¡ADELANTE! FALL 2023
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY–SAN ANTONIO
CAMPUS RISING
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. COVER PHOTO BY: Bob Dunlap
12 PASSION PLAY 4 A VISION REALIZED
CONTENTS 2 WELCOME FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CHANCELLOR
16 MAKING CONNECTIONS
24 UNIVERSITY HIGHLIGHTS 34 ATHLETICS 36 FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS 41 CLASS NOTES
20 HONORING HERITAGE
WELCOME
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s I researched Texas A&M University-San Antonio before applying for the presidency, I was impressed by the beautiful campus and how it reflects the rich cultural heritage of the area, and the remarkable opportunities for expanding both the University’s footprint and impact. Since officially starting as president in August, I’ve had a chance to delve deeper into the University’s plans for growth and they are certainly ambitious. The fall 2023 issue of ¡ADELANTE! takes a detailed look at these plans and how multiple new projects will come together to shape the A&M-San Antonio of tomorrow.
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
The University’s 694-acre campus is all the more impressive when you consider that it was undeveloped land populated by feral pigs when A&MSan Antonio became an official standalone university in 2009. Under the direction of the University’s first president, Dr. Maria Hernandez Ferrier, the campus soon sprang to vibrant life. Ferrier envisioned buildings that honored some of San Antonio’s most important structures, including the city’s historic missions, with their distinctive brickwork, sandstone and craftsmanship.
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The first building to be erected was the Senator Frank L. Madla Building, which opened in 2011. Next came the Central Academic Building, with its iconic dome and towering four-story arches. These two buildings helped set the template for the University’s singular look and feel, and in the ensuing years the campus continued to expand.
Looking forward, there are several new campus buildings in the works, including a recreation center, a second residence hall, and the Public Health and Education Building. These and other new projects will help further establish A&M-San Antonio as a critical anchor in South San Antonio. Moreover, the campus is helping spur new development, most notably Vida, an expansive, mixed-use development at the doorstep of our University. Elsewhere in this issue, we highlight a faculty member who helped create an anthology series that features multilingual reimaginings of Shakespeare’s plays that reflect the history and day-to-day life of the U.S.–Mexico borderlands. Other features include an A&M-San Antonio alumni’s personal journey to help others as both a grief counselor and professor. Finally, we share the latest news about the impressive work and accomplishments of some of our talented faculty and students. I hope you enjoy this issue of ¡ADELANTE!, which reflects the great potential of A&M-San Antonio. As president, I’m both grateful for the visionaries who helped launch this campus and enthusiastic about all the opportunities that lay ahead of us.
Dr. Salvador Hector Ochoa President
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lot has changed since State Sen. Frank Madla Jr. proposed creating a first-class university to serve South San Antonio.
New buildings, new dorms, even a new athletic program have sprung up since A&M-San Antonio was born in 2009. Just about the only thing that has stayed the same is the great need A&M-San Antonio was created to serve. That’s why I am so proud to say that A&M-San Antonio is the fastest growing university in The Texas A&M University System. Everything we’ve worked so hard to create here is dedicated to serving that mission. A&M-San Antonio is doing just what Sen. Madla — who I was fortunate to count as a friend — knew it would do. A&M-San Antonio is changing South San Antonio for the better. A&M-San Antonio’s mission to provide high-quality, affordable education is critical to San Antonio’s success, and I could not be prouder of how it is being accomplished. I am thankful for the dedicated faculty and staff striving to accomplish that mission and I am proud of the nearly 7,620 students here transforming their lives with their efforts. What you see today at A&M-San Antonio is nothing less than the realization of Sen. Madla’s vision, made possible by the efforts of many who worked to make it happen. Including you. And we’re just getting started. The possibilities for this 694-acre campus are only as limited as our imaginations. I have confidence Dr. Salvador Hector Ochoa will take this momentum and run with it as A&M-San Antonio’s new president. A&M-San Antonio is a young, ambitious campus, much like the people and the place it serves. And — like both — its future is bright.
John Sharp Chancellor Texas A&M University System
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A VISION REALIZED From bold idea to beacon of higher education
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
By Sam Boykin
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riving up the “Miracle Mile” on University Way, the dome is the first thing you see as you crest the hill and approach the main campus. The University lowered the eye-catching architectural feature on the Central Academic Building (CAB) in May 2013, and it has become the defining icon for Texas A&M University-San Antonio. The dome is just one milestone among many as the University has evolved from a bold idea initially shunned by skeptics to a thriving and growing campus that today serves some 7,620 students. While still relatively small, a stroll through A&M-San Antonio is a different experience compared to when the University opened its first main campus building in 2011 to an enrollment of about 3,500 students. That same year, the University also leased a building at the mixed-use development Brooks to house the College of Business and the Department of Counseling and Leadership and began offering classes at the
Alamo University Center to better serve students in northeast San Antonio. Today, in addition to CAB, the main campus has six other primary academic buildings, along with student housing, pavilions and athletic fields. Moreover, multiple new building projects are in the works that will further bolster the look and feel of the campus and strengthen its role as a critical higher educational institution. The University is also emerging as an essential developmental anchor for South San Antonio, helping spur residential and commercial projects. “It’s amazing that in a little over a decade, the A&M-San Antonio campus has established such a strong identity and unique sense of place,” said Chancellor John Sharp. “It’s truly become a beacon for students, faculty and staff, and as the University continues to grow, it will further enhance the quality of life in South San Antonio.”
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Humble Beginnings Some 25 years ago, Texas Sen. Frank L. Madla first requested proposals to establish an institution of higher education on the south side of San Antonio from the Texas Tech University System, the University of Texas System and The Texas A&M University System. In 2000, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the Texas A&M System plan to create a System Center on the Palo Alto Community College campus, which initially operated as an extension of Texas A&M-Kingsville. Classes started that fall with 126 students. The institution soon outgrew its facilities at Palo Alto, and the campus relocated to the former Olivares Elementary School.
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
In 2007, A&M-San Antonio took a huge step forward when the Verano Land Group donated 694 undeveloped acres off Interstate 410 on the city’s south side for the University’s permanent campus. Student enrollment increased by 62% from fall 2008 to fall 2009. That same year, on May 13, Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed legislation establishing the University as a standalone institution.
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TOP: A&M-San Antonio’s 694-acre campus continues to expand with new academic buildings, student housing and athletic fields. Moreover, the growing campus has established the University as a critical anchor in South San Antonio, spurring new residential and commercial development, including Vida, a 600-acre mixed-use community. ABOVE: The Senator Frank L. Madla Building was the first building constructed on campus. The $30 million, 90,347-square-foot structure opened in 2011 and helped establish the University’s architectural style, with intricately detailed brickwork and San Saba sandstone, an homage to San Antonio’s historic missions.
