¡Adelante! | Spring 2023

One University Way San Antonio, Texas 78224

(210) 784-1000

www.tamusa.edu

¡ADELANTE! magazine is published by the Division of University Relations and Advancement on behalf of Texas A&M University-San Antonio for the members of its community, donors and other friends of the University. All materials contained in this magazine (including text, content, photographs, video and audio) are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published, broadcast or modified in any way without the prior written consent from the Division of University Relations and Advancement. All inquiries and comments may be made to Editor, ¡ADELANTE!, Division of University Relations and Advancement, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, One University Way, Ste. 435, San Antonio, Texas 78224. Please provide updates to your address by email at adelanteeditor@tamusa.edu or by mail at University Relations and Advancement, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, One University Way, Ste. 435, San Antonio, Texas 78224.

ON THE COVER: Lanie Perez, federal college work-study intern, communications major and 2023 Ms. A&M-San Antonio, graduates in Dec. 2023.

Dear Texas A&M-San Antonio Community,

Welcome to our second issue of ¡ADELANTE! This academic year has been one of growth, transition and achievement, much of which is featured within the pages of this spring issue. From the Mays Center celebrating its five-year anniversary and the Ready to Work partnership with the city, to our a liation agreement with University Health and Texas A&M Health, to our collaboration with the San Antonio River Authority on property along the historic San Antonio River, A&M-San Antonio is on the move and on a mission.

In January, I joined the University as interim president. It is an honor to be a part of the Jaguar community and such an outstanding institution of higher education. I am committed to advancing A&MSan Antonio and guiding it through this transitional time. My key priorities are enrollment growth, financial sustainability and stewarding our community relationships. The partnerships we established during our 13-year history play a critical role in the future of

the University and it is important for me to connect with our friends in the community and continue to nurture these relationships.

As reflected in this edition of the magazine, the impact of our faculty and sta ’s collective work is inspiring and truly indicative of their dedication to transforming the lives of students. Our feature story highlights the Mays Center and the support they provide students in becoming career-ready and community-minded citizens in the workforce. The resources Mays o ers and the help they provide students and alumni in establishing connections with employers and the community are distinctive and powerful, especially for a university our size. I hope you enjoy this issue of ¡ADELANTE! and here’s to a successful 2023!

With warm regards,

Dr. Linda Schott Interim President

The impact of our faculty and sta ’s collective work is inspiring and truly indicative of their dedication to transforming the lives of students.”

– DR. LINDA SCHOTT

“

As the fastest growing university in The Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M University-San Antonio is just now hitting its stride and San Antonio is taking notice.

From our partnership with University Health and the Texas A&M University Health Science Center, to our Ready to Work agreement with the City of San Antonio, A&M-San Antonio is shaping the future of South Texas and its people.

Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s success is directly attributable to its outstanding faculty and sta .

And as the campus grows at Texas A&M-San Antonio, so do the opportunities for students.

The Texas A&M University System could not be more proud of what Texas A&M University-San Antonio has grown into. And we are confident that the best is yet to come.

John Sharp Chancellor Texas A&M University System

Visit sharparoundtexas.com to view episodes of Around Texas with Chancellor John Sharp.

Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s success is directly attributable to its outstanding faculty and sta .”

– JOHN SHARP

“

LEFT TO RIGHT: Clarissa Tejeda, Krystina Irvin, Karen Ivy and Dr. Adriana Contreras

PHOTOS: Jay Ruelas

Career-Ready and Community-Minded

Mays

Center Propels Students Forward

BY SAM BOYKIN

It had been a long, rough patch for Victoria Ochoa. At 16, her kidneys failed due to untreated strep throat. Her grandmother donated one of her kidneys, but after three years, Ochoa’s body rejected the organ, and she was in and out of dialysis for nearly a decade, which left her weak and tired.

As her body adjusted, she regained some strength and started taking classes at San Antonio College. She graduated in 2019 with plans to transfer to Texas A&M University-San Antonio. But her dreams were put on hold when, in August 2019, she underwent a second kidney transplant.

After the surgery, she started at Texas A&M-SA in the spring of 2020 with dreams of becoming an accountant. But after being sidelined for so long with health issues, she felt unprepared to enter the job market. That all changed, however, when she started working with the University’s Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement.

“I would not be where I am today without the help of the Mays Center,” said 32-year-old Ochoa, who now works as an accountant

for the Southwest Independent School District. “The team there challenged me and gave me the confidence to take that leap.”

Ochoa is among the thousands of Texas A&M-SA students who have used the Mays Center to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to launch their careers and become more engaged, community-minded citizens.

Founded in 2017 following a $5 million donation from the Mays Family Foundation to Texas A&M-SA, the Mays Center provides enhanced learning opportunities and access to critical resources and relationships. Students and alumni can take advantage of professional development courses, job training, internships and work-study programs, as well as unique resources that provide professional business attire and healthy food and snacks.

“We help enhance our students’ academic experience here at the University,” said Dr. Adriana Contreras, associate vice president and executive director of the Mays Center. “That includes career exploration, civic engagement and experiential learning. We support students as they look to graduate and help them get everything in place

Mission Alignment with Mays Foundation

The Mays Family Foundation, which supports communities and empowers and educates citizens, has been a powerful partner in Texas A&M University System’s success.

In August 2017, the Mays Family Foundation donated $5 million to Texas A&M-SA — the largest gift in the University’s history — to help develop and support the Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement. The University used a portion of the gift to complete the construction of the center’s 4,200-square-foot facility in the Science and Technology Building. “By integrating classroom activities with hands-on service-learning in the community, Texas A&M-SA is perfectly aligned with the Foundation’s mission,” Kathryn Mays Johnson, president of the Mays Family Foundation, said. “We are honored to support this academic center and look forward to seeing how it transforms students and our community.”

Johnson serves on numerous boards, including the Advisory Board of the SMU School of Journalism, the Board of Trustees of the United Way, and the Board of Governors of the Cancer Therapy and Research Center. As she presides over the Mays Family Foundation, Johnson oversees an organization her parents, Lowry Mays and Peggy Pitman Mays, started in 1994. (Lowry Mays, a prominent businessman and philanthropist who helped launch Clear Channel Communications, died last year). Over the years, the foundation has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to Texas organizations, including the Texas A&M University Mays Business School, UT Health’s Mays Cancer Center, the Witte Museum and Hemisfair.

Courage and Confidence

For Ochoa, that kind of support included the Mays Center’s C2C Engaged, a community-based work-study program that connects students with community partners. Through this program, Ochoa worked as an accounting intern at Chromosome 18 Registry and Research Society, a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to maintaining a registry of individuals affected by chromosome abnormalities.

“I learned so much at Chromosome 18,” Ochoa explained. “It was a great resource to help me gain experience in accounting.”

Ochoa said the staff at the Mays Center also helped her polish her resume and sharpen her interview skills. “I was a little shy at the time, and they helped me gain courage.”

After Ochoa graduated from Texas A&M-SA in May 2022 with a B.B.A. in accounting, she parlayed her Chromosome 18 internship into a full-time account supervisor position at the nonprofit. Using the skills she acquired, she soon moved onwards and upwards and landed a job as an accountant at Southwest ISD in October.

“I have truly fallen in love with this job,” she said. “I plan to stay and hopefully retire one day from here.”

Leopoldo Esquibel Carrera, 20, is another student who has benefited from the Mays Center. Born in Mexico and raised in Laredo, Texas, the finance major enrolled in 2020. After visiting the Mays Center multiple times to work on his resume and interview skills, he landed an internship in 2021 at San Antonio-based JC Utilities as a surveyor and project manager assistant.

“It’s a small company, so I wear a lot of hats and help the accounting department, working numbers in QuickBooks and Excel. It just really clicks with me,” he said.

As part of his internship, he worked on Texas A&M-SA’s new 45,500-square-foot academic and administration building.

“I get to leave a little bit of a mark on campus because of the Mays Center,” Carrera said. “The experience has given me more confidence. I’m proud of my skills and feel brave enough to go out and look for a job once I graduate.”

Powerful Partners h ips

Contreras said Carrera’s and Ochoa’s success stories illustrate the value and power of the Mays Center. Since its founding in 2017, the center has received nearly 5,000 requests for career advising and has awarded about 70 grants to students completing unpaid or underpaid academic internships. The center has 17 fulltime staff members, two graduate assistants and eight student workers, partnering with faculty and staff to provide internship and externship opportunities.

Moreover, the center’s three new community-based work-study programs have created opportunities for dozens of students to use federal work-study funds to gain professional skills with community partners. One such initiative is Texas Two-Step: Increasing Women in Technology. This workforce development program helps women bolster their technology skills with a data analytics certificate.

And now, Contreras said, the Mays Center is in an even better position to make an impact, as it recently partnered with San Antonio Ready to Work. The University announced the partnership in October at the Mays Center’s fifth-anniversary celebration at the Science and Technology Building.

A part of Workforce Solutions Alamo, which serves as the governing board for the 13-county regional workforce system, Ready to Work is an educational and job placement program. The partnership includes a $6.7 million contract with Ready to Work that covers tuition and emergency funds for the Texas A&M-SA community. Through this collaboration, unemployed, underemployed or underserved residents can access and complete training and education that will prepare them to secure employment in high-demand and wellpaid careers.

Contreras said the partnership will help bolster the local workforce, strengthen the community and improve many San Antonians’ quality of life. “It could have a significant impact, especially for those who attended Texas A&M-SA but didn’t graduate with a degree,” she said.

“

Many are first-generation students who, depending on what was going on in their lives, were not able to complete their degree path. Now funds are available to help them get back into college and make important connections with employers.” – DR. ADRIANA CONTRERAS

Key Con nections

Karen Ivy, director of career services at the Mays Center, is one of the staff members who helps students and alumni connect with employers. She said a big part of getting students “career-ready” is “connecting them with who they are, such as their interests, values, personality, strengths and skills — all of the qualities that make them unique.”

Career Services also offers practical guidance, like how to dress professionally, go through online and in-person interviews and hold conversations in business meetings. Ivy said that this combination of self-assessment and workforce instruction arms students with the tools they need to pursue career and internship opportunities with confidence.

She added that students have opportunities to connect with employers and develop their networking skills at functions like Next Steps Career Event. This revamped job fair enables Jaguars to interact with various company officials and career advisors before the career fair, making the experience more manageable. More than 100 students participated in the inaugural Next Steps event last year.

Ivy works closely with Krystina Irvin, director of experiential learning at the Mays Center. “Our goal is to find opportunities to take the knowledge that students acquire in the classroom and apply it to real-world situations,” explained Irvin.

Irvin said part of her job also calls for making students more civic-minded. According to Clarissa Tejeda, director of employer relations and community outreach, the Mays Center helps coordinate community volunteer opportunities for Jaguars at various nonprofits, such as the Children’s Association for Maximum Potential (C.A.M.P.), which provides recreational opportunities for individuals with medical conditions.

Irvin added that she, Tejeda and Ivy collaborate with employers, often through campus career fairs, experiential learning courses and internships.

The online portal, Handshake, is an important tool that the Mays Center uses to connect students with employers, where companies can post job and internship opportunities. Companies can specify if they’re looking for students with certain skill sets or majoring in specific fields. Students have an expansive, searchable database where they can look for opportunities that align with their career goals.

