AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Mexican-American pediatric surgeon will become the nation’s first Hispanic to preside over a major university system when Dr. Francisco Cigarroa takes the helm at the University of Texas System, which faces financial woes and complaints about diversity. Cigarroa, a 51-year-old pediatric transplant surgeon from Laredo, looks at his new job as the system’s new chancellor starting Monday as an opportunity to exceed expectations. “Challenges really don’t dissuade me from pursuing important opportunities,” Cigarroa told The Associated Press. “If you’re an optimist, you see opportunities, and that’s the way I’ve been brought up.” Cigarroa will preside over 15 campuses with more than 194,000 students.——Contact the news staff at [email protected]