Forging Ahead Once the University had the land, work began establishing a vision and plan for how the burgeoning campus would take shape. Spearheading that plan was Dr. Maria Hernandez Ferrier, who in 2008 was appointed executive director of the System Center-San Antonio. Two years later, she was named A&M-San Antonio’s inaugural president. “When I first started as executive director, I had to convince people that we needed a university on the south side,” said Ferrier. “Many local leaders were against it. They said, ‘You’ve already got UTSA. What do you need another university for?’” But Ferrier, who had previously worked as executive director of Southwest ISD and Southwest ISD Foundation Board, was undeterred and forged ahead with her ambitious plans. “For me, it was important to be hands-on,” she said. “I had a particular vision for the campus. I had seen too many universities that were all glass and steel. They don’t have that lasting, traditional quality. I wanted to create a place where students would feel like they belonged.” As someone who grew up along a dirt road in West San Antonio and started college as a 30-year-old single mother, her vision to create a sense of belonging for students was intensely personal. “I knew that so many of our students’ stories were like mine,” she said. “Many had been told they weren’t ‘college material’ or couldn’t go to college because they needed to stay home and help raise their siblings. These students needed a place that felt welcoming and familiar and had to be aesthetically beautiful.” To bring her vision to life, she worked with Muñoz & Company, a San Antonio-based architectural firm founded in 1927 that has worked on some of the state’s most notable buildings, including the Frost
Bank Center (formerly AT&T Center) and the San Pedro Creek Culture Park. The company changed its name to Alta Architects last year following the retirement of CEO Henry R. Munoz III. Geof Edwards, Alta’s new CEO, was a company principal and project manager in the early 2000s and worked closely with Ferrier on planning and designing the campus. “Dr. Ferrier wanted to build something that expressed the beauty and craftsmanship of San Antonio, as opposed to a Hill Country aesthetic,” Edwards said. “She felt that having historically referential architecture would be less intimidating than something clean, sleek and modern.” But before construction could begin, Ferrier had to oversee building the campus infrastructure, including roads and utilities and clearing the overgrown land. During this early phase, developers encountered a rowdy nuisance.
“ These students needed a place that felt welcoming and familiar and had to be aesthetically beautiful.” DR. MARIA HERNANDEZ FERRIER
“There were feral pigs everywhere,” Ferrier said. “Landscapers would plant these beautiful trees and flowers, and pigs would root everything the next day. It was a constant battle.” Once the pigs were chased away, Ferrier and Edwards, using feedback from various committees, government bodies and shareholders, focused on building a palette of materials based on some of San Antonio’s most important structures. This included the city’s historic missions, with their distinctive brickwork, San Saba sandstone and detailed craftsmanship. “We knew the sandstone and brick detailing would provide a real sense of texture, depth and warmth,” Edwards said. “Once everybody got behind the vision, it helped guide our decisionmaking and design choices.”
“ Once everybody got behind the vision, it helped guide our decision-making and design choices.” GEOF EDWARDS
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Putting the Pieces Together This architectural homage to San Antonio’s history and culture is evident in the first campus structure Alta completed, the Senator Frank L. Madla Building, which opened in 2011.
CHUCK RODRIGUEZ
The $30-million, 90,347-square-foot building is clad in intricately detailed brickwork, while locally sourced San Saba sandstone provides a warm, dramatic accent. Other unique features include deep portales, or loggias, at ground level that shelter people from the South Texas sun. On the top (third) level, recessed arcades look out over the campus, while the building’s interior features stained oak doors, artisanal tile imported from Mexico and local mission concrete tile. Building upon the architectural style it used with the Madla Building, Alta Architects started work on the CAB. With its distinctive dome, CAB is considered the focal point of the campus and is the first structure visitors see when driving or walking up University Way. The $54-million, 207,347-square-foot building completed in 2014 reflects the intersection of San Antonio’s Spanish and indigenous mission designs and serves as the foundation and inspiration for other campus projects.
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Bordered by well-manicured green spaces and a scenic plaza, the main entrance of the H-shaped structure boasts towering four-story arches and embossed copper-clad doors, which welcome visitors into the grand lobby. Throughout the space are decorative tile mosaic accents and covered terraces.
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The building houses multiple student service offices, classrooms, lecture halls and a cafeteria. A campus theater adjoins the main building at the first level through a picturesque courtyard. Adjacent to the CAB is a 420-seat auditorium that hosts musical and dramatic performances, lectures, presentations and film screenings. The same year Alta finished CAB, the architectural firm also completed The Patriots’ Casa, a $12-million,
22,057-square-foot project. Patriots’ Casa embraces A&M-San Antonio’s military community, providing academic, life and career skills support for student veterans, military personnel and their military families enrolled at the University. Recognizing the unique needs of veteran students, Patriots’ Casa features a private, second-floor suite where licensed professionals offer counseling services at minimal or no cost. The suite includes private counseling rooms and a children’s play therapy room. The building also houses the Office of Military Affairs, gallery space, ceremony room and a student-veteran lounge. Adjacent are the offices of the A&M-San Antonio ROTC Corps. Chuck Rodriguez served as the University’s chief of staff and vice president of strategic initiatives and military affairs from 2009 to 2015. He recalls that during the early days of the University, he and other staff members were like “vagabonds,” bouncing around different locations, starting at Olivares Elementary School and then various on-campus buildings. He and his team ultimately settled at Patriots’ Casa. “It’s a unique facility,” he said. “Many colleges dedicate a room or lounge for veterans, with a couple of pool tables and a few couches. But Patriots’ Casa was designed intentionally to serve student veterans and their families. It’s a special place.” With construction completed on Patriots’ Casa, CAB, the Auditorium, and the Madla Building, all situated around a large plaza known as Main Quad, the template for A&M-San Antonio’s unique look and feel had been established. During this time, in 2014, Ferrier’s tenure as president ended. “It was important to me that anything that came after I left be in unison with the four original buildings so that the campus wouldn’t be a hodgepodge,” she said. “I wanted a sense of permanence, where students felt loved, which I think I achieved. I am just so grateful to have been a part of this. It was a real privilege.”
Transitions and Traditions After Ferrier’s departure, Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson was named president, and under her leadership, the campus continued to grow. The 382-bed Esperanza Hall, the first residence hall on campus, opened in 2017. The following year, the Science & Technology Building was completed. Designed by Stantec Architecture, the three-story structure has dozens of classrooms and labs, special audiovisual equipment and research space. And in 2020, Classroom Hall opened. PBK Architects designed the $33-million, 59,191-square-foot building with classrooms, an art suite, labs and faculty offices. Like other campus buildings, the three-story structure has a mission-style, brick-and-stone facade. In addition to expanding the campus, Teniente-Matson carried on another tradition Ferrier started — filling the campus buildings with beautiful artwork and paintings. As part of her mission to make students feel welcome, Ferrier assembled a diverse collection of mostly contemporary art, including pieces by former students as well as notable local artists Lionel and Kathy Sosa, depicting daily life and special family moments. Today, hundreds of paintings and pieces of artwork adorn the walls and halls throughout campus.
ABOVE: Completed in 2014, Patriots’ Casa embraces the University’s military community, providing academic, life and career skills for student veterans and military family members. The $12-million, 22,057-square-foot building features a private, second-floor suite where licensed professionals offer counseling services.
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On the Horizon As A&M-San Antonio continues to evolve, enrollment increased 215% from fall 2019 to fall 2022. To accommodate this and future growth, the University is developing four new campus buildings plus new multipurpose athletic fields, according to Corrin Le Vasseur, the University’s executive director of operations and business affairs. These projects include the following:
RECREATION CENTER RECREATION CENTER
SIZE: 22,322 square feet COST: $19.2 million SCHEDULED COMPLETION DATE: Summer 2024 FEATURES: Gymnasium, fitness/weight room,
locker rooms, basketball courts
The multipurpose Student Recreation Center will include three primary spaces — a gymnasium, a fitness/weight room and a set of locker rooms. The gymnasium will consist of a collegiate competition basketball court and two 84-foot-long recreation basketball courts. A fitness/weight room, approximately 3,400 square feet and one-and-ahalf stories high, is adjacent to the gymnasium.