Ivy said the Mays Center works with many local and national companies, including Enterprise Holdings, The Walt Disney Company, Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union, USAA, GM Financial and Citi, which is building its headquarters at Port San Antonio.

Cheering from the Sidelines

Having worked at the Mays Center since it was founded, Ivy is quick to dispel the characterization that college kids are lazy and entitled. She points out that many Texas A&M-SA students grew up working for the family business, and many non-traditional students have military backgrounds, “and they’re familiar with hard work,” Ivy said.

She also pointed out that many Texas A&M-SA students, some of who help financially support their families, need help to afford an underpaid or unpaid internship. “We advocate that employers pay a fair wage for internships,” Ivy said. “We also provide support services and try hard to find supplemental funding for some of our students doing internships, so they aren’t left behind.”

Ivy said that while her job has challenges, she loves to empower students and help them recognize their strengths — a skill they can use for the rest of their lives. “It’s the most fun work I can imagine doing,” she said. “I mean, to see a student get an internship, they can speak to a roomful of students with confidence. You can see the changes happening, and I love being on the sidelines cheering on that process.”

Contreras said that as the Mays Center recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, she’s looking forward to the next five years and continuing to drive the center’s mission forward. She said that this includes connecting with more employers so that the center can provide additional internship and job opportunities for students. At the same time, she wants to reach more Texas A&M-SA faculty members to bolster the number of experiential-learning classes.

“It’s all about developing students holistically,” Contreras said. “We want them to be career-ready and community-minded. I’m proud of what the Mays Center has accomplished, but we’re just getting started.”

ABOVE: Brian Richardson, Associate Director of Career Services

Supporting the Whole Person

General’s Store

The Mays Center provides supplemental food to those who need assistance through the General’s Store in Patriots’ Casa. After a one-time registration, students can use the General’s Store as needed. The food pantry has served nearly 30,000 meals since its opening in 2017. Clarissa Tejeda, director of employer relations and community outreach at the Mays Center, said that since 2019, there has been about a 300 percent increase in the use of the food pantry, with about 30 people visiting weekly. “Food insecurity is a reality, and we work very hard to break down that barrier,” said Tejeda. The San Antonio Food Bank and Imperfect Foods donate many items at the General’s Store, including staples like canned goods and bread and fresh vegetables, eggs, milk and other healthy options. Moreover, the Kroger Foundation recently provided a $22,000 grant to the General’s Store to help the food pantry buy more supplies and extend its hours to three days a week.

Career Closet

As part of its mission to develop students into career-ready and community-minded graduates, the Mays Center o ers eligible Jaguars business attire and work clothes at no charge. The Career Closet, located in the Science and Technology Building, helps students look professional and confident in their journey toward success. Open year-round when classes are in session, the Career Closet has suits, pants, jackets, shirts, tops, ties and belts. These donated items are available to students for job interviews, career fairs and graduate school interviews. Each student is entitled to one outfit or suit while at Texas A&M-SA. If a student wants another suit, they may bring a suit and exchange it for another as part of the Trade-Up Program. The Career Closet also hosts regular pop-up shops and o ers professional makeovers. There was a 158 percent increase in visitors to the Career Closet from 2021 to 2022.

As part of its holistic approach to student development, the Mays Center offers these unique student resources.

PHOTOS: Jay Ruelas

Biology M t

By Tricia Schwe en

PHOTO: Robin Jerstad

When Sierra Rodriguez was eight years old, she won a ticket to get a kiss from a Beluga whale during a family trip to San Antonio’s SeaWorld.

It’s a moment the first-generation Texas A&M University-San Antonio student remembers every day, thanks to a faded snapshot she keeps on display in her apartment. Bent over and smiling, Rodriguez enjoys the keepsake showing the whale pressing its head against her cheek. “I see it every day. Little Sierra would be proud, I think,” she said.

That kiss set her on a path to becoming a scientist, an accomplishment she can celebrate as soon as she graduates in May 2023 as part of the first cohort of master’s degree students in biology.

“I’m really excited that this program has been established here,” Rodriguez said. “I’m very excited about graduation, but a little sad. I’ve built a nice community here.”

Rodriguez has always been drawn to science and the natural world around her — especially growing up in the Texas Hill Country. Animal behavior piqued her interest beginning with her pet snake Nagini when she was 16 years old.

“I think I’ve always been conservation-minded, especially growing up in Texas and all these beautiful open green spaces,” she said. “That’s what drives me to do ecological research — to preserve these places for generations to come.”

She tried a couple of times to find the right program of study and the right school to complete her degree. Rodriguez said she got lost in the larger classes she found at larger universities. Inspired by friends attending A&M-San Antonio, she decided to enroll.

Rodriguez found her home — despite the COVID-19 pandemic — when she transferred to A&M-San Antonio in the spring of 2020. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in biology in August 2021 and that same month resumed her studies at A&M-San Antonio in pursuit of a master’s degree in biology.

“There’s a different culture,” she said of A&M-San Antonio. “We just feel like we know each other. I know all my professors and if I don’t have [classes with] them now, I had them in undergrad.”

Taking advantage of r e ch o tuniti

As an undergraduate student, Rodriguez first conducted field research in Greece, earning a grant from the National Research Foundation, which funded eight weeks of research and study abroad. On the island of Lesbos, she studied honeybee behavior, her first experience and interaction with pollinators. “That changed my life,” she said. “That was the catalyst to my budding career as a biologist.”

In Lesbos, Rodriguez worked with other students to develop a method to train honeybees, she said.

“Every day, we would go out into the garden and conduct our experiments,” she said.

Her research then became part of a manuscript. She served as its lead writer, and in mid-February, she learned it had been accepted for publication in the Journal of Comparative Psychology. “It feels so good,” she said. “I haven’t seen the proofs yet where it has my name in writing but it feels good to wrap up that chapter.”

It represents her second piece of published research. Rodriguez coauthored her first piece in the Bulletin of Insectology in 2021 about a separate experiment she conducted in Greece which examined the effects of pesticides on ants.

Fieldw k paved path to graduation f th memb of f st coh t to e n m t ’s degr s in biology

Rodriguez next conducted field research on Bureau of Land Management property in New Mexico called Rattlesnake Canyon Habitat Management Area, federal land that is leased to natural gas and oil companies.

She described it as “the perfect place” to study elements she is exploring in her thesis. She questions: “Do light and sound affect insect diversity?”

Field research can be labor intensive and, in New Mexico, it meant a lot of hiking, tolerating hot weather and setting up heavy equipment for experiments. For example, she had to erect heavy lights used to simulate light pollution in a place that isn’t polluted.

She discovered the land to be an excellent venue to “manipulate conditions to simulate light and noise pollution,” she said.

While in New Mexico, Rodriguez said she worked closely with Bridget Battaglia, an undergraduate student at A&M-San Antonio. “She was a critical element to collecting my data out there in New Mexico,” she said. “We hiked up and down that area.” Bridget also turned out to be “a wealth of knowledge about insects.”

Fieldwork isn’t for everyone, Rodriguez said, because you have to be passionate about the work. “This wasn’t a Hilton experience,” she said. “We camped. There were days with no showers.” She considered it among “the things you do for the things you love.”

Now, Rodriguez said, she loves her time in the research lab and learning from Dr. Jennifer Phillips, assistant professor of biology, whose primary areas of research are birds and pollinators, including butterflies and bees.

Rodriguez is studying butterflies found in the landscaped areas of campus that have been strategically created for monarch butterfly and pollinator habitats.

Her research and master’s thesis focus on sensory pollution, and the synergistic effects of light and noise on animals. This

pollution is typically “caused by humans,” Rodriguez explained. “How does noise affect animals? How does light affect animals? What’s interesting is that no one is asking these questions.” She adds, “You don’t need much when you study bugs, just go out and find the flowers.”

Rodriguez said she’s found great support, access to resources and endless opportunities at A&M-San Antonio. As a graduate student, Rodriguez also had the opportunity to present her research over the summer at the Animal Behavior Society Conference in Costa Rica.

Phillips, Rodriguez and another graduate student, Alfredo Paul Llamas, traveled together to present the group’s first year of research data. Battaglia also attended after winning the prestigious Turner Award, named after Charles H. Turner, one of the first African-American researchers in animal behavior.

She prepared a poster presentation on the research that was well received. Six months later, when she was further along in the research, she gave an oral presentation at another conference.

Rodriguez said she is ready to take her research out to the Espada Property (see page 13) as well. It’s one more learning opportunity that the University is able to provide, she said. She doesn’t take those opportunities or the mentorship of her professors for granted.

She said one of her mentors, Dr. Marvin Lutnesky, chair of the department of life sciences, is helping her take the next step, applying for doctoral programs to pursue her Ph.D. She spent some time working alongside him when she volunteered to study frogs.

“Doc is the type of professor I want to be,” Rodriguez said. “He’s fair. He’s equal. He treats all students fairly. He knows the subject matter well.”

She hopes to return to San Antonio so she can give back through teaching. “I think that would be ideal,” she said.

Land of Opportunity

Set against the backdrop of the picturesque San Antonio River, officials with Texas A&M University-San Antonio announced on November 1, 2022, a new partnership with the San Antonio River Authority that will enable A&M-San Antonio students to conduct scientific field research on a piece of shared property. Located south of Mission Espada in San Antonio, the property is about 380 acres and includes a lake, which had been owned by TJX Companies Inc., and was part of a land acquisition to build a new TJ Maxx distribution center.

Dr. Jose Valdez Barillas, associate professor of biology in the life sciences department, said the partnership is a great opportunity for A&M-San Antonio students and the community. The land is open space that San Antonians will be able to use for outdoor recreation and that students will be able to use in their studies, he said. “It made a lot of sense because we have a lot of faculty and students to partner with us,” Valdez explained.

According to the River Authority, the Espada Property protects the scenic open space views along 2.2 miles of the Howard W. Peak Greenway Trail System, which includes 1.6 miles along the San Antonio River and 40 acres surrounding Cassin Lake.

NEXT STEPS

The property offers a chance to maintain the area’s natural character and restore the site’s native shrubland and riparian bottomland forest areas, which are home to resident and migratory wildlife.

Plans for the property are in their infancy.

A&M-San Antonio and the River Authority are creating a master plan, led by Dunaway, a professional services firm offering civil and structural engineering, planning and landscape architecture, survey and construction inspection services. The plan is expected to be complete in June. With input from River

Authority staff, University staff and students and the public, the plan will create a conceptual guideline and define a long-term vision.

Early proposed plans for the property include a learning center managed by A&M-San Antonio, which will provide an outdoor nature and biology research opportunity for faculty and students.

Valdez said it’s important to take one step at a time. “We can have big ideas,” he said, “but we have to make sure that those ideas are doable.”

Considerations must include access to the lake, infrastructure like water and electricity, the existence of basic amenities or facilities for students and the availability of places to house research equipment. As he understands it, none of this exists currently. “Maybe electricity is possible,” Valdez said. “I know we’re in a bare-bones situation.”

The land is suitable for scientific research in ecology, wildlife biology, conservation biology and microbiology.

He believes this land allocation is a golden opportunity, though he cautions, “We’re going to have to be very imaginative, strategic, very creative and very humble.”

OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS

Walter Den, professor, program coordinator of the water resources program and director of the Institute for Water Resources and Technology, said he sees the Espada Property as a great opportunity for students studying water to conduct field research. He also sees it as a way for students to build skills that will help them bridge learning in the classroom to working in a water-related industry.

