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 City Donates Land for University Expansion
University President Flavius Killebrew and Corpus Christi Mayor Henry Garrett signed a historic agreement transferring around 137 acres of city land to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi for future expansion Monday, March 10, at South Guth Park near the intersection of Ennis Joslin Road and Nile Drive. Full Story. |
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 University ‘Tops Out’ New Wellness Center
The campus community celebrated the placement of the highest beam on the new Dr. Jack and Susie Dugan Wellness Center during a “Topping Out Party” Wednesday, March 5. The new wellness center will bear the name of the donors whose $1 million gift seeded the financing of the $21 million state-of-the-art facility. University President Flavius Killebrew and Dr. Dugan signed the beam as did many faculty, staff and students. |
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 University Hosts Texas Academy of Science Meeting
The College of Science and Technology hosted the 111th annual Texas Academy of Science meeting Thursday, March 6, through Saturday, March 8. Highlights included lectures by Distinguished Texas Scientist award winner Dr. Ernest L. Lundelius Jr. and Outstanding Texas Educator award winner Carolyn Kelley Barnes. The Texas Academy of Science works to promote scientific research among the colleges and universities in Texas and undergraduate research, and to enhance the professional development of its members. |
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 Award-Winning Novelist Signs and Reads Latest Book
Mexican-American playwright and novelist Denise Chavez read and signed copies of her most recent novel “A Taco Testimony: Meditations on Family, Food and Culture” Thursday, March 27, in the University Center, Lone Star Ballroom. The book is a compilation of Chavez’ childhood memories the form of a nine-course meal. Her debut book, “The Last of the Menu Girls,” won the Puerto del Sol Fiction Award and “Face of an Angel” won the American Book Award. Chavez also participated in a writing workshop with around 60 students from Miller and Moody High Schools during Author’s Day held Friday, March 28. |
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 Island Jazz Festival Attracts South Texas Ensembles
High school and community college jazz ensembles from throughout South Texas performed before a panel of visiting jazz artists during the Department of Music’s Island Jazz Festival Friday, March 14, in the Performing Arts Center. The festival included a jazz improvisation clinic with Freddie Mendoza, director of Jazz Studies and Jazz Ensemble at Texas State University; Edwin Parker, former director of Trinity University Jazz Ensemble; and Raymond Chapa, director of the San Benito High School Jazz Ensemble.
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 Furgason Honored at Retirement Reception
The campus community honored Dr. Robert R. Furgason for his years of service to the University during a retirement reception held Monday, March 24, in the Performing Arts Center lobby. Furgason, the first executive director of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, served as University president from 1990 to 2004. Full Story. |
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 Exhibition Recovers Women's History
Exhibits, presentations and other forms of expression helped recover and capture the history of women of all ages, ethnicities and interests during the ninth annual “Telling Our Grandmothers’ Stories” exhibition held Wednesday, March 26, in the University Center, Lone Star Ballroom. The event, which is part of Women’s History Month and included presenters from across the community, was co-sponsored by the University English Department and the Women’s Center for Education and Service. |
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| Awards, Honors, and Grants |
  Dr. Patricia Hill and Dr. Jerilee Milligan, graduates of the University’s Ph.D. program in Counselor Education, gave presentations at the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Region 7 Conference Monday, March 3, through Wednesday, March 5, in Branson, Mo. Hill and Milligan were co-presenters during a pre-conference session on “An Introduction to Advising Research and the NACADA Research Grant Process.” |
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 University students and their best written work from previous English classes were recognized during the 2008 Haas Writing Awards ceremony Thursday, March 6. Special guest was Emmy Pérez, author of “Solstice,” a collection of poems, and featured poet in the anthology “The Wind Shifts: New Latino Poetry.” Perez, an assistant professor of English at University of Texas-Pan American, is founder of the Spoken Word Poetry Project for El Paso Youth. |
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| Deserving Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi students pursuing their bachelor’s degree will benefit from an $80,000 grant from the Greater Texas Foundation for the Removing Educational Barriers scholarship endowment. Awardees must have a cumulative 3.0 grade point average, be permanent Texas residents, and demonstrate financial need. The Greater Texas Foundation is a non-profit organization which awarded an initial grant of $20,000 in March 2007. Both the first grant and recent $80,000 grant have been matched by the University, bringing the total scholarship endowment to $200,000. |
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 Students from the University’s theatre program recently won nine awards at The Region VI Contest of the Kennedy Center American College Theater at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. The Region VI Contest included college and universities from Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Full Story. |
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 Surrounded by around 170 elementary students, faculty and staff, Dr. Christine Marroquin, principal of the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC), was informed on Tuesday, March 25, that she has been named a finalist for the 2008 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards. Marroquin, who was presented with a $2,500 check for the ECDC and a $1,000 check for herself, is one of eight Gulf Coast educators recognized by H-E-B for their commitment to Texas children and their community. Full Story.