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STUDENT HOUSING
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“Our recreation center will be designed to enhance the student experience, improve recruitment and retention, and magnify the brand of the University in an increasingly competitive marketplace,” said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports Darnell Smith. “As our students pursue their lofty academic goals, we seek to provide an equal opportunity for them to pursue their health and wellness goals with the new facility.” Arturo Olague, director of recreational sports, said the recreation center is one of the most studentdriven and student-led construction projects in the University’s history. The new facility will provide programming space for sports clubs, kinesiology classes, ROTC drills and exercises, convocations, career fairs, staff council meetings and other University programs. “This is a place that students can truly call their own,” he said. “The center is dedicated to the students and their programming. This is monumental for our University. It’s something we can all be proud of.”
STUDENT HOUSING
SIZE: 96,100 square feet COST: $32.5 million SCHEDULED COMPLETION DATE: Summer 2024 FEATURES: Four-story building with 364 beds
Adjacent to Esperanza Hall, the University’s new student housing development is situated on a 2.7acre site and will provide much-needed additional housing as the student body continues to grow. Amenities will include a lounge, laundry and trash facilities on each floor with mail, administration and reception functions on the first floor. “We’re working on growing student housing so that we have a rich, vibrant campus environment for students to create a sense of belonging,” said Dr. Zeak T. Naifeh, associate vice president and dean of students.
PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION BUILDING
SIZE: 35,500 square feet COST: $44.9 million SCHEDULED COMPLETION DATE: Spring 2026
The Public Health and Education Building is part of a collaboration formalized in December 2022 between A&M-San Antonio, Texas A&M University Health Science Center (Texas A&M Health) and University Health. The collaboration’s primary mission is to develop a roughly $475 million public health facility and hospital development near the west entry to A&MSan Antonio’s campus. University Health last year acquired 68 acres to develop a 256-bed hospital by 2027. And in July 2022, Bexar County appropriated $30 million to help create the University Health Institute of Public Health by 2026. In addition, The Texas A&M System Board of Regents approved funding to build the $45 million College of Education and Public Health facility at A&M-San Antonio.
Together, the new facilities will greatly enhance resources and services to individuals and families in the South Bexar County region. For the University, it’s an opportunity to grow its enrollment in health- and science-related courses, enhance academic programs and become a beacon for careers in health science and research.
EDUCARE SAN ANTONIO
SIZE: 26,000 square feet COST: $16.9 million SCHEDULE: The design process is scheduled to start
A New Leader Overseeing these new campus projects is Dr. Salvador Hector Ochoa, who started as president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio on Aug. 2. Ochoa is a nationally regarded scholar and researcher who previously served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at San Diego State University. He is only the third person to serve as president at the fastest-growing university in the A&M System.
“It’s a privilege and an honor to be the new president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio,” Ochoa said. “In a little more than a decade it has A&M-San Antonio is partnering with Pre-K 4 SA, grown into one of the region’s most important AVANCE, United Way and other organizations to higher education institutions. I’m proud to carry develop Educare, which will provide afterschool on the great work of the University’s former childcare for children (ages 6 weeks to 5 years) of presidents, and I look forward to building upon students, staff and the community, said Dr. Melissa the University’s foundation of accessibility and M. Jozwiak, a professor in early childhood in the Department of Educator and Leadership Preparation. inclusiveness and leading the University into what promises to be a bright future.” The center will be constructed on the University As Ochoa settles into his new role, the University’s campus between parking lots 2 and 3 next to expanding footprint and new projects will the recreation center. In addition to afterschool childcare, the center will offer counseling, mental help further establish A&M-San Antonio as a health, behavioral and special education services. critical anchor in South San Antonio, along with neighboring corporations including Toyota Motor Manufacturing and Holt Cat. MULTIPURPOSE ATHLETIC FIELDS in 2024
In October, Bexar County commissioners authorized a $10 million investment to help fund a competition track, multipurpose field and to renovate the existing softball field, with plans to add bleachers, turf, a press box, dugouts and batting cages. The estimated $7.4 million multipurpose field and track will serve as a practice and competition facility for men’s and women’s sports. And the renovated softball field, estimated to cost about $2.4 million, will serve as a tool for recruitment and provide one of the region’s best training and competition venues. A&M-San Antonio Athletic Director Darnell Smith said the multipurpose facilities will be open to the public at predetermined times when not in use by the University. The facilities will serve as a hub for fitness, sports and health in a part of the city with only a handful of dedicated fields and courts for youth and amateur sports.
Moreover, the campus has helped spur new residential development. SouthStar Communities is developing Vida, a 600-acre mixed-use community next to the main campus entrance. With construction already underway, plans call for single-family homes, multifamily units and student housing, along with shops, restaurants, greenway trails and parks.
“ I’m proud to carry on the great work of the University’s former presidents, and I look forward to building upon the University’s foundation of accessibility and inclusiveness and leading the University into what promises to be a bright future.” DR. SALVADOR HECTOR OCHOA
“Senator Madla’s love of San Antonio’s South Side brought this campus to life and we’ve worked hard to achieve his vision,” said Chancellor Sharp. “In just a little more than a decade, the A&M-San Antonio campus has become a beacon for students who seek to change their lives and the faculty who help them achieve their goals. Its growth continues to enhance the quality of life in San Antonio, just like the senator envisioned.”
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THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
PASSION By Tricia Schwennesen
PLAY
Fredy Kumassi Travels from Street Games to Collegiate Soccer Second chances don’t always lead to dreams coming true. But in the case of Frederick “Fredy” Kumassi, a senior at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, that is exactly what happened. The 25-year-old Kumassi dreamed of playing collegiate-level soccer but for years his life was moving in a different direction. Kumassi’s mother gave birth to him while she was visiting Washington, D.C. They then returned home to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire — known in the United States as the Ivory Coast near Ghana, West Africa. It’s where Kumassi first started to play soccer. “Everybody plays soccer, it’s like second nature. That’s what everybody does. We played almost every day,” Kumassi said. “I never played with a club or an academy because my mom couldn’t afford it. I always played in the street and trained on my own.” Following a civil war in the Ivory Coast, Kumassi, his mother and sister in 2014 moved to San Antonio, where they had a few connections. He played soccer for Marshall High School and graduated in 2016. After graduation, his second love, airplanes, took him to Hallmark University, where he earned an associate’s degree in applied science in 2018. Kumassi began working full time as an airplane mechanic for Aviation Structure Repairs (ASR) in San Antonio. “I wanted to do something big, something different,” he said. “I love airplanes — it was either that or a pilot and I chose a mechanic.” But he never gave up on playing soccer. Instead, he trained alone every day for the next two years. Kumassi joined a club team from San Marcos, Texas, and then a semi-pro team, The Corinthians, in San Antonio. “After I graduated, I always wanted to continue my education, but I also wanted to play soccer, that was my dream,” he said. “It’s my passion; it’s always been my passion. I love playing.”
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AN INVITATION TO PLAY
While Kumassi continued to work full time as an aviation mechanic and train on his own, A&M-San Antonio decided to launch a soccer team and hired its first coach, who was tasked with building a team. That coach — Kyle Beard — saw Kumassi play with The Corinthians and approached him after a game. Beard asked Kumassi if he had ever wanted to play at the collegiate level. Kumassi jumped at the chance to return to school to finish his education and joined the team as a forward. By 2022, a new coach, Roberto Jaramillo, was hard at work trying to rebuild the struggling soccer team. He is the former soccer coach for Southwest High School in San Antonio. “It was a very special team that I had to leave behind, but it was always my dream to coach at the collegiate level,” Jaramillo said. As Jaramillo was fine-tuning the team’s lineup, he heard about a young man from Africa who was working on airplanes and playing soccer. “Fredy had a really great attitude from the beginning,” Jaramillo said. “He’s a very, very good soccer player but his character, my goodness, he has such a good character.” Kumassi is the kid who always stays after practice to help and clean up, Jaramillo said. On the field, he’s also coachable and he listens. “I got the sense Fredy was willing to do anything to help the team,” Jaramillo said.