Den joined A&M-San Antonio in 2018, shortly after the Texas Education Board approved the water resources program, which he launched in 2019. A small but growing program, it was designed to help entry-level professionals already working in the water or wastewater

industries needed education and credentials, thereby growing the workforce.

Most people who now work in the industry learned on the job, Den said, and students don’t think of water resources as a potential career. But, he said, the U.S. Department of Labor is predicting a shortage of workers as many older workers move toward retirement.

“Water is an exotic idea,” Den added. “Water as an academic major is a foreign concept to most kids.”

His program focuses on three areas: technical components and emerging technologies; policy, including the Clean Water Act at all levels of government; and the practicum or internship, which is a requirement for graduation.

Den said his students are excited about the Espada Property, but even more so about Cassin Lake and the possibilities for research studies using the lake water. “From [the water resources program’s] point of view, we see this as an opportunity to observe the water quality changes,” he said.

Den said students can also study low-impact development practices, the area’s plants and habitat, bioswales and rain gardens.

“We’re very keen on establishing communitybased science,” Den explained. One way to do this is to bring high school and middle school students out to the property, he said. The property is a place where students can study natural systems that can’t be replicated in the lab. “We can’t replicate sunlight, for example,” he said.

Graduate student Sierra Rodriguez said she and her fellow cohort members are most excited about the field research opportunities the Espada property presents. “It’s really critical for the type of ecological work that we do,” she said. “It’s absolutely paramount for my research.”

A new partnership and a shared piece of property will pave the way for student scientific field research

SIGNIN G UP

PHOTO: Bob Dunlap

SIGNIN G UP

Alumnus Forges Unique Path that Betters Justice System for the Deaf

BY KIKO MARTINEZ

After training to become a Deaf Support Specialist (DSS) at San Antonio College (SAC), Robert C. Cardoza Jr. ’16 began providing services to the local Deaf community by working at nonprofit organizations and interpreting agencies.

Cardoza graduated from Southside High School in 1995 and studied music at SAC. He transferred to Palo Alto College (PAC) to play in the school’s first-ever mariachi group. At PAC, his music classes were in the same building as American Sign Language (ASL) courses. Cardoza was intrigued immediately.

“One day, I saw one of the professors signing and thought it was cool to communicate with your hands,” he said. “I told myself, ‘I want to try it.’ So, I took my first ASL class, and I liked it. And then one class turned into two, and I kept going.”

Cardoza took ASL classes at PAC and then transferred back to SAC, where he earned his degree in 2000 to work as a DSS, which, he said, is different from a degree in interpreting for the Deaf.

“As a Deaf Support Specialist, you’re more of an advocate for the Deaf,” he said. “You can go with them to a doctor’s appointment and explain to them more than just an interpreter who is strictly there just to pass messages.”

Recognizing a Need

Working as a DSS for a few years, Cardoza found himself at the Bexar County Community Supervision and Corrections Department (CSCD), providing interpreting services between an adult probation officer and a group of Deaf probationers. Something, however, wasn’t sitting well with Cardoza and the system the Bexar County had in place for the Deaf.

At the time, there were about 12 Deaf probationers in the office, with one probation officer reviewing all their cases. As Cardoza interpreted the instructions the probation officer wanted individual probationers to follow, it was evident to him that there was no privacy in the process. With a single day scheduled for Deaf probationers to report to the probation office, they could see what the interpreter signed about each other’s cases.

“All of them are in the same room with the probation officer and the interpreter,” Cardoza said. “The probation officer would be like, ‘Well, you took a urinalysis last week, and it was positive for marijuana,’ and I’m interpreting all this, so all the Deaf people in the room are getting the whole story.”

Cardoza knew there had to be a better way to handle cases with Deaf probationers. He thought that if he became an adult probation officer himself, he could meet with them on a one-onone basis and have a more flexible schedule. With an in-house probation officer who was also a certified interpreter for the Deaf, they wouldn’t all have to show up to the probation office on the one day of the month Bexar County hired an interpreter to review their cases.

“I could work with them in their language, and we wouldn’t need that intermediary there,” Cardoza said. “They can report whenever they want. If they have something private that they have to say, they can say it to me and don’t have to say it in front of anyone else. It made so much more sense.”

Starting a New Path

In the fall of 2014, Cardoza enrolled in the Criminology and Criminal Justice program at Texas A&M-San Antonio to become a probation officer. During his two years at A&M-San Antonio, Cardoza said he enjoyed taking classes with professors who had real-world experience. One of his favorite professors, Dr. Michael Proctor, now a senior lecturer in the College of Arts and Sciences, worked as an assistant prison warden for 16 years. One of his classes was Victimology.

“[Proctor] came with all these interesting stories, and his teaching style and interaction with his students left a big impact on me,” Cardoza said. “I liked his Victimology class because it taught us how the law affects victims and how they are protected, and it focused on them and their rights.”

Another professor Cardoza remembers fondly is Monica MolinaRodriguez, now an adjunct faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences. Cardoza took her Community Supervision and Corrections course, which he said gave him “more insight and inspiration to become a probation officer.” Currently, he and Molina-Rodriguez work together for Bexar County.

Dr. Durant Frantzen, professor and chair of the College of Arts and Sciences at A&M-San Antonio, remembers Cardoza as a student with a lot of ambition. By earning his bachelor’s in criminology and with a background in interpreting, Cardoza found a niche in the probation system that needed to be filled. A&M-San Antonio recently began its Master of Science degree program in criminology and criminal justice. It’s a program Cardoza was accepted into last fall but had to cut short because of a bout with COVID-19.

“There are not too many people that do what he does — interpreting for the probation department,” Frantzen said. “He was a very sharp student with a lot of insight. For those students who want to get a master’s degree in the program, most of them are hoping to achieve a higher level with their current organization. They want that additional level of education.”

Being an Advocate

During his final year at A&M-San Antonio, Cardoza interned with Bexar County, where he got an even closer look at their processes. He knew he could make a difference if given the opportunity. When he earned his bachelor’s degree in criminology in 2016, Cardoza

Being an advocate for the Deaf also means helping them learn how to self-advocate. I want them to fight for themselves and their rights.”

– ROBERT CARDOZA

applied at Bexar County to become an adult probation officer and landed the position that fall. His current caseload is 160 probationers, four of which are Deaf. In the last six years, that number has been as high as 11.

With his Deaf probationers, Cardoza’s primary goal is to show them how to advocate for themselves, and he also is there to ensure good outcomes. For example, if a judge orders one of them to take a domestic violence course while on probation, Cardoza wants his probationers to do the legwork to enroll in the class themselves and explain they would need an interpreter.

“Being an advocate for the Deaf also means helping them learn how to self-advocate,” Cardoza said. “I want them to fight for themselves and their rights. But I’ll always be there to make calls for them and help them when needed. I enjoy being face to face with the probationers and getting to the root of what happened and why it happened.”

Cardoza loves what he does as an adult probation officer. That, however, doesn’t mean there aren’t some things he would like to change in the probation system, including having a smaller caseload and seeing an increase in the number of probation officers available. That would allow the probation officers to meet with probationers more consistently and create rapport with each of them.

“Sometimes we don’t get to cover everything we’d like to cover with all our probationers because there just isn’t enough time,” Cardoza said. “Having a lower caseload would give us more time to meet with them and build more trust.”

Expanding his Reach

Along with his work with the Deaf community as a Bexar County probation officer (he will be transferring to the Felony Drug Court soon), Cardoza also teaches a visual gestures communication class as an adjunct faculty member at SAC.

In 2018, Cardoza started his own company, Stage Hands, which provides ASL services for local stage productions. It was another field where he saw a need for interpreters. During a performance, Cardoza and at least one other colleague sign all the dialogue — including songs for musicals — performed on the stage by the actors. Currently, Cardoza has six interpreters on his payroll.

“When you’re interpreting for the stage, you have to show all the emotions — from when [performers] are speaking to how they’re singing,” he explained. “We always want the Deaf person to get exactly the same experience that the hearing person is getting from the show, and that’s our main goal."

Cardoza sees a need for interpretation services in countless industries across the city. He is considering working toward a license to become a chemical dependency counselor or work in the mental health field.

“Whatever I choose to do later in my career, it will always be for the benefit of the Deaf community,” he said. “I love being a probation officer, but I also see the need for what I do in so many other places. I think I can fit in there, too, and continue to serve and have an impact.”

PHOTOS: Bob Dunlap

GOING HIGHER TECH

Consortium Receives $11M to Boost STEM Offerings

Texas A&M University-San Antonio is part of a collective of local universities and community colleges receiving an $11 million federal grant designed to help the educational institutions expand their science, technology, engineering and math offerings to benefit students across the San Antonio area.

In the fall of 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awarded $55 million in National Defense Education Program Cooperative Agreements to five consortia nationwide.

Texas A&M-SA is part of the Military City USA Consortium, which is receiving an initial $5 million over three years, with the possibility of three extensions of one year each, funded at $2 million annually totaling an award of up to $11 million over six years.

Texas A&M-SA is joined in the consortium by the University of Texas at San Antonio, all five Alamo Colleges District (ACD) campuses and the nonprofit Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM. Palo Alto College, part of the ACD community colleges system, will be the lead institution in the consortium.

According to the DoD, the Military City USA Consortium will follow a Recruit, Prepare, Place and Succeed model to ensure the success and sustainability of a strong defense industrial base.

Dr. Akhtar Lodgher, Texas A&M-SA Regents professor of computing and cyber security and the University’s director of the Center of Information Technology and Cyber Security, worked with counterparts at consortium partners to win the DoD grant and will serve as Texas A&M-SA’s principal investigator.

By Edmond Ortiz

Expand the Pipeline

Lodgher said the grant will help more extensive efforts to expand the pipeline of students pursuing information technology studies, specifically cyber security, by enhancing community college students’ transition to four-year university programs.

The grant will also help the Military City USA Consortium’s partners to attain National Security Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security cyber defense education certification and raise the number of cyber security workers through internships.

“It will increase the confidence and motivation, especially of veterans, in launching them into these high-demand cyber security careers as well as STEM careers,” Lodgher explained.

Lodgher said Texas A&M-SA is unique because it is the only state university in San Antonio to offer a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Information Technology (BAAS-IT) program, which accepts professional credits through military, community college and professional certification, allowing students to graduate quicker.

Texas A&M-SA also offers a bachelor’s degree in cyber security and cyber concentrations at the undergraduate level. And it is the only state university in the area whose undergraduate curriculum includes the NSA/DHS Cyber Defense Education certificate upon graduation.

The DoD grant will strengthen an increasingly diversifying STEM ecosystem and help Texas A&M-SA upgrade its 2+2 program designed to accept students who have earned an associate’s degree in computer science and help them complete their bachelor’s degree in four additional semesters.

1,200 Students Affected

Lodgher said the grant will enable the consortium member institutions to better serve more than 1,200 students in underserved communities and populations.

The DoD grant’s impact on the Military City USA Consortium cannot be overstated, Lodgher said, given San Antonio’s reputation of having the nation’s largest concentration of federal, public and private cyber security employees outside of Washington, D.C.

