrates the recognition, Marquez is looking ahead. With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence in education, she is actively seeking ways to help students engage with new technologies intentionally and ethically. Over the summer, she participated in several webinars focused on AI in the classroom, and this fall she will take part in a “Teaching with AI” training series, supported by professional development funding.
“We’re in the middle of a massive shift,” she said. “I want to ensure students know how to think critically, adapt responsibly and use these tools in ways that enhance their learning.”
For Marquez, teaching is a calling grounded in connection, compassion and continuous growth. “Lifelong learning and empathy aren’t just things I teach, they’re what I try to live,” she said. “If my students leave my class with confidence in themselves and a belief in what they can achieve, then I’ve done my job.”
— Rebekah Alegria