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
Under Jaramillo’s leadership, the team finished fourth in the Red River Conference after a rough 0-3 start to the season. With some adjustments, the team never lost another game. “They trusted me to change things for the better and they got it done on the field,” Jaramillo said. “Fredy was a big part of that.”
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EXCELLING AT THE GAME
Jaramillo said to rebuild the team he kept eight players, recruited others and assessed everyone’s skills. Fredy stayed on. “When I first met Fredy he was more of a power forward, long balls,” Jaramillo said. “We’re the complete opposite. We’re more short, short passes.” Jaramillo said Kumassi needed to adjust his style of play because the team doesn’t have the kind of player who scores 90 percent of the goals, but instead it’s more team play and they spread the ball around. “He has to have good ball control,” Jaramillo said. “He had to basically change his whole game to play with us, and he struggled at first. But he’s really changed.” Kumassi agreed. “Yes, I had to adjust to the way the coaches wanted me to play — to try my best to stay on the team,” Kumassi said. Jaramillo said Kumassi also had to learn to be more selfish on the field. “In the beginning I’d have to get after him and tell him that forwards have to sometimes be a little selfish, but sometimes he was a little too nice setting up a shot for a team member when he needed to be more greedy in the box,” Jaramillo said. Jaramillo said Kumassi’s attitude and pleasant nature make him someone everyone wants to be around, and it makes him a good team player. “What I like about Fredy is he’s a really positive person. He’s very generous,” Jaramillo said. Kumassi also puts in the work. One hundred-degree drills aren’t fun, he added. “We’re very strict and we have very high standards for them but when they get out on the field it’s fun,” Jaramillo said. For his first collegiate matchup as a coach, Jaramillo said, the team played an exhibition match against Howard Payne University. The team won 3-0, with Kumassi scoring. “That was a special moment for me,” Jaramillo said. Kumassi said he has a good relationship with Jaramillo and credits the coach for making him a better player by talking to him and explaining what he is looking for in a player. “He has a different view of soccer,” Kumassi said. “He’s always pushing me. He always tells me don’t let good enough be good enough. He always wants more.”
THE FUTURE
Kumassi, now a junior, continues to study for his bachelor’s degree in business administration management — an educational goal he can pursue thanks to the soccer scholarship that covers about 60 percent of his costs. He said he plans to use his degree as he continues his aviation career at Aviation Structure Repairs. Kumassi said aviation, and especially planes, are amazing. “It’s so big and it can fly — just the way it connects from country to country,” he said. “It pretty much brings the whole world together, brings a whole lot of people together.” This summer he visited friends and family in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire for the first time in eight years, where life is very different compared to Texas. Kumassi said he is happy to be back and is ready for the new school year and his third soccer season. He’s on schedule to graduate either in the spring or summer of 2024. “I feel like there are a lot of opportunities here,” Kumassi said of San Antonio. “I hope this year brings us a lot of success. I feel like it’s possible to do anything if you apply yourself. You have to work hard; it’s not going to happen on its own. I want to make it as far as I can.”
“He’s a very, very good soccer player but his character, my goodness, he has such a good character.”
Roberto Jaramillo A&M-San Antonio Soccer Coach
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PHOTO: Jay Ruelas
MAKING CONNECTIONS By Kiko Martinez
D
r. Bianca D. Goodrum always loved talking to people and having meaningful conversations. Goodrum, who earned her master’s degree in counseling and guidance from Texas A&M UniversitySan Antonio in 2014, is an assistant professor in the master’s counseling program at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU). She also works part-time as a grief counselor in her private practice.
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Alumna shares insights into journey as grief counselor, professor
“I’ve always loved the dialogue that happens between people about everyday things, challenges and joys,” Goodrum, 40, said. Goodrum’s path to success has been long and fulfilling over the last 20 years. Born in Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), North Carolina, Goodrum’s father was in the military, so during her childhood, her family moved to wherever he was stationed. She spent time in faraway places including Hawaii and Germany. Goodrum graduated from John Jay High School in 2001 and went to Texas A&M University in College Station, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in community health. Her initial plans were to become a physician’s assistant (PA). During an internship, however, she met another student studying to become a PA who seemed much more enthusiastic about it than she did.
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“I just didn’t feel the same way,” Goodrum said. “So, things started to shift and change for me. I started to feel like entering a profession that I wasn’t excited about would be a disservice.” Around this time, she remembers speaking with her late brother, Narada, who asked about school and her plans. She explained that her classes were going well but she was concerned about not being as excited about becoming a PA as others. Her brother gave her some advice that she took to heart. “He said, ‘I don’t know why you’re not naturally doing what you’re good at, which is helping people … and talking about the hard stuff,’” Goodrum said. “Even today, I’m always telling my clients that it’s OK to change your mind but to be intentional and thoughtful with your decision. It’s OK to say, ‘This isn’t my path, or this isn’t working for me.’ That conversation with my brother really changed my life.”
FINDING THE RIGHT PATH Goodrum found what she wanted when she moved back to San Antonio to earn her master’s in counseling and guidance from A&M-San Antonio. “I loved the small classes at A&M-San Antonio,” she said. “I felt the professors did a great job focusing on the students and their education.”
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
One of those professors was Dr. Mary Mayorga. She taught in the counseling department at A&M-San Antonio when she first met Goodrum. In the classroom, Goodrum said she always felt appreciated by Mayorga.
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“There was always a level of respect,” Goodrum said. “It always felt like she was thinking, ‘You all are going to be future colleagues of mine one day.’ That’s how she always walked into the class. She really wanted us to understand the profession we were getting into.” Mayorga said Goodrum was “invested” in her work and knew from her experience that she would be the type of student who went far in her career. “I could see her passion right away,” Mayorga said. “Sometimes, when a student is in the program, their goal is to get their master’s, get their license, and then go out and do clinical work. But I knew that she had the potential to be in the classroom setting as an educator. She always demonstrated that she was open to thinking outside the box.”
After graduating from A&M-San Antonio, Goodrum and Mayorga stayed connected. Goodrum asked her if she would mentor her while she was working on getting her full license. Mayorga agreed, and the two would meet monthly for coffee to talk about their counseling careers and how to stay ahead of the game. Now, Goodrum and Mayorga are colleagues at OLLU. “We’ve come full circle,” Mayorga said. “She’s an excellent counselor and educator. Bianca brings a lot of experience to the profession. She’s a wonderful addition to the professional community of counselors. She’s flourished in the classroom and as a licensed professional counselor.”
GROWTH EXPERIENCE Goodrum credits much of her education to the classroom setting at A&M-San Antonio. When she earned her doctorate in counselor education and supervision at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), she was also able to gain real-world knowledge at the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas (CBCST). She started as an intern and was hired as a full-time grief counselor. She has also worked for organizations including the Rape Crisis Center and Clarity Child Guidance Center, the only nonprofit mental health treatment center for kids ages 3 to 17 in South Texas. “When I was doing trauma work, it was a different way to stretch myself as a counselor,” Goodrum said. “The biggest takeaway from the Rape Crisis Center was that I saw that there were two types of clients: those who really wanted to talk about it and needed to say everything from beginning to end, and those clients who didn’t need to retell the story. Trauma is something where you have to honor what people need.” Working as a grief counselor, however, was where she felt she made the most impact. “It’s not for the weary,” she said. “It’s hard work, and it’s heavy. But while we’re talking about death, it’s also about life. It’s about people trying to make sense of the loss and how they want to choose to live now that they’ve had this loss.” Goodrum said it’s important to acknowledge that every loss is different. There are always assumptions about death, but people grieve in different ways, and not every death may feel as sad to one individual as it does to another. “We always need to remember it depends on the relationship someone had with the person [who died],” Goodrum said.