Collaborating with consortium partners in pursuing the DoD grant was natural because each member institution has established academic programs and initiatives designed to propel students seeking careers as a cyber security administrator, cyber security software developer, threat hunter, cryptographer and cryptanalyst, Lodgher shared.

“Cyber security is a very big deal in San Antonio,” he said. “It was a matter of putting two and two together. We already had a good thing going; we just brought it all together.”

Lodgher said the DoD grant will elevate Texas A&M-SA’s visibility and enhance the University’s reputation for preparing computer science and cyber security students for the workforce. From 2021 to 2022, Texas A&M-SA saw 14 percent growth in students pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degrees in computer science, bachelor’s degrees in cyber security, cyber engineering technology and enrolled in the BAAS information technology program.

The University has approximately 662 students enrolled in those programs, plus students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration-computer information systems/information assurance.

“This makes us feel like equals in some respects,” Lodgher said of the grant award and consortium partners. “We’ll gain a lot of traction from these things and continue to complement each other.”

In addition to readying students for the high-tech workforce and enriching the middle school-to-university cyber student pipeline, Texas A&M-SA’s Center for Information Technology and Cyber Security also helps to increase awareness of cyber security and related careers around the South San Antonio campus and the community, Lodgher explained. CITCS also promotes faculty and student research in information technology and cyber security.

Lodgher said the center helps these students to be more aware of workforce requirements and employment opportunities and guides them through their required courses.

He added that CITCS works with the University’s Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement to direct students to the right career. “We provide a lot of career advising,” he said. “We scaffold students and get them into high-paying, high-impact computing and cyber security careers.”

Bridge Among Institutions

Texas A&M-SA has worked with Alamo Colleges for more than one year towards a 2+2 agreement in the bachelor’s in cyber security program. This streamlines a path for students who complete 60 hours in ACD and who have 60 more hours at Texas A&M-SA, so they may earn the degree in cyber security. “This creates an excellent bridge for students,” he said.

Current students pursuing computing courses at Texas A&M-SA said the University provides increasing resources to ensure they are fully ready to enter the information technology and cybersecurity workforce.

Danaé Wiggins, a class of 2024 computer information systems major, said while she was completing an associate’s degree in health science, she realized the medical industry was not only about patient care and pharmaceuticals. She developed an

interest in healthcare dashboard analytics and chose Texas A&M-San Antonio for what she called its personalized academic experience. “[Texas A&M-SA] is a rapidly growing Hispanic-Serving Institution, and I wanted to be a part of an organization that genuinely cares about every single student’s success and career growth,” Wiggins said.

Wiggins added she was thrilled by the news of Texas A&M-SA being part of a grant-awarded consortium. She said this achievement will lift University STEM majors despite a digital divide affecting communities of color around San Antonio.

“With this grant, [Texas A&M-SA] will be able to enhance its STEM majors’ job marketability upon [students’] graduation by improving their skills and through the lessons the University has provided,” she added.

Wiggins plans to earn a master’s degree in data science and pursue a doctorate in information and data science. “Eventually, I would like to use data science to assist in creating new assistive technology and combating human trafficking,” she said.

Jayden Bou-Quraiss, class of 2025, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in cyber security. Bou-Quraiss has been interested in computers since childhood. “With programming, I love that there’s a way of thinking things out, a logical flow,” Bou-Quraiss shared.

Bou-Quraiss said he enrolled at Texas A&MSA because he felt the University is affordable and its values align with his philosophy.

Bou-Quraiss attributed his landing an internship with Apple to his learning experiences at Texas A&M-SA. “I’m just happy to be part of the University, and I’m glad there’s another school in town offering computer information systems classes,” he said.

Creating Opportunities

Other Military City USA Consortium members said receiving the DoD grant demonstrates their dedication to comprehensively preparing local community college and four-year university students for various STEM career opportunities.

“We thank the Department of Defense for recognizing how critical it is to create a STEM workforce pipeline for our country’s future,” Alamo Colleges District Chancellor Mike Flores said. “We are excited to increase the number of our students who earn a STEM credential in our community and further diversify the population of STEM workers.”

Lodgher said he looks forward to continued collaboration between Texas A&M-SA and its fellow Military City USA Consortium members to benefit students and the entire community. “This collaboration creates opportunities for things like when large agencies come in, and we can talk together as a team and present a solution or an opportunity for a solution. That brings more success to all of us,” he explained.

Such partnerships, Lodgher added, foster even more cooperation and less of a siloed mindset among colleges and universities. “Partnerships create bigger opportunities,” he said.

Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson A Commitment to Community

A San Antonio native, Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson is deeply committed to giving back to the community that has given so much to her.

In November, Teniente-Matson accepted the position of president of San José State University in San José, California, and concluded her tenure at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Prior to her departure to assume her new role in January, the University held a farewell reception celebrating Teniente-Matson and her eight-year stint as president.

Among her many accomplishments as the second president of Texas A&M-San Antonio, Teniente-Matson led the successful transformation to become a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and a comprehensive four-year university. During her tenure, she welcomed the University’s first freshman class in 2016, and she oversaw the University’s certification with the Seal of Excelencia in 2021.

During her presidency, she served as president of the San Antonio Tricentennial Commission and on the boards of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She is also a national thought leader on higher education issues, serving on the board of directors for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and on the board for Higher Education Resource Services (HERS).

Her dedication to improving the lives of those within the University and San Antonio communities was unwavering. Teniente-Matson advanced the University by leading various strategic initiatives and partnerships to improve and enhance student learning and degree attainment.

With Teniente-Matson, the University saw the creation of the Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement, Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders, Institute for Water Resources Science and Technology, Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research Center, the Institute for Autism and Related Disorders, and the ASPIRE partnership leveraging the power of collective impact for seven South Bexar County ISDs, to name a few.

Under her leadership, the University has strategically positioned itself to implement deliberate practices designed to improve and enhance student learning and degree attainment, especially for first-generation students. These include new academic programming such as Jaguar Tracks and High-Impact Practices integrated into the curricula for all students.

In 2017, she orchestrated the President’s Commission on Equity (PCOE), which is charged with building a culture of excellence that values equity and inclusion on campus. Through TenienteMatson’s copious efforts, A&M-San Antonio is providing equitable opportunity and support for all its students.

Teniente-Matson has been recognized for her leadership and service in the field of education, including receiving the Making a Mark on the World Innovation Award from the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and the Women’s Leadership Award from the San Antonio Business Journal. She is also a speaker and mentor on contemporary issues in higher education leadership. Teniente-Matson has more than 25 years of experience in higher education with a track record of achievement that supports campus growth, including faculty and student success, economic development, financial stewardship and broad-based entrepreneurial leadership. Prior to her appointment at A&M-San Antonio, she worked as vice president for administration and chief financial officer of California State University, Fresno.

An advocate of continuing education, Teniente-Matson earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership from California State University, Fresno, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage and a Bachelor of Arts in Management from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Her dedication to improving the lives of those within the University and San Antonio communities was unwavering.

UNIVERSITY HIGHLIGHTS

A Legacy at A&M-San Antonio

2017

• Esperanza Hall, the first residence hall on campus, opens with 382 beds.

• Teniente-Matson establishes the President’s Commission on Equity (PCOE).

• The Mays Family Foundation makes the largest gift in University history — $5 million for the Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement.

2014

• On December 6, 2014, TenienteMatson is named as the sole finalist and interim president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio.

2015

• On January 12, Teniente-Matson begins her appointment as interim president and is inaugurated on October 10.

• Expansion is approved by the 84th Texas Legislative Session to allow A&M-San Antonio to begin accepting freshman and sophomore applications.

Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, former and second president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio, accepted a position of president of San José State University in San José, California, and concluded her tenure at A&M-San Antonio in January. During her tenure, she elevated the institution to heights of excellence and helped to lay the foundation for its future. 2016

• Teniente-Matson leads the University’s successful transformation to become a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and a comprehensive four-year university, welcoming the University’s first freshman class.

• 39 new full-time faculty and 37 new full-time sta are hired to support the comprehensive expansion.

• A&M-San Antonio establishes its first major scholarship endowment, thanks to a $1 million gift from the the Greehey Family Foundation to support the First-Generation Endowment Scholarship Fund.

• A&M-San Antonio is designated as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.

• Teniente-Matson is elected president of the San Antonio Tricentennial Commission.

• Presidio Gallery opens with the Daughters of the Republic of Texas collection.

2018

• The Science & Technology Building, a three-story building with classrooms and laboratories, opens.

• The University o cially announces the Henry G. Cisneros Institute of Emerging Leaders in recognition of Dr. Cisneros’ gift of $1 million.

• Teniente-Matson interviews former president Bill Clinton for his co-authored book with James Patterson, “The President is Missing.”

• The University becomes the first in Texas and ninth in the nation to participate in the Facebook Cyber Security University Program.

• To honor San Antonio’s 300th anniversary, A&M-San Antonio unveils its Tricentennial-themed exhibit, “San Antonio as a Crossroads: 300 Years of an Evolving Frontier Community.” The collection of photographs, artwork, maps, documents and other historical artifacts is on display at Presidio Gallery located in the Bexar County Archives Building.

2019

• A&M-San Antonio celebrates its 10-year anniversary with the groundbreaking of Phase One of the new academic and administration building.

• A “Timeline Wall” is unveiled in the Central Academic Building of A&M-San Antonio and tells the story of the University’s creation and journey to a four-year institution.

• Texas Historical Commission recognizes the 2014 designation of the campus as a historical site.

2022

• Fall enrollment reaches an all-time high of more than 7,300 students.

• A&M-San Antonio announces a new partnership with Texas A&M Health and University Health to co-create and expand education pathways and research opportunities in health sciences.

• A&M-San Antonio receives its second largest gift in University history from The Hector and Gloria López Foundation of $2.1 million to benefit Latino students.

• Bexar County commits $10 million to fund athletics facilities/fields at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, also serving the South Side community.

2020

• A&M-San Antonio receives approval from the A&M System Board of Regents to move forward on a $53 million project to house the College of Business and Library.

• Edgewood Independent School District (ISD) School Board votes to approve two

• A&M-San Antonio and South Bexar County ISD’s Partnership to Impact Regional Equity and Excellence (ASPIRE) network is established. 2021

• The University experiences record enrollment, welcoming more than 1,050 new first-year students.

• Transition University for Career Advancement and Successful Adulthood (TU CASA) is established.

• A&M-San Antonio receives the Seal of Excelencia certification.

SB 1882 partnerships with A&M-San Antonio. Under the agreement, the University becomes an operating partner of Edgewood ISD institutions, Gus Garcia Middle School and the Burleson Center for Innovation and Education.

• A $1 million grant from The Texas A&M University System Chancellor’s Research Initiative kick-starts cyber research through a newly established Cyber Engineering Technology/ Cyber Security Research Center.

• A&M-San Antonio Athletics is welcomed into the NAIA and Red River Athletics Conference.

• A $1 million grant from USAA helps launch a multi-year program to assist first-generation college students and their parents in navigating the admission process at Texas A&M University-San Antonio.

• Bexar County Health Department announces the decision to establish a new Public Health Division facility adjacent to A&M-San Antonio.

• A&M-San Antonio’s TU CASA holds its first Graduating Class of 2022 Celebration.

• Teniente-Matson is elected as board of directors chair for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

• The Bexar County Hospital District announces plans to build a University Health hospital next to campus.

• The Institute for Autism and Related Disorders is established within the College of Education and Human Development.