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| Research and Scholarly Activity |
 Eliana Razo and Cristal Renteria, the University’s first McNair Scholars, presented a paper on second generation college students from Mexico during an international conference at the Georgetown University Round Table in Washington, D.C., Friday, March 14, through Sunday, March 16. The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement program is a national initiative that provides first-generation, low-income minority college students with paid internships and mentoring to prepare for enrollment in graduate programs. |
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| Around the Island |
| Employees who have reached five-year service milestones will be honored during the annual Islander Awards Celebration Friday, April 4, at 1:30 p.m. in the University Center, Lone Star Ballroom. The ceremony is sponsored by the Department of Human Resources. Family and friends are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served. |
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| The Islander String Quartet will present a concert featuring original works for strings and piano by Brahms and Mozart, Monday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Ensemble members are José Flores and Katheleen Kono, violins; Melissa Melendez, viola; and Susan Sturman, cello. The concert is free and open to the public. |
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| The Furgason Bravo! Series will present “The Best of Second City: One Nation, Under Blog” Saturday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Second City has launched the careers of comics Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, John Candy, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers, Bill Murray, Steve Carell, Catherine O’Hara, Stephen Colbert and many others. The Second City Comedy Tour combines rehearsed scenes and songs, improvisational bits and sketches about recent political and social events. Tickets are $10-$30 for adults and $7 for students over 15 with ID. Faculty and staff receive a $10 discount in the $30 and $20 seating areas. Tickets are available at http://pac.tamucc.edu. To charge by phone, call 361.825.ARTS (2787) between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. |
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The University Theatre will present “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams Thursday, April 17, through Sunday, April 20, and Thursday, April 24, through Sunday, April 27. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays in the Wilson Theatre, Center for the Arts. Ticket prices are $8 for general admission, $7 for seniors and military, $5 for faculty and staff and $3 for students with SandDollar ID. For more information, call 825-5800.
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| The University Cinema will continue its “Seven Amazing Documentaries” film series Wednesdays through April 30 at 7:30 p.m. in Bay Hall, Room 104. Subjects will include global warming and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The films are free and open to the public. For a complete schedule of films, call ext. 2316. |
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| The Department of Art and University Galleries will hold an opening reception for master of arts candidates Donna Carroll and Jill Wiggins Friday, April 4, from 6-8 p.m. at the Islander Art Gallery, 4024 Weber Road in the Hamlin Center. The exhibit will showcase ceramics by Carroll and printmaking by Wiggins through Saturday, April 19. |
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The Department of Art and University Galleries will hold an opening reception for master of fine arts in sculpture candidate William Raney Friday, April 25, from 6-8 p.m. at the Islander Art Gallery, 4024 Weber Road in Hamlin Center. The exhibit will be on display through Saturday, May 10.
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Students and faculty from the College of Liberal Arts took to the Performing Arts Center stage Tuesday, March 4, to perform a shortened version of “HMS Pinafore,” the comic Gilbert and Sullivan opera that tells the story of love between members of two different social classes. Cast members included Richard Gigliotti, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Flicka Rahn of the music faculty, and students Dee Donasco, William Hammonds, David Soliz and Cassi Torres. |
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Parents were educated about the importance of nutrition and exercise in their children’s lives during a Family Health Fair Saturday, March 8, at the Antonio E. Garcia Arts & Education Center. The fair included demonstrations of nutritious recipes geared toward kids’ tastes, health screenings geared toward adults, and opportunities to interact with local health-related community agencies. |
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Students from the Latino/a and Chicano/a Literature class presented a panel discussion on the cultural influences of Latino and Chicano writers Tuesday, March 4, in the University Center. The discussion focused on religious influences in Chicano and Latino literature, “curanderas and their remedios,” cultural identity, Puerto Rican poets and Cuban influences in literature. |
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The body of an almost 9-foot thresher shark that washed up on Mustang Island was used as a teaching tool by University researchers during a necropsy attended by marine science students Thursday, March 13, at the auto bay outside the Center for the Sciences. The thresher shark is easily identifiable by its large upper caudal fin, and sometimes uses its tail as a whip to stun or kill prey. |
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Around 90 pre-service science teachers conducted a “Super-Sized Science” Family Science Night for students and their families Wednesday, March 12, at the Ella Barnes Elementary School Cafeteria. The event provided fun and engaging activities designed to educate parents and their children about the science of nutrition and Type 2 diabetes. |
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| Prospective students from the Coastal Bend area received help in preparing their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2008-2009 academic year during “FAFSA on the Island” Thursday, March 13, in the University Center. The Office of Student Financial Assistance also helped students interested in attending any university complete their forms at the Padre Staples Mall center court. |
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