“Sometimes people weren’t connected to the person. Sometimes [a loss] makes them think about other people in their life who they are close to. It’s about working through their narrative and figuring out how to put one foot in front of the other daily without your person here.” For Goodrum, helping someone go to grief counseling doesn’t mean finding ways for them to “get over it.” It’s much deeper than that. She wants to work with each person to “integrate” the loss of a loved one into “their reality” because as long as they are alive, “there will always be reminders.” Goodrum considers grief counseling a “collaborative effort” between counselors and clients. “I’m not going to pretend I can fix everything,” Goodrum said. “I want to be honest about where we are, so we can develop coping skills when a client is triggered. I think it’s a constant dance. There are many things that people can do that don’t require counseling, but I think it’s a good safety net.” Goodrum was a full-time grief counselor for six years until she left the CBCST in 2019. She continues that work on a part-time basis through her private practice, Conceivable Resolutions, PLLC, which she shared with her father, Kenneth, who passed away in early 2023. Her father was also a counselor and opened the practice in 2015. “To be honest, I don’t know that I was consciously aware that I was following his footsteps,” she said. “It was just something I felt called to do. And now that my dad is gone, it feels like a great honor to say that we had this thing in common and that I’m continuing this legacy.”
ON A JOURNEY Professional counselor Jennifer J. Alamia crossed paths with Goodrum when Goodrum was earning her master’s degree from A&M-San Antonio. The two developed a mentorship and friendship over the years. Alamia said they started by having dinner once a month to talk about counseling-related topics and personal and professional development. “It was apparent to me that she was an exceptional and rare kind of counselor,” Alamia said. “She has an awareness that is very thorough and compassionate and ethical. She is a natural at building rapport with people. She is incredibly gentle, even during the most complex of circumstances. She just handles things with such grace.” While compassion and grace are attributes someone would want to find in a counselor, Goodrum lists empathy at the top.
“Empathy is about tapping into your own experiences and being able to honor that my sadness may not look like yours,” she said. “You have to be able to tap into your own vulnerability. We all have blind spots, but if you haven’t done your own work or are not even aware of what those blind spots are, counseling is probably not the profession for you.” Goodrum is very proud of what she’s accomplished during her career but admits that she is “not an expert” on an individual’s life. “I’m just walking along on the journey,” she said. “I have awareness, experiences and perspective. I’m going to listen to what you’re saying, and I will reflect on some of those things and give you some thoughts I have. As a counselor, I think there has to be a level of humility to say that you don’t have all the answers. I think it’s important to remember that the client always comes first.”
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PHOTO: Jay Ruelas
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
Honoring Heritage Using Literature to Strengthen Community By Edmond Ortiz
Dr. Katherine Gillen, chair of Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s Department of Language, Literature and Arts, moved from her native Vermont to San Antonio 12 years ago to accept an assistant professor of English position at what was then a new standalone university. As Gillen has experienced the growth of the University, she has also embraced the region’s cultural diversity of Southwestern and Latino literature and helped spearhead innovative new ways she and her fellow faculty members are teaching the written word. “Our vision is to have an integrated department that’s multilingual, multimodal and interdisciplinary in the sense that we’re thinking about literature, film and other cultural texts like visual art and music,” Gillen said. “We’re thinking about writing in the sense of professional
writing, community-oriented writing, creative writing — all kinds of uses.” Gillen has long been intrigued by literature and historical social movements, and education is in her blood. Her mother was a third-grade teacher and her father taught English. As Gillen pursued a career in education, she trained in Shakespearean and early modern studies. That familial background helped to spark her interest in social formations, especially in William Shakespeare’s time. She authored a monograph,
“Chaste Value: Economic Crisis, Female Chastity, and the Production of Social Difference on Shakespeare’s Stage.” It was Gillen’s examination of how theatrical representations of chastity exemplify more significant concerns about the commoditization of people in the early versions of capitalism. Gillen has long been curious about more extensive social aspects of maternity, capitalism and the nuclear family and how those things have influenced artists — particularly poets, authors and playwrights — over centuries. She also has written several essays exploring race, gender and economics in early modern drama. “We use art to address important social questions. Studying it, thinking about it and teaching it can be valuable so we can better understand the world around us and figure out how we want to act in it,” she said.
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Shakespeare Retold
The Andrew Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Humanities Texas, and the Folger Shakespeare Library all have funded work from the collective, whose mission is to change and expand how Shakespeare is taught and performed. Through the collective, Gillen, Adrianna Santos and Kathryn Santos edited “The Bard in the Borderlands: An Anthology of Shakespeare Appropriation en La Frontera.” In the publication, Latino and Indigenous writers retell Shakespeare’s works by shifting settings and characters to locations and socioeconomic groups along the U.S.-Mexican border.
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
“Many of the selections are bilingual, engaging all kinds of issues. ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is set in the Rio Grande Valley. The characters are farm workers, and their interests include labor rights and water rights,” Gillen said.
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Gillen and her collaborators have enough reinterpreted plays to produce a threevolume anthology. She added that working with her students at A&M-San Antonio
PHOTO: Jay Ruelas
This mindset has informed Gillen’s approach to how language arts intersect with Mexican-American culture and studies. She collaborated with Adrianna Santos, associate professor of English at A&M-San Antonio, and Kathryn Vomero Santos, an assistant professor of English at Trinity University, to co-found the Borderlands Shakespeare Colectiva.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Dr. Adrianna Santos, Dr. Kathryn Vomero Santos and Dr. Katherine Gillen
has been exciting, especially bilingual students and those who speak Spanish as a first language, because they inspire her to consider how to teach Shakespeare to a modern, local student population.
Love for Elote
Gillen recalls when she and her husband and colleague James Finley, an associate professor of English, moved to San Antonio to further their educational careers at A&MSan Antonio. “I really did not know anything about Texas. I knew there was oil and George Bush. That’s all I knew,” she said. As Gillen has settled in the Alamo City, she has enjoyed learning about the area’s history and traditions, especially the food. “I do love elote — corn in a cup. It’s the best thing ever. Putting Tajin on food was a huge revelation when we first got here. We’re like, ‘You can put spices on fruit. That’s so amazing,’” she added. Over time, Gillen’s admiration for San Antonio — specifically the South Side community surrounding A&M-San Antonio — has grown. She loves the serenity of the surrounding landscape.
“I went on campus for an event [recently] and, I think, for first impressions, for anyone who hasn’t really been down there, it’s really quiet, and it’s a nice place,” she said. Gillen relishes the opportunity to help foster more programs at the University, which now serves about 7,620 students and is developing new academic and recreational campus buildings. “It’s essential to have educational opportunities on the South Side,” she said.
Emphasizing Latinx Values
Having been appointed chair of the Language, Literature and Arts Department in 2021, Gillen said the University and its programs must evolve to emphasize Latinx students and faculty and the values and heritage they hold dear. “What’s exciting to me about the opportunity to work at A&M-San Antonio is to build a program that serves the community and our majority Latinx student population, as well as other people at the institution,” Gillen said.
“For us, thinking about language and literature, we’re considering how we allow students to bring the languages they speak at home into the classroom, not only in Spanish but also in English classes. How are we working across languages?” Gillen continued. Another aim is to make the Language, Literature and Arts Department more inclusive. “We have to think about questions of race, class and gender in the classroom and ensure we have equitable spaces. We also should build on students’ knowledge and empower them to do what they want in their communities,” she said. To that end, Gillen and her colleagues are moving ahead with initiatives such as the recent launch of the department’s creative arts and performance studies minor, which she hopes will grow into a major in the next few years. The minor covers visual art, music, theater and creative writing.