2023

• A ribbon-cutting ceremony is held on January 12 for the new College of Business/Library Hall building, followed by a farewell reception celebrating Teniente-Matson and her tenure as president. During the event, renowned San Antonio artist Lionel Sosa unveiled his oil-painted portrait of Teniente-Matson.

Interim President Appointed

In December, The Texas A&M University System Regents voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Linda Schott interim president at Texas A&M University-San Antonio.

Schott brings extensive presidential experience to the University. Most recently, she served as president of Southern Oregon University (SOU) from 2016 to 2021. She retired from SOU and returned to live on the family ranch in 2022 with her husband, Tom Fuhrmark. Prior to her SOU presidency, she led a campus in the University of Maine System from 2012 to 2016.

Schott began her career in academic administration at Eastern Michigan University, first as director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, and then as the head of the Department of History and Philosophy as well as associate dean of the College of Arts and Science. She was also the dean of the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

Her academic specializations are intellectual history and the history of women in the United States. She began her teaching career in 1985 at Texas State University. Schott also taught at Texas Lutheran University and The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Schott’s roots run deep in the San Antonio area as she grew up on her family ranch near Medina Lake and graduated from Bandera High School. She attended Baylor University, where she attained a bachelor’s degree in history and German, then Stanford University where she earned her master’s and Ph.D. in History and Humanities.

Search Begins for Permanent President

In December, a 17-member committee was created to conduct a national search to find a successor to former A&M-San Antonio President Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson. The search advisory committee is charged with delivering a minimum of three candidates to Chancellor Sharp, who will refer one of them to The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. Regent Mike Hernandez serves as chairman of the committee and Regent Jay Graham serves as a member. Visit tamusa.edu/officeofthepresident/president-search for updates on the presidential search.

University Welcomes New Vice President for Business A airs/CFO

Leonard (Len) A. Cullo Jr. joins Texas A&M University-San Antonio as vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer. Cullo will oversee a broad range of business and campus development initiatives in addition to departments responsible for technology, campus safety, business operations, financial operations, Title IX, human resources, regional development partnerships and compliance.

Cullo is an experienced senior financial executive with a proven record of accomplishments in capital market transactions, risk management, investment management and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to A&M-San Antonio, Cullo served as senior advisor to the president for investment and athletics at PennWest University. He was vice president for finance and administration and a member of the President’s Executive Council at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Cullo holds corporate experience, serving in several roles, including senior vice president-treasurer at H.J. Heinz Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; vice president-counsel for Equibank in Pittsburgh; an associate at Smith & Schnache in Dayton, Ohio; and tax accountant and certified public accountant for Peat Marwick Mitchell in Cleveland, Ohio.

He earned a J.D. degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and a BBA from the University of Notre Dame.

Cullo officially began his new role on February 6. With his vast experience and expertise, he will continue to build a strong foundation for the future at A&M-San Antonio.

University Holds Ribbon Cutting

Texas A&M-San Antonio held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 12 for the new College of Business (COB)/Library Hall building. Members of the University and San Antonio communities, along with several elected o cials, gathered to celebrate the occasion.

In November 2020, A&M-San Antonio received approval from the A&M System Board of Regents for the $53 million project to build the College of Business and Library. The newest addition to the University features a computer room, 11 labs and classrooms, more than 60 study/breakout rooms, and 90 College of Business faculty and administrative o ces within 101,046 gross square feet. A&M-San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing institutions in the A&M System, and the new facility supports the University in meeting the educational needs of A&M-San Antonio students.

Fall Commencement

A&M-San Antonio celebrated more than 700 students from the College of Education and Human Development, the College of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences who crossed the stage at the fall 2022 Commencement. The event marked Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson’s last Commencement as president of the University.

The first ceremony included more than 200 graduates from the College of Business and nearly 200 from the College of Education and Human Development. Commencement speakers for both events included Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Abdelrahman and Student Government Association President Jacob Goldstein. Chief Auditor for the Texas A&M University System Internal Audit Department C.R. “Charlie” Hrncir delivered the Commencement address for the first ceremony.

The second ceremony recognized more than 300 graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences. Congressman Tony Gonzales, U.S. Representative serving the 23rd District of Texas, delivered the Commencement address. Gonzales emphasized the opportunities their educational experience at the University has provided.

During a special moment, lights were dimmed and attendees lit up the coliseum with phone flashlights while LED robots entertained the crowd and celebrated this milestone in the graduates’ lives.

University Awarded Grant From GTF

Texas A&M-San Antonio has been awarded a grant of $1.4 million from the Greater Texas Foundation (GTF). The grant aims to help increase the number of Texas Early College High School (ECHS) graduates who successfully transition to a four-year institution of higher education and complete a baccalaureate degree.

The Greater Texas Foundation Scholars Program at A&M-San Antonio received its first award of $1.4 million from GTF in 2017. The scholars program provides five cohorts of 40 ECHS graduates throughout the State of Texas an opportunity to earn a scholarship of up to $2,000 a year for up to three years. This scholarship is intended for those students who anticipate completing their bachelor’s program in three years or less and display financial need. GTF scholars benefit from academic and financial support, peer mentoring, career exploration activities and leadership and team-building events.

Health Partnership Signing

Texas A&M-San Antonio’s new partnership with Texas A&M University Health Science Center and University Health brings three nationally recognized entities together to co-create and expand education pathways and research opportunities in the high-demand health sciences ecosystem for historically underserved communities. The new University Health public health facility and hospital development will enhance accessibility to medical services and health education.

In 2021, University Health acquired 68 acres to develop a hospital by 2027. In July 2022, Bexar County appropriated $30 million for a public health division facility, slated for completion in 2026. The around $500 million investment in the hospital and newly formed University Health Institute of Public Health will enhance service to individuals and families in South Bexar County and the 22 neighboring counties in South Texas. In addition, the A&M System Board of Regents approved funding to build a $45 million College of Education and Public Health facility at A&M-San Antonio. University Health is proceeding with plans to construct and operate a community hospital, medical office building and dedicated public health facility at the A&M-San Antonio west entry.

A&M-SA held a signing ceremony on December 1 to announce the partnership Speakers included Chancellor John Sharp, The Texas A&M University System; former President Dr. Cynthia TenienteMatson, Texas A&M-San Antonio; President and CEO George B. Hernández, Jr., University Health; and Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President Dr. Jon Mogford, Texas A&M Health.

The partnership will:

• Establish an affiliation agreement and guiding framework for collaborations among University Health’s existing and future community hospitals and public health facilities

• Focus on educational and research opportunities that impact Bexar County, adjoining counties, South Texas and those that support the military community

• Expand undergraduate, graduate and professional health-related medical education and clinical programs with Texas A&M Health

• Grow A&M-San Antonio’s enrollment in health science-related program offerings such as community health and rural health degree offerings, healthcare administration, behavioral health programs and health science and biomedical degrees

• Create a new public health unit at A&M-San Antonio for research

• Support workforce development among medical, clinical and nonclinical fields to serve the community and Latino and Latina leaders in health-related fields

• Promote a positive patient experience, compassionate patient care, excellence in education, public health promotion and intervention and outstanding health outcomes

• Expand its collaboration with the ASPIRE network to educate and train future professionals in the fields of community health, environmental health and pre-clinical studies

Benchmark Student Well-being Survey –Healthy Minds

The Student Counseling Center conducted a “Healthy Minds Study,” an anonymous research survey, open to all students over the age of 18. The study officially closed in April 2022. The survey data provided insight on students’ mental health, with a goal of improving campus mental health services. Survey topics included substance use, sleep, sexual assault, general health, academic proficiency, financial stress, peer support and eating and body image, according to the Healthy Minds Network. Questionnaire responses will assist professionals with assessing mental health needs, and the study will help guide decision-making about mental health programs and resources on campus.

New Tradition in Partnership with San Antonio Zoo

At the Neotropica habitat, Texas A&M-San Antonio, in collaboration with the San Antonio Zoo, celebrated the success of students who earned their University Ring. The habitat is sponsored by the University. Neotropica features a unique catwalk system that allows 120% more habitat space for the jaguars. The newly implemented tradition places the o cial University Ring boxes in a large wooden chest, crafted by Practicum of Construction Management students from South San High School, part of the University’s ASPIRE Network.

A&M-San Antonio hopes that by partnering with the San Antonio Zoo, the University can share the new tradition and success of the students with not only the students’ friends and family but with the San Antonio community as well.

The Zoo Ring Day stems from the on-campus Ring Day tradition, where students ceremoniously receive their rings with their loved ones, celebrating their success and upcoming graduation from A&M-SA.

The University Ring Chest was placed in the Jaguar enclosure, where B’alam the Jaguar was released. B’alam paraded around the chest then placed his paws on it, posing for cameras and attendees.

University and River Authority Collaborate on South Side Park Project, Espada

The San Antonio River Authority and A&M-San Antonio announced a joint recreational and environmental collaboration in November along the historic San Antonio River. The property, known as the Espada Tract or Property, is located on 380 acres of land on the South Side of San Antonio.

Located south of Mission Espada, the land was donated to the River Authority and A&M-San Antonio by The TJX Companies, Inc., after acquiring acreage for a T.J. Maxx Distribution Center on the South Side of San Antonio. TJX committed to donating 15 to 20 acres of land to the Southside Independent School District for construction of a school, as well as the donation of the Espada Property.

The partnership allows for the area’s character to remain as the property is restored with native shrubland and riparian bottomland forest. The area serves as refuge for resident and migratory wildlife. Plans for the property are in their infancy. A&M-San Antonio and the River Authority are creating a master plan, led by Dunaway, a professional services firm offering civil and structural engineering, planning and landscape architecture, survey and construction inspection services. The master plan is expected to be complete in June and will include input from the community. Elements include a learning center managed by A&M-San Antonio, which will provide outdoor nature and biology research opportunities for faculty and students.

Veterans Day Breakfast and Heroes Run

The Office of Military Affairs hosted the first-ever Veterans Day Breakfast. The event was a huge success, with all student veterans invited to the ceremony. The office also delivered 34 handwritten invitations to veteran faculty and staff members, inviting them to be a part of the festivities. The Office of Military Affairs also presented each faculty and staff veteran member with a pin to wear for Veteran’s Week, identifying their veteran status for students.

The Travis Manion Foundation Heroes Run in September hosted 225 participants on campus, with 10 virtual participants. The Heroes Run began in 2008 to honor the nation’s first responders who were lost on 9/11 and the veterans who have served in wars since. A&M-San Antonio looks forward to hosting the Travis Manion Foundation again next year.

HIGHLIGHTS

New Degree Programs Added in Fall 2022

The University launched five new degree programs in fall 2022:

• THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CHEMISTRY is intended for students who want to pursue graduate studies or work in a private or government chemical laboratory upon graduation.

• THE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN CHEMISTRY is available for students who want a degree in chemistry but seek more course flexibility. Students considering a future in chemical-related professions, such as pre-med, pre-pharmacy or other health-carerelated degrees will find the BA in chemistry particularly appealing.

• THE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE provides excellent professional training for students seeking employment with federal, state and local agencies and private industry. In addition, students will gain comprehensive theoretical training that prepares them for doctoral work or employment in a research capacity. The program offers an innovative curriculum to prepare students to address today’s most pressing criminal justice challenges and the skills necessary to become an effective leader.

• THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS (ABA) is at least 120 semester hours with at least 33 semester hours of ABA Core Curriculum. Students can choose a minor in special education, child development or psychology.

• THE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS is designed to be completed in two years including coursework during the summer semesters. Students can choose a concentration in autism spectrum disorder or special education.

• THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN HUMAN SERVICES is ideal for students wanting to pursue a graduate degree in clinical mental health or marriage, couple and family counseling. The program offers a curriculum focused on interpersonal skill development, social and cultural issues, the nature of the helping relationship, group theory and process, career and lifestyle development, program development and evaluation, and fundraising and grant writing. The program concludes with internship field placement opportunities.

Classroom of the Month

ASPIRE Classroom of the Month recognizes ASPIRE school district elementary and middle school classes that are going above and beyond to bring higher education opportunities to their students. This year, A&M-San Antonio recognized and awarded five outstanding ASPIRE teachers and their students. Winners receive a Classroom of the Month certificate; Jaguar swag for the classroom, educator and students; a special message from University leadership; a visit from General the Jaguar; and more.

THECB Grant to Support Minority Males’ Collegiate Success

The Achievement Initiative for Minority Males (A.I.M.M.) received the Student Success Acceleration Program – Implementation Grant for $250,000 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The goal of the grant is to support students’ persistence in completing credentials of value leading to successful career and labor market outcomes. This year’s focus is on minority males on campus. A.I.M.M. seeks to increase retention, graduation, engagement and overall success of ethnic minority males by providing life-skills training and development for an improved educational experience and quality of life. Students selected to participate will increase their knowledge and skills in the following areas: time management, academic and leadership development, personal and professional branding, mental and physical health, financial literacy and civic responsibility.

With this grant, the University will recruit more males to the program and provide resources, workshops and events to help build the blueprint for this program for all minority males on campus.

Men and Women’s Soccer Make Playo s for First Time in School History

Texas A&M-San Antonio men’s and women’s soccer teams made history, competing in postseason play in just their second year of eligibility. In October, the women’s team fought to a 0-0 draw against Our Lady of the Lake University, earning a spot in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Soccer Tournament.

The men’s soccer team, which defeated Our Lady of the Lake 4-0, also made the RRAC Soccer Tournament.

The women’s team finished 6th and the men’s team finished 4th in the regular season.

Both the men’s and women’s soccer programs at A&M-San Antonio began in 2021.

Three Women’s Soccer Players Receive 2022 Daktronics Scholar

Athlete Award

(Above left to right) Sophomores Maram Abdeljaber, Krystal Goytia and Aleah Montes were named 2022 Daktronics Women’s Soccer ScholarAthletes by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. All three players made great contributions to the success of the Jaguars by appearing in more than 10 matches en route to the program’s first RRAC postseason tournament.

Under the direction of first-year Head Coach Fredy Sanguinetti, the Jaguars improved from 3-8-2, 3-6-2 RRAC to 9-4-3, 6-3-2 RRAC and finished as the sixth seed in the RRAC despite being picked to finish tenth out of 12 teams in the conference Preseason Poll.

Rec Center Construction Begins

A&M-San Antonio has begun construction on its new Student Recreation Center. The 22,322-square-foot recreation center is slated for completion in spring 2024.

Student-Athlete Trailblazers Graduate

It is a privilege to be a student-athlete within an intercollegiate athletic program, but it does not come easy. All student-athletes have to walk a fine line balancing their respective responsibilities. The student-athlete’s ultimate goal is to graduate.

The fall 2022 student-athlete graduates are Yasmine Cuadra, women’s soccer; Caty Rangel, Kameryn Casares, Britney Garcia and Sidney Garza, softball; Jordan Hardin and Ethan Perez, men’s golf; and Victor Villareal, men’s soccer.

These students represent the second group of student-athletes to graduate from A&M-San Antonio. Most are also members of their respective team’s first roster, and each is able to say they helped start athletics at A&M-San Antonio.

In November 2022, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved the construction of the Student Recreation Center. The facility will include three primary large spaces — a gymnasium, a fitness/weight room and a set of locker rooms. The new multipurpose gymnasium will consist of a collegiate competition basketball court and two 84-foot-long recreation basketball courts overlaid as cross courts. A fitness/weight room, approximately 3,400 square feet and one-and-a-half stories high, will be adjacent to the gymnasium.

Many are expected to use the gym and fitness/weight rooms and each will facilitate a myriad of University programs, including strength and conditioning, kinesiology classes, ROTC program drills and exercises, convocations, career fairs, staff council meetings and various campus town halls, among others.

Jaguar Soccer Celebrates All-Conference Honors

Six A&M University-San Antonio men’s soccer team players earned All-RRAC accolades following a 7-5-3, 5-3-3 RRAC season and a fourth-place season finish in the regular season.

Freshman Efren Duarte (San Antonio, Texas) a forward and All-RRAC Second Team, also made the All-Freshman team following a strong rookie campaign. In seven conference matches, he scored seven goals and added two assists. He even tallied two game-winners to help the Jaguars advance to the RRAC Men’s Soccer Tournament for the first time in program history.

Freshman Julian Leon (Garland, Texas), a midfielder and All-RRAC Second Team, scored four conference goals and recorded a shooting percentage of .444. As a midfielder, he played a big role in making defensive stops and starting counter attacks.

Junior Antonio Juarez-Alvarez (San Antonio, Texas), a defender and All-RRAC Second Team, played all eight conference matches and anchored the backline. The team captain stopped numerous scoring chances and played a big role in three shutouts down the stretch to help the team qualify for the postseason tournament.

Sophomore Sebastian Palomino (Bogota, Colombia), a defender and All-RRAC Honorable Mention, scored one conference goal in the 5-1 win over Jarvis Christian. He also played a big role as a defender by making stops and creating chances for others. He assisted the Jaguars’ lone goal in the 1-1 draw against UHV and kept the other team’s attacking chances to a minimum .

Senior Victor Villarreal (San Antonio, Texas), a goalkeeper and All-RRAC Honorable Mention, won RRAC Defensive Player of the Week and made numerous saves in goal all season long. The senior keeper recorded 635 minutes in goals during conference play and posted a goalsagainst-average of 0.85 while only allowing six goals.

Freshman Giovani Garcia (San Antonio, Texas), a defender, made the All-Freshman team. He also tallied two goals in conference play and contributed to the tough defense that made it difficult for opponents to take good shots.

A&M-San Antonio women’s soccer finished the season in the first round of the RRAC Women’s Soccer Tournament. The Jaguars finished with a record of 9-4-3, 6-3-2 RRAC and locked up the sixth and final seed of the regular season standings to advance to the playoffs. Four players earned honors.

Freshman Ana Barragan (Brownsville, Texas), forward, a rookie and All-RRAC Honorable Mention, led the Jaguars’ offense in goals scored with seven and tied for first on the team in total points with 16. She tallied four goals in conference play and added two assists. During the Jaguars’ five-match winning streak, she scored three goals and recorded one assist to ultimately help A&M-San Antonio make the conference tournament.

Sophomore Brooke Theis (Spokane, Washington), a midfielder and All-RRAC

Honorable Mention, tallied one goal and three assists. Two of those assists came during conference play. As a midfielder, she played stout defense all season and created multiple counter-attacking opportunities for her teammates.

Sophomore Maram Abdeljaber (El Paso, Texas/ Franklin), a goalkeeper and All-RRAC Honorable Mention, saw the majority of the minutes in goal for the Jaguars with 12 appearances and 10 starts. During conference play, she recorded 29 saves and only allowed 10 goals. Her goals-allowed average was one of the best in the conference at 1.04.

Senior Keana Flores (Houston, Texas), a defender and All-RRAC Honorable Mention, anchored a backline that only allowed 10 goals in conference. She made it tough for forwards and midfielders to take quality shots in the box and did a great job defending against corner kicks.

These accomplishments mark the first time in program history that players from A&M-San Antonio’s women’s and men’s soccer team have earned RRAC All-Conference honors.

Robert Alonzo, criminology and criminal justice program senior lecturer, presented at the March 2023 annual meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences at National Harbor, Maryland. The presentation is entitled “The 9/11 Attacks: 22 Years Later.” Alonzo worked the FBI’s 9/11 PENTBOM Case as an FBI analyst and investigator in 2001-2002. He also served as a roundtable panel participant/discussant for a financial crimes discussion.

Dr. Izzat Alsmadi, associate professor and chair of computing and cyber security, and Dr. Lo’ai Tawalbeh, associate professor of computing and cyber security, have been selected among the top 2% researchers worldwide. This is a yearly evaluation conducted by Elsevier and Stanford University to select the most distinguished researchers.

Dr. Dennis Elam associate professor of accounting, delivered continuing education lectures to the Texas Society of CPAs-San Antonio (TXCPA-SA) as well as San Antonio Forensic Accounting Society. He received the first-ever financial grant to a member of the Accounting Department from the Socionomics Foundation, a nonprofit private operating foundation dedicated to advancing socionomics. Future grants to other academics will bear Dr. Elam’s name.

Diego Aparicio, clinical assistant professor of communication, has been awarded an Educator of Color Fellowship to attend a Virtual Data Journalism Bootcamp for Educators, July 24-28. The fellowship is intended to support educators from diverse communities interested in developing data journalism lessons and teach future investigative journalists and reporters. The fellowship is provided by the Investigate Reporters and Editors, housed at the University of Missouri. Aparicio teaches broadcast and multimedia courses at A&M-SA. He is also the student media adviser of the regional and national award-winning experiential learning broadcast studio, Enlace Media Lab, where student broadcasters and content creators produce original video storytelling, podcasts, explainers, short documentaries, reputational video, internet radio and entertainment.

Dr. Elizabeth Borda, assistant professor of biology, was funded by the National Science Foundation Biological Oceanography Program in April 2022. In collaboration with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) as the lead institution, her project received $937,834 in funding, with $317,512 as a sub-award to A&M-SA. Over three years, an international research team will investigate the diversity, ecology and functional role of micro-invertebrates of the Yucatan Peninsula and Cozumel Island, Mexico. Dr. Borda was senior author on a collaborative article published in Scientific Reports in March 2022 on the phylogenetics and evolution of cave shrimp from the aquifer of Yucatan Peninsula. In November 2022, Dr. Borda and members of her research group presented on cave invertebrate diversity and ecology, and cave shrimp population genetics and transcriptomics at the 5th International Symposium on Anchialine Ecosystems. In January 2023, members of her research group presented on cave invertebrates and insect diversity of the San Antonio River and cryptic species of globally distributed marine fireworms at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference.

ROBERT ALONZO

DIEGO APARICIO

DR. ELIZABETH BORDA

DR. DENNIS ELAM

DR. IZZAT ALSMADI

Dr. Michael Boucher, associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, will present at the American Education Research Association (AERA) annual conference in April along with three of the master’s students from the first cohort of the master’s in curriculum and instruction-teaching in diverse communities. This new program is for teachers and other education professionals working to transform education in San Antonio and South Texas. He also received the Faculty Champion award from the Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement for his work with the center and service to schools and communities in San Antonio.

Dr. Boyd is new to the A&M-SA faculty and Dr. Wandix-White is assistant professor of multicultural education at University of Houston–Clear Lake.

Dr. Salma Boyd, clinical assistant professor and faculty-in-residence at Gus Garcia University School in Edgewood ISD, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, and former A&M-SA faculty member Dr. Diana Wandix-White will be presenting at the Texas National Association for Multicultural Education (TXNAME) Region 5 Conference. The 2023 conference will be held at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Dr. Wandix-White and Dr. Boyd will present “University-School Partnership: A Collaborative Effort to Cultivate Excellence.”

Dr. Brenya Twumasi Buchalski, adjunct faculty in psychology, received the U.S. Presidents Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Award for Globalization of Curriculum and Collaborative Online International Learning. Dr. Buchalski is teaching in collaboration with the University in Kiev, Ukraine.

Dr. Gary Coulton, associate professor of psychology, was selected by the Faculty Senate and Provost as the University’s first Faculty Ombudsperson. An ombudsperson “assists individuals and groups in the resolution of conflicts or concern,” according to the International Ombuds Association. Dr. Coullton was re-elected vice-president for membership of the Texas Association of Faculty Teachers (T.A.C.T.), an organization that has advocated for higher education in Texas for over 70 years. He also reviewed several book proposals and manuscripts for editors at the Cambridge University Press and is a reviewer for the journal Occupational Health Science.

Dr. Jennifer G. Correa, associate professor of sociology, and Dr. Joseph Simpson, associate professor of sociology, published a journal manuscript entitled, “Building Walls, Destroying Borderlands: Repertoires of Militarization on the U.S.–Mexico Border,” in the peer-reviewed international journal Nature and Culture.

Dr. Mariya Davis, assistant professor of special education, Educator and Leadership Preparation Department, wrote four research papers published in national and regional peer-reviewed journals. To share her research, she presented nine sessions at various international, national and state conferences. Dr. Davis is involved in the work of the Council for Exceptional Children and the Council for Learning Disabilities.

DR. MICHAEL BOUCHER

DR. SALMA BOYD

DR. JENNIFER G. CORREA and DR. JOSEPH SIMPSON

DR. GARY COULTON

DR. MARIYA DAVIS

DR. BRENYA TWUMASI BUCHALSKI

Dr. Berenice de la Cruz, assistant professor and coordinator of the Applied Behavior Analysis Program, collaborated with the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities, a University alumnus and his mother, to disseminate information about Texas Driving with Disabilities, a state initiative. The program is designed to improve the interaction between law enforcement and drivers diagnosed with a communication challenge or a hearing impairment.

Dr. Walter Den, professor and director of the Institute for Water Resources, and fellow faculty have completed a humanitarian project in which they designed and built lined pit latrines in India for field trials. The goal of the project is to help people and the environment in slums, refugee camps or places where modern sanitation practices are not available. Another project is to help protect the local Edwards Aquifer from being contaminated during emergency response in sensitive areas where surface runoff can go directly into the underground aquifer. They are working with the San Antonio Fire Department and the Edwards Aquifer Authority.

Dr. Katherine Espinoza and Dr. Karen Kohler, assistant professors in curriculum and instruction, along with their colleague Justin Kover, senior lecturer of art, produced two community art events for students at Neil Armstrong Elementary and their families. As part of their work on the CULTIVAR grant awarded to the University, they designed and facilitated two convivios promoting community and identity evaluation through arts integration. Using a culturally sustaining focus, the event in October centered around Día de los Muertos and the one in January centered around the Lunar New Year.

Dr. Esther Garza, associate professor of bilingual education and chair of Educator and Leadership Preparation, College of Education and Human Development, participated in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) 2022 Emerging Leadership Program. AASCU’s Emerging Leaders Program allows participants to determine where they fit in the academy and envision what their career path might look like, including a concrete next step. Participants graduate with the skills, connections and support necessary to navigate the transition to administrative roles and gain a national network of motivated peers. Dr. Garza, Dr. Elizabeth Murakami, special assistant to the provost within the University’s o ce of Equity and Inclusive Excellence, and Carlos Maestas, producer for video production and marketing agency Key Ideas, presented on Texas Public Radio on the topic of redlining and the short documentary demonstrating the impacts of redlining and its connection to A&M-SA.

Dr. Francis X. Galán, associate professor of history, won a 2023 book award from the San Antonio Conservation Society Foundation for his work, Los Adaes: The First Capital of Spanish Texas (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2020), which also won the 2022 book award from the Texas Old Missions and Forts Restoration Association.

DR. BERENICE DE LA CRUZ

DR. WALTER DEN

DR. KATHERINE ESPINOZA and DR. KAREN KOHLER

DR. FRANCIS X. GALÁN

L TO R: HOST OF TPR’S THE SOURCE, DAVID MARTIN DAVIES, DR. ESTHER GARZA, CARLOS MAESTAS AND DR. ELIZABETH MURAKAMI

Dr. Theresa Garfield, professor of special education, was appointed by the Council for Exceptional Children Board of Directors to co-chair the Conference Program Advisory Committee for the 2024 and 2025 international conferences. The conference has an average attendance of more than 5,000 members and is the largest special education conference in the world. Originally awarded to Dr. Vijay Golla, vice provost for research and health science, Dr. Garfield was appointed as the interim project director of Proyecto Éxito, a $3 million U.S. Department of Education Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) grant, and to concurrently serve as the interim director of Graduate Studies. Dr. Garfield wants to increase Graduate Studies enrollment and retention and to help increase the diversity of graduate students at A&M-SA.

Jenny Moore, clinical professor and faculty fellow with the Center for Academic Innovation and Univision Media Lab Program, earned the 2022 Experiential Education Program of the Year Award from the Society for Experiential Education. The national award recognizes an outstanding K-12 or higher education institution that has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to experiential education in their classrooms or on their campuses. Moore served as principal investigator for Creating Campus Media Facilities to Support Experiential Learning & Job Attainment, a project funded by a City of San Antonio grant. This capital improvement project supports the expansion of media resources, including broadcast media and podcasting at A&M-SA.

George Gurrola, adjunct faculty first-year seminar, completed the inaugural Texas A&M-San Antonio ACUE Course in Effective Teaching Practices. Gurrola also served as the Texas A&M University-San Antonio Patriot Stole Ceremony guest speaker, recognizing veterans for completing their education. He is one of the few faculty who is an activeduty U.S. Army officer and currently serves as director of operations for the Defense Language Institute English Language Center.

Dr. Melissa Jozwiak, associate professor of early childhood, serves as principal investigator for a grant through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of PostSecondary Education, Campus CARES (Campus Childcare As Resource Enhancing Success). This project establishes free on-campus after-school childcare for Pell-eligible students. This inclusive program began in March offering afterschool care for children ages kindergarten to fifth grade. When the Educare building is complete, the program will offer daytime and evening care for children as young as six weeks old. Dr. Jozwiak serves as project lead for Educare San Antonio, funded by The Texas A&M University System, City of San Antonio, Bexar County and private donors.

Dr. Elisabeth Krimbill, assistant professor of education leadership, was elected as the vice president of the Education Law Association. This is the largest legal organization in the nation that focuses on the legal environment that impacts education and people connected to schools. Members include attorneys, professors, administrators, students, public officials, advocates, education writers, human resource departments and managers. She will serve as president-elect and president in the coming years.

DR. THERESA GARFIELD

GEORGE GURROLA

DR. MELISSA JOZWIAK

DR. ELISABETH KRIMBILL

JENNY MOORE

Dr. Malin Lilley, assistant professor of psychology, co-authored three articles focusing on the behavioral development and courtship of beluga whales.

“Observations of Courtship in Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas)” and “Observations of Mating Practice by Non-sexually Mature Male Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas)” appeared in the journal Aquatic Mammals, and “Self-handicapping in Object Play: How Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) Make Play Difficult” was published by the International Journal of Play. Additionally, she was named the Mays Center Faculty Champion for September 2022.

Dr. Akhtar Lodgher, regents professor in computing and cyber security and Dr. Syed Harun, professor of finance, had a paper entitled, “Can a momentum strategy outperform the S&P 500 Index in a retirement plan?” published in The Journal of Retirement, Summer 2022. Drs. Lodgher and Harun also presented a paper on the topic at the Southwestern Finance Association 2022 annual conference in New Orleans. The association accepted their paper, “Momentum in Mutual Funds in the Long Run,” for presentation at its 2023 annual conference in Houston in March.

REMEMBERING DR. PATRICK E.

Dr. Patrick E. McDaniel , instructional assistant professor with the Department of Counseling, Health and Kinesiology, died Dec. 21, 2022. A professional track faculty member in the counseling program, Dr. McDaniel taught at A&M-San Antonio since January 2012. He served as the program coordinator for the Bachelor of Science degree in human services. His experience in higher education included more than 20 years teaching in both public and private institutions. He had a 24-year nonprofit career serving youth and families facing economic and educational barriers to success. During his 30-plus years in the counseling profession, Dr. McDaniel’s clinical focus was serving adolescents and the use of Experiential Therapy. While in the nonprofit sector, he served as the director of human resources for Communities In Schools-San Antonio, an organization connecting children and their families to basic and critical educational and community-based resources.

Dr. Matthew McCluskey, assistant professor of educational leadership, wrote “Turnover Contagion: Trust and the Compounding Impact of Turnover on Teachers” published in the Journal of School Choice.

Dr. Davida Smyth, associate professor of biology, was appointed to the Board of BioQUEST. She published five papers and a book review on aerosol transmission, wastewater epidemiology as well as science education in publications including the Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, Nature Communications and Environmental Science and Technology Letters. She gave more than 17 local, national and international presentations. She co-edited the Frontiers in Microbiology Community Series: Tools, Techniques, and Strategies for Teaching in a Real-World Context with Microbiology, Volume II. Dr. Smyth’s work with wastewater epidemiology was featured on the BBC World News Report, Petrie Dish on Texas Public Radio and on the Academic Minute. She coorganized the Intersections in Assessment Conference, funded by the National Science Foundation. She moderated and presented “Wastewater-based Epidemiology: SARS-CoV-2 and Other

DR. DAVIDA SMYTH

DR. MALIN LILLEY

MCDANIEL

DR. AKHTAR LODGHER and DR. SYED HARUN

DR. MATTHEW MCCLUSKEY

Emerging Pathogens” at ASM Microbe 2022. In her role as deputy director of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement, Dr. Smyth launched the SENCER Water Fellows in 2022 and she co-organized the “Critical Contexts and Critical Pedagogies for STEM Learning” SENCER Summer Institute.

Teresa Talerico, clinical assistant professor

communication and faculty adviser

The Mesquite, was named the 2022 David L. Eshelman Outstanding Campus Adviser by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), a national organization committed to press freedom and ethical journalism. Talerico, co-adviser of A&MSan Antonio’s student chapter of SPJ, was recognized at the Student Summit & Awards Program at MediaFest22, SPJ’s annual convention in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 28. She was nominated by her student Armando Villarreal III, a 2022 communication graduate and former president of A&M-San Antonio’s student chapter.

Cate Wengelnik, instructional assistant professor of management, has received the Best Paper Award from the Academy of Business Research for her research on diversity, equity and inclusion in management. She has completed the Society for Human Resources Management specialty credential in diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and has designed and is teaching the first course in the College of Business history on Diversity Management in the Workplace.

as well at the external advisory board for the Holocaust Educational Foundation at Northwestern University in January. He participated in a panel that will be taped and aired on KLRN Jan. 26 for Holocaust Remembrance Week.