“The idea is to do integrated arts work that also prepares students for arts-based professions in the community. Many of our students already work at places like Gemini Inc. or other arts nonprofits in town,” she said. Between this mission and the department’s effort to support native Spanish-speaking students, Gillen said she and her colleagues are striving to achieve linguistic justice, especially because A&M-San Antonio is a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Gillen says she loves being inspired by colleagues — including writer-in-residence Laurie Ann Guerrero, a former San Antonio and Texas poet laureate, and by writers Toni Morrison and James Baldwin. Adrianna Santos calls Gillen a brilliant scholar, a dedicated advocate and an excellent leader. She also said she is thrilled to work with Gillen and Kathryn Vomero Santos on the Borderlands Shakespeare Colectiva.
“As an educator, [Gillen] provides opportunities for students to engage in meaningful ways with performance, allowing their creativity to shine and honing skills that will benefit them well after commencement. I am proud to know her and excited for more of our community members to learn about her amazing accomplishments,” Santos said. Gillen said an educator needs inspirational figures or quality collaborations to positively impact students and to help build a well-educated community. “We’re all bringing important information, knowledge, cultural background, all kinds of things into the classroom, and we can really learn from each other and create important knowledge that can influence the community, academic conversations, scholarship, artistic production —all of that good stuff,” she said.
Honoring Bilingual, Bicultural Heritage For much of her career as an educator, Dr. Elena Foulis has sought to help shine a light on Latinx culture through language and literature. An Ohio State University alumnus who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Spanish and Latin American literature, Foulis began a digital oral history project about Latinos and Latinas in Ohio in 2014, an initiative she extended through a podcast, Latin@Stories. Her idea has been to immerse her students, particularly Latino or Hispanic students, in their community and better understand it and their upbringing. Foulis continues a similar approach at Texas A&M-San Antonio, where in August 2022 she joined the Department of Language, Literature and the Arts. While she’s new to the University, Foulis has familial, regional connections, having grown up in Matamoros, Mexico. “As a national Hispanic-Serving Institution, we have over 75% of students who identify as Hispanic or Latino, and about 80% of the students we see in our program are heritage language learners. They speak Spanish here a lot of the time,” Foulis says.
Foulis has been instrumental in helping her department increase the number of courses for bilingual students, heritage language learners and those learning Spanish as a second language. “That way, we can integrate these students into those courses because what we want to do is honor the experiences of the majority of the students that we see in our classrooms. They’re not second language learners, even though they might have different levels of bilingual experiences,” she said. In the end, each student must feel valued for the knowledge they bring into the classroom, Foulis said. “We’re talking not only in Spanish but across our department to make sure that we have culturally and linguistically appropriate and sustaining pedagogy and allow as many multilingual practices as possible,” she added. 23
UNIVERSITY HIGHLIGHTS
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PHOTO: Bob Dunlap
A New Era Dr. Salvador Hector Ochoa takes the helm as A&M-San Antonio’s third president Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, Salvador Hector Ochoa frequently heard the region referred to as the “Magic Valley”— which was understood by many in his community to mean a place brimming with potential as well as a hope for a brighter future via education. Ochoa was raised in McAllen, as one of eight siblings with a large extended family. His parents were entrepreneurs who owned and operated a small electronics store, where Ochoa and his siblings all worked and contributed. “I did everything from sweeping the floors to waiting on customers,” he said. “When you work in a family business, you learn that you have to be united and everyone has to contribute and do their part. I frequently heard Mom and Dad talk about the value of community, how both in keeping a small business afloat and in life, it was important to be willing to help and be helped by others.” “My parents and grandparents valued education and understood the opportunities that it would open for me. They made important sacrifices for me to obtain a college education.”
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UNIVERSITY HIGHLIGHTS
Growing up in the 1960s and 70s, Ochoa felt most fortunate to have parents who had a high school education and could speak English and Spanish fluently. As he got older, though, he began to realize that it wasn’t the same case for a good number of the families in his hometown, or in their church community. He recognized that he was fortunate to have these advantages that others did not have. “What I saw left a lasting impression and really influenced my career,” he recalls. “Many of my peers had incredible potential and abilities but little or no means to develop them. That experience made me very committed to working with students who had been historically underserved.” This experience profoundly shaped Ochoa’s professional ambitions, which recently culminated in him being named the third president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio. As he settles into his role as president, Ochoa is overseeing some 7,600 students, the majority of whom are Hispanic and the first in their family to attend college. One of his top priorities is to help make A&M-San Antonio students successful in both the classroom and in their careers. “I don’t want to see the unfulfilled potential that I saw growing up,” he said. “It’s very important that we fulfill our promise to our students.”
PRIORITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
Ochoa’s own educational journey first led him out of the Rio Grande Valley. He earned a B.A. in psychology from St. Edward’s University, then an M.Ed. in guidance and counseling from Pan American University, and later a Ph.D. in school psychology from Texas A&M University in 1989. In 2013, he received the Texas A&M University College of Education and Human Development’s Outstanding Alumni Award.
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His career in higher education spans 33 years, 17 years as a faculty member and 16 years as an upper-level administrator. He was a tenured associate professor of educational psychology at Texas A&M University. Ochoa’s research focused on bilingual psychoeducational assessment and educational programming for Hispanic students. While a faculty member, he received the Texas A&M University’s Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching. He went on to serve as dean of the College of Education at the University of Texas-Pan American (now UT Rio Grande Valley) for four years. He later held the same position at the University of New Mexico for five years. Before he began his tenure as president of A&MSan Antonio in August, he served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at San Diego State University for four years.
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Many of my peers had incredible potential and abilities but little or no means to develop them. That experience made me very committed to working with students who had been historically underserved.” – DR. SALVADOR HECTOR OCHOA
As President, his main priorities include improving graduation rates, increasing the University’s research portfolio and expanding academic programs. Supporting student success, he says, is his primary charge and North Star. “It is critical we leverage the strengths and abilities of our students.” Ochoa believes that his focus on student success should not be limited to students who are currently enrolled at the A&M-San Antonio campus. He stressed the importance of collaborating with local public school superintendents and community college presidents to create a strong PreK to 20 educational pipeline in order to achieve the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s strategic goal of “Building a Talent Strong Texas.” Ochoa acknowledges that tackling some of these big-picture opportunities at a fast-growing university will require a great deal of strategic focus and intentionality but he’s excited about the promise of such a young and vibrant institution. When asked about what drew him to A&M-San Antonio, Ochoa is quick to reply. “When you consider the amazing trajectory of this university, which is just coming up on 15 years, the pace of its development and progress is just so impressive.” And Ochoa is confident that even greater things are on the horizon. He recalls reading in the University’s strategic plan that A&M-San Antonio is a catalyst for opportunities. “A&M-San Antonio truly embodies a university where ambition meets access.” “There is an incredible amount of opportunity in front of this university,” he says. “We have the unique advantage of having
room to grow — and I mean that in every sense. We’ve got these beautiful, nearly-700 acres of land, still mostly undeveloped. We’re growing in enrollment year after year. And we’re such a young institution that we’re still adding new programs and we have the opportunity to build those academic programs from scratch and really be responsive to student needs, community needs and workforce needs. No other university that I can think of has such a convergence of opportunities and possibilities.”