Dr. Edward B. Westermann, regents professor of history, gave the prestigious 2022 Gerald R. Kleinfeld Lecture in German History, Culture and Politics on his new book, "Drunk on Genocide" at Wartburg College in November 2022. The Canadian journal, The Montréal Review, published his article “Celebrating the ‘Final Solution”? Alcohol and Mass Murder in Nazi Germany’ in December 2022. He was a featured speaker at the International Holocaust Remembrance Day Education Conference sponsored by the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies in Toronto, Canada, in January He also was invited to join the editorial board at Cornell University Press

Dr. Hsiao-ping Wu, associate professor of bilingual education and ESL, was invited by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) to serve on a committee of the Fulbright U.S student program for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. Dr. Wu continues her research and service on international education and international students. One of Dr. Wu’s studies that investigated international students’ challenges and adjustment published by Educational Research International received 313,655 views.

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TERESA TALERICO

CATE WENGELNIK

DR. EDWARD B. WESTERMANN

DR. HSIAO-PING WU

Ben Zeller was sworn in for a third term as Victoria County Judge. Zeller is a 2009 MBA graduate of A&M-San Antonio and was the recipient of the University’s Inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award in 2018.

Michael L. Tezel married Angela Joy Katz who also graduated from A&M-San Antonio.

Celestino Valentin ’10, ’11 is the program director of St. Philip’s College Business Management and Administration, Construction Business Management, Entrepreneurship and P-Tech.

Marie A. Valentin ’10, ’11 accepted a position with Jacksonville State University in Alabama. She has a Ph.D. from Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station in Human Resource Development.

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John A. Castillo Jr. retired as a Master Sergeant on December 20, 2022, from the U.S. Air Force after proudly serving 20 years. He has joined the private security sector as a tactic technician in California while attending the University of Southern California Bovard College to earn a Master of Science in Emergency Management.

Beverly Bragg ’11, ’15 had an abstract accepted to the KFLC: The Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Conference for its April 2023 conference at the University of Kentucky. She will be presenting a paper on Dark Tourism Trends in the Historical Community of Sumner County, Tennessee. Her article, “Camp Trousdale and the Writings of John Happy,” appeared in the January 2023 issue of Lake and Golf Lifestyle , a magazine serving the residents of Fairvue Plantation, Foxland Harbor and the members of Tennessee Grasslands.

Ramon Buruato returned back home to Uvalde as a special education teacher and head boys basketball coach.

Joey R. Gottinger resides in Sugar Land and works at Johnson Space Center. He is IT lead for the Gateway Program at NASA. Gateway is part of the larger ARTEMIS program, which aims to provide a persistent presence around the moon, and ultimately become a launch point for a future mission to Mars.

Frank Radis became a realtor. 20 13

Rosalino A. Garza is COO and co-founder of a local startup, New Life Hospice, which began in 2021.

Michael Persyn recently celebrated the 15th Anniversary of his Investiture into the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, a Papal Order of Knighthood. He is a senior acreage title examiner with The Accurate Group. He also is serving a three-year term as a trustee on the board of directors for the Belgian-American Club of Texas.

Richard Delgado Jr. is the community investor for the Boeing Company, where he oversees dozens of investments locally, statewide and nationally. He spent 15 years creating the Military Embracing culture at A&MSan Antonio. Delgado recently completed President George W. Bush Institute’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program and will be the Military Minister for the Rey Feo LXXIV court.

Jorge Garcia was recently promoted to director of guidance and counseling in the Edgewood Independent School District. He serves as a member of the A&M-San Antonio Counseling program advisory board. He also works closely with Dr. Alana Collins to provide practicum and internship opportunities to current A&M-San Antonio students.

Christopher Quiroga is a systems engineer with VIA Metropolitan Transit, where he has worked for five years. 20 12

Clotia M. Bowens is engaged and started the second semester of grad school. Clotia aims to continue advancing in the criminal justice field.

Sharon D. Wilson is a STEM teacher at Indian Creek Elementary for the Southwest Independent School District. Her oldest daughter is in her second semester at Texas A&M College Station. Her youngest daughter will be graduating in June from Medina Valley High School, and her son has his driver’s permit.

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Michael Martinez Jr. is the North America internal audit manager for ISS Facility Services where he oversees the Internal Audit program. He also coaches a 7U baseball team called the Black Mambas at the South Side favorite 5 Diamonds Little League. He is the mayor of Sandy Oaks where he manages a budget of more than $1M. He and wife Angela have been married for 12 years.

Dr. Shahrooz Mark Jahanbin ’13 graduated from Texas A&M in College Station with a master’s degree in engineering in 2009 and an MBA in 2013 from Texas A&M-San Antonio. He also received a doctorate in engineering and invented several novel engineering concepts. Shahrooz was born and raised in Iran and bult a significant career in aviation and space, including roles with Boeing and Leonardo Helicopters where he was responsible for investigating serious incidents and accidents of rotorcraft in Europe and The United States. He is now the chairperson of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators and adjunct faculty at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He is also working as senior certification lead for SpaceX. He lives in California with fellow Aggie Sahar and their daughters, Sophie and Dennah.

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Jessica K. Ceeko completed her bachelor’ s degree in history in 2015 followed by a master’s degree from The University of Texas at San Antonio in 2018. She was then accepted into Southern Methodist University’s Ph.D. program with full funding. She is working on her dissertation. Meanwhile, she returned to her roots to teach a semester of history at Texas A&M-San Antonio.

Victor A. Fernandez is in year two of his shooting business, How To Shoot LLC, and started a secondary laser engraving business, Watchdog Engraving. This year he is offering a 10% discount to all A&M-San Antonio students, faculty and alumni.

Vicky S. Rojo ’15, ’18 is the emergent bilingual liaison at Leal Middle School. She is a mother of two emergent bilinguals Gael and Genesis.

Kendra E. Wilkerson recently participated in the American Prize Opera Competition and her music can be streamed on iTunes. She is also working in the cosmetic beauty and tax industries.

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Erika Aranguiz is a dual language educator at Harlandale ISD. She was recognized with the Estrella de Tejas Award by the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas (HWNT).

The Estrella de Tejas Awards celebrates remarkable women. She is serving on the HWNT board of directors as the 2023-24 San

Antonio Chapter chair. She is an alum of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Latina Leadership Institute (LLI) and is serving as an LLI Steering Committee member.

Hannah M. Dunn Eli was nominated as a local hero and featured in San Antonio ExpressNews for her performance in Ballet San Antonio’s “The Nutcracker” at the Tobin Center.

Edlyn Estevez is a mother to a 2-year-old and a 14-year-old. She has been working with University Health System for 14 years. She is pursuing a master’s in social work at Our Lady of the Lake University.

Sabrina San Miguel ’16, ’19 is back on campus as the University’s development officer for the Office of Advancement. She assisted with many fundraising events and joined a number of committees on campus. She is also writing her first book, which she began while studying at A&M-San Antonio. 20 17

Luis Bravo moved to Frisco and works at Charles Schwab’ s headquarters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He is venturing further into program management, working with Charles Schwab’s data centers in Texas to ensure proper data resiliency and recovery.

Brandi D. Saunders has created the Women’ s Empowerment Legal Center, a nonprofit that provides free legal services to survivors of domestic violence. The center also provides financial literacy classes and yoga/self-defense.

Evonne Gonzales ’18, ’21 began an insurance broker venture in 2021 and expanded her contracts from not only selling Medicare and life insurance but also offering individual health plans. She also got married in November 2022 to her sweetheart and partner of many co-owned businesses.

Lee A. Hernandez welcomed a child, Noah Lee Hernandez, in November 2021. He also began a new career with Superior Health Plan as a business process improvement manager.

Juan A. Moreno Jr. began working in public education following graduation. He is now in his third year of elementary teaching and is a dad of a daughter who will turn 2 in May.

Kevin Castro is the social media coordinator for the Marketing and Communications Department at A&M-San Antonio, where he is furthering the mission of the University. Prior to that, he worked as a human resources generalist in the University’s HR department.

Aaron Leyva is pursuing a master’s in computer science and is currently employed by Becton Dickinson.

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Mario Flores credits his MBA for helping him land a role as a government defense contractor involving high-level accounting and business intelligence work.

Rebecca A. Avila is working for Indeed US out of the Austin headquarters. She is a senior account manager for million-dollar clients. She also works as a case manager for immigrant children, working with many nonprofit organizations.

Aleyna S. Brazzill is a firstyear teacher at McDermott Elementary in NISD. She received the New Teacher Grant and used it to buy students dry-erase boards, dry-erase markers, headphones and reading station supplies.

Norberto Salazar Jr. is the manager of recreational sports at LSC-CyFair, overseeing its Recreational Sports Department as well as basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, dance and baseball. 20 22

Adriana A. Benavides is in her third year as a professional school counselor in a Title I school in the Northside ISD. Adriana has earned a CREST Award for outstanding school counseling. She has also been nominated for Educator of The Year, having weathered both challenges and opportunities since her years at A&M-San Antonio.

Sarah G. Gold got married in December.

Eric L. Reynolds , following graduation, taught physical education and coached football, basketball and track for Lampasas ISD at Lampasas Middle School. Eric hopes to join South San Antonio ISD’s DAEP school. He aims to help just one student avoid making poor decisions in their adolescence. 20 21

Misael Jimmy Angeles has been working as a care coordinator (Qualified Mental Health Professional) through Camino Real Community Services working with mental health and serving rural communities. Misrael has been working with people in Frio County, teaching coping skills for depression and anxiety, working on physical health as well as teaching life skills. He is also looking forward to the arrival of a baby. Misrael’s next goal is to go back to school to become an LPC.

Avery E. Biache got married on January 13 to Brianna.

Evelyn J. Campos is an administrative associate II at A&M-San Antonio.

Cameron Gorbett is a driver/operator at Beaumont Fire-Rescue and began taking classes for a Master of Public Administration degree at UT Arlington.

Miranda M. Palacios is in a master’s program in medical laboratory sciences at UT Health in San Antonio.

Lori Prieto is a marketing specialist at HOLT CAT, supporting the machine sales division and SITECH-Tejas, while also managing the livestock show/rodeo sponsorships.

Brenda L. Reyes is a 2ndgrade teacher at San Antonio ISD.

Essie Richardson is a City Year Corp member and mentors and tutors middle school students in 8th-grade math.

Chasity K. Segovia is a clinical research accounts receivable manager for Start Cancer Care in the medical center area.

Analisa A. Brunn is an expectant mom to another little girl.

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presented by

Thursday Evening, October 19, 2023

Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Did You Know?

With the goal of capturing a rich montage of student stories, the University unveiled a new mural on campus in November, and it aims to represent “diversity in both identities and college experiences,” according to its artist, Suzy Gonzales.

Gonzales spent time on campus, photographing students participating in various clubs, teams, classrooms, graduation and more to create the final design.

“As students pass by the mural and share it with family and friends, I hope for them to feel proud of their accomplishments on campus. Students have been through so much during the pandemic, and they deserve this recognition,” she explained.

Located next to Patriots' Casa as part of a mural project to support the talents of the artistic community in San Antonio, the mural also seeks to foster greater dialogue between the University and the communities it serves. This goal has led to the strategic partnership between A&M-San Antonio and San Antonio’s Contemporary Art Month organization.