TRANSFORMING LIVES His return to South Texas, Ochoa says, feels like a homecoming. “It’s very much a full-circle journey for me,” he says. “Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, I was so fortunate to have been given the gift of two languages and two cultures. I see a lot of what I love about the Valley here in San Antonio. The values, the appreciation of two languages and cultures, the vibrant community and the amazing potential of our students — it feels a lot like home.” Ochoa keeps the lessons from his parents at heart. Their understanding of the power of community, their commitment to family and to their work, and their belief that you should contribute your talents to helping others still guide him today. “Being president is a huge responsibility,” he says. “My upbringing has had a profound impact on my role as an educator and on how I lead as an administrator. For me, it’s about fulfilling higher education’s commitment to transform lives of our students, advance our community through service and to help prepare the next generation of leaders.”
Family and Fun Ochoa’s commitment to education parallels that of his wife of 31 years, Mari. She was a special education teacher for over 30 years. During his down time, Ochoa and his wife love to go antiquing, a hobby they developed together soon after they were married. He’s a particularly big fan of mahogany furniture from the early 1900s. “It’s like a treasure hunt,” he said. “My wife and I really enjoy doing that together, and we’re looking forward to taking some antiquing trips up in the Hill Country.” Ochoa is also an avid coin collector, with a vast collection of pennies, dimes, quarters, Kennedy half-dollars and presidential coins. “I enjoy not only collecting, but also the conversations I get to have with many interesting people as we share stories about how we got into collecting or how and where we came across a certain coin. I just find it fascinating.” Ochoa and Mari are the proud parents of two children, Victoria and Aaron. Victoria earned her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master's in public policy from Harvard. She is a licensed attorney in New York City. Aaron, who has a master’s in public administration from the University of New Mexico, is working in human relations at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center’s Project ECHO, which is spearheading telehealth advances for underserved communities. He is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in Human Data Analytics and Technology at New York University. 27
UNIVERSITY HIGHLIGHTS
A&M-San Antonio Secures $3M Grant
The funds will help expand postbaccalaureate educational opportunities for Hispanic students
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
The University has been chosen as one of 10 institutions of higher education to receive funds from the Department of Education’s Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans Program. Over the course of five years, this grant will provide the University with $3 million dedicated towards Proyecto Éxito (Project Success), a specialized project to enhance resources and support services for graduate students.
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Of the 10 institutions chosen, A&M-San Antonio was the only system campus chosen, and one of only two San Antonio-area universities listed. In keeping with Proyecto Éxito’s objectives, the University hopes to achieve multiple goals by the fall 2027 semester. These include increasing Hispanic student enrollment in graduate programs by 4% and increasing the Hispanic graduate student retention rate by 6.36%. In addition, as part of the program, A&M-San Antonio aims to reduce the time it takes to earn a master’s degree. Finally, 50% of graduate-level courses will be redesigned with a more dynamic approach to career relevance and include a culturally responsive perspective.
Historic Investment
University receives $73.1M in latest legislative session In its most recent regular session, the 88th Texas Legislature invested $73.1 million in Texas A&M University-San Antonio for the 2024/25 biennium to help ensure the University remains affordable and accessible to all Texans. This amount marks an 11% increase, or $7.5 million, compared to 2022/2023 funding. Included in the $73.1 million Affordability Package is $2.2 million to help support the Hazlewood Legacy Program. The program authorizes eligible veterans to transfer unused hours of exemption eligibility to his/her children under certain conditions, exempting them from paying tuition and certain fees at public institutions of higher education in Texas. In addition, the $73.1 million includes $4.2 million earmarked for Comprehensive Regional University (CRU) funding, which provides ongoing performance-based funding for at-risk students graduating from CRUs. According to the 88th Legislature, CRUs educate approximately 40% of the state’s university students. A&M-San Antonio’s 2024/25 funding is part of the 88th Legislature’s overall $701.5 million investment in the Texas A&M System, intended to help Texas meet its critical workforce needs. As a result of the legislative investment, higher education institutions will be able to hold resident undergraduate tuition and mandatory academic fees flat for the upcoming biennium.
Major Milestone
University names inaugural dean of graduate studies A&M-San Antonio has named Dr. Ting Liu as its inaugural dean of graduate studies. With over 15 years of teaching and research experience in higher education, Liu brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her new role. In this new position, Liu will lead the overall development and advancement of graduate programs. She will also create a strategic vision for continued growth of graduate education. Liu comes to A&M-San Antonio after a 15-year tenure at Texas State University. There, she served as an associate dean for research and sponsored programs in the College of Education, a professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, the undergraduate program director and the graduate program director. Liu earned a Ph.D. in kinesiology from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.S. in exercise and sports studies from Boise State University and a B.S. in physical education from Beijing Sport University. Her research encompasses applied and translational research in children with autism. She established an autism summer camp in 2010 that provides a place for children with autism in San Marcos and hands-on service learning and research opportunities to students.
Tackling a Community Challenge
Grant supports University autism services The Texas A&M-San Antonio Institute for Autism and Related Disorders (IARD) has been awarded a $45,000 grant from the San Antonio Area Foundation. The grant, which will be paid in installments over three years, will help the institute enhance accessibility to essential autism services in Bexar County and launch various programs, assessment methods, educational strategies, behavioral interventions and transition services. Launched in July 2022, the IARD operates Autism Lifeline Links, a collaborative of 14 partner agencies working together to streamline services for individuals with autism and their families. The institute also has multiple proposed initiatives, including a mobile unit, an autism journal, state conference and clinic. To secure the San Antonio Area Foundation grant, Sarah Minner, director of the IARD, collaborated with A&M-San Antonio’s University Advancement, which builds and cultivates meaningful relationships with alumni, donors, corporations and leaders to assist in the University’s growth. About one in 36 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among A&M-San Antonio’s ASPIRE network, which includes seven South Bexar County ISDs, approximately 1,000 children have been diagnosed with autism, Minner said.
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UNIVERSITY HIGHLIGHTS
Graduation Day!
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
Spring 2023 commencement celebrated more than 800 students
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Friends, family and faculty gathered at Freeman Coliseum to honor the hard work and academic achievement of more than 800 A&M-San Antonio graduates. Always a fun and thrilling event, commencement is a momentous occasion that serves as a celebration of success and a reflection of the University’s commitment to fostering excellence in education. “For graduates, the commencement ceremony is a celebratory farewell to their time as a student and an entry into the world as Texas A&M University-San Antonio alumni," said Dr. Mohamed Abdelrahman, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “As they step into the next phase of their lives, they join a distinguished network of accomplished professionals who positively impact the South Side community and beyond.”
University Earns Prestigious Business and Counseling Accreditations The College of Business has earned accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. Less than 6 percent of the world’s schools offering business degree programs hold AACSB business accreditation. With the AACSB accreditation, the College of Business will develop and implement new, state-of-the-art undergraduate and graduate degree programs as well as maintain and increase resources for students. Founded in 1916, AACSB is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools, and the largest business education network connecting learners, educators and businesses worldwide. A total of 965 institutions across 60 countries and territories have earned AACSB accreditation in business, and 193 institutions maintain supplemental AACSB accreditation for accounting programs. AACSB accreditation ensures continuous improvement and provides focus for schools to deliver on their mission, innovate and drive impact. AACSB-accredited schools have successfully undergone a rigorous review process conducted by peers in the business education community, ensuring that they have the resources, credentials and commitment needed to provide students with a first-rate, future-focused business education.
The College of Education and Human Development at A&M-San Antonio has earned accreditation for its three graduate counseling programs by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The three programs include marriage, couple and family counseling; clinical mental health counseling; and school counseling. Receiving this accreditation offers assurance that these programs surpass the highest standards of educational quality and experiential preparation. It also offers degree recipients portability for licensure in other states, providing greater career opportunities. The accreditation is the result of a multi-year effort by University faculty, staff, alumni and students and helps bridge mental health provider shortages in the San Antonio region. A&M-San Antonio joins two other San Antonio universities and six other Texas A&M University System institutions on this elite list of programs.
Enrollment by the Numbers Fall 2023 had record-breaking enrollment
7,619
4%
Total number of students enrolled, the most in A&M-San Antonio’s history
Overall enrollment growth over fall 2022
28%
81%
Growth in graduate enrollment over fall 2022
Growth in graduate enrollment since fall 2021
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UNIVERSITY HIGHLIGHTS
Alamo Fellows
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
Jaguars participate in new workforce development initiative
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Twenty-one students from regional universities participated in the first Alamo Fellows cohort, including six students from A&M-San Antonio. The economic development nonprofit greater:SATX launched Alamo Fellows last year. The workforce development initiative is aimed at first-generation college students. With a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, the program provides internship opportunities as well as networking and professional development support, with workshops, tours, keynote presentations and mixers. Chloe Bruno (shown above left), a junior at A&M-San Antonio, is among the students taking part in the first Alamo Fellows cohort. She’s studying computer science and since November has been working part time at San
Antonio Independent School District’s IT help desk, doing everything from fixing computer and printer issues to updating software. After college, she has her sights set on landing a job in cybersecurity with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to help combat human trafficking and other threats to the community. Carlos Navarro Reyna (shown above right), Class of 2024, is also participating in Alamo Fellows. A computer science major, he did a 10-week summer internship at H-E-B as a software engineer, working with the company’s digital web team and developing tools to test new website features and designs. Over the past year he’s also attended Alamo Fellows mixers and events, which has helped him with his networking skills. Once he graduates, Reyna wants to use his computer skills to “build products that help people.”
Embracing Veterans
University earns designation recognizing support of military Military Friendly, which is owned and operated by VIQTORY, a service-disabled, veteran-owned business, designated A&M-San Antonio a Military Friendly School for the 2023-24 Military Friendly Cycle, with a Silver ranking. This marks the sixth time the University has earned Military Friendly recognition. And it’s the only Texas university to earn the designation in the Small Public category. A&M-San Antonio is a military-embracing institution. One in six students is military connected either as veterans, active military or dependents. The Office of Military Affairs assists militaryconnected students to succeed academically, while building enduring relationships of mutual support with the University community. Military Affairs also connects these students with helpful community organizations and resources.
University Giving
Big boost in philanthropy as annual giving more than doubled over the past two years
$6,615,797
Total giving, marking the second-largest year for philanthropy
36%
439
Increase in giving from 2022 to 2023
Total number of donors
16
26
Number of gifts received of at least $100,000
Foundations contributed
FIGURES FOR FY23
Building A Future Workforce University receives $200K in academic scholarships
HOLT Cat has committed $200,000 in academic scholarships to A&M-San Antonio over the next four years for women in STEM and men in early childhood/general education. Five recipients will receive $10,000 per year. Applications will open fall 2023 and will primarily target first-generation college students from East Central ISD. The goal of the HOLT Scholars program is to strengthen career pathways and position more San Antonio high school students, particularly women, for in-demand careers that provide upward economic mobility. For students who are motivated to pursue higher education but lack the financial resources to reach their goals, the scholarships will provide much-needed support. Moreover, scholarship recipients will have the chance to participate in internship opportunities and mentorship programs, further enhancing their ability to achieve their personal and professional goals.
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ATHLETICS
Congratulations Student-Athlete Graduates! Five student-athletes (three from softball and two from men’s golf), graduated from A&M-San Antonio in May. These five Jaguars are the second cohort to graduate since the University launched its athletics program three years ago. One of the golf student-athletes, Javier Jazo, completed his 11-month MBA program and became the first student-athlete at the University to graduate with a master’s degree. (Above left to right) Melissa Gonzalez, Donald Harper, Javier Jazo, Clarisa Montelongo and Ebbie Rodriguez
Players Named to NFCA
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
Ya Ya Jones (top left) and Peyton Vasquez (bottom left) were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) 1st Team All-Region. They are among 149 student-athletes from 68 schools who comprise the 2023 NFCA NAIA All-Region teams. The awards honor student-athletes from the association’s six regions with selection to one of two teams. NFCA member head coaches nominate and then vote for the winners in their respective region.
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Keep Swinging Men’s Golf finished 3rd in the Red River Athletics Conference (RRAC) as a team and Jacob Pena (above) finished runner-up to the individual conference champion.
Six Receive Scholar Athlete Awards Jordan Hardin, Javier Jazo and Jacob Pena were among 357 student-athletes the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) recognized as the 2022-23 Daktronics NAIA Men’s Golf ScholarAthletes. In addition, Andrea Ortiz, Riana Tovar and Ebbie Rodriguez were recognized by the NAIA as 2023 Daktronics NAIA Softball Scholar-Athletes. For a student-athlete to be recognized, they must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5.
Historic Run The Jaguar softball team continues its meteoric rise from a start-up program that launched in spring 2021. The team improved upon its previous season’s win total, going from 23-30 to 30-23, and earned a No. 2 seed in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Softball Tournament. The Jaguars finished runner-up to the No. 2 nationally ranked Our Lady of the Lake Saints. At the end of the regular season, Ebbie Rodriguez was selected to the All-RRAC second team. In addition, Peyton Vasquez, Ebbie Rodriguez, Melissa Gonzalez and Ya Ya Jones were named to the All-Tournament Team. In addition, the Jaguar softball team qualified for post-season play beyond the RRAC and received one of two automatic bids to the NAIA softball tournament. The team fell short in its game against No. 1 seeded (No. 5 nationally ranked) Oklahoma City University.
Taking Shape In less than a year, A&M-San Antonio will have a dynamic new on-campus facility. Construction is well underway, and the walls are now up at the Student Recreation Center, which is scheduled to be completed by summer 2024. The 22,322-square-foot multipurpose center will feature a gymnasium, fitness/weight room, basketball courts and locker rooms. In addition to providing students and the community with a state-of-the-art sports and fitness resource, the center will host various University programs, including strength and conditioning, kinesiology classes, ROTC drills, convocations and career fairs.
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FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
DR. ALBERTO ALVARADO Dr. Alberto Alvarado, a lecturer of mathematics, relaunched the College of Arts and Science’s Prefreshman Engineering Program (PREP) this summer. As part of the program, Southside San Antonio middle school students began their year-one coursework, including working through challenging engineering problems. The program also includes presentations by A&M-San Antonio faculty.
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
DR. BRYAN BAYLES
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Dr. Bryan Bayles, assistant professor of community health, was named a recipient of the Community Engagement Hero Award for Outstanding Community Partner, awarded by the UT Health San Antonio Institute for the Integration of Medicine and Science. Bayles has worked as a medical anthropologist and public health professional for more than 20 years. Bayles serves as the chair-elect of the San Antonio Mayor’s Fitness Council and works to nurture culturally humble public health initiatives and community resilience.
DR. THOMAS BEAUMONT and DR. EMILY NAASZ Dr. Thomas Beaumont, assistant professor of political science, and Dr. Emily Naasz, a lecturer in the Department of Criminology and Political Science, collaborated on an international study. They presented a research paper titled “The Necropolitics of One-Sided Violence: State Violence and Post-conflict Justice Process in Northern Ireland” at the European Political Science Association conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
DR. DANIEL BRAATEN and DR. CLAIRE NOLASCO BRAATEN A book by Dr. Daniel Braaten, an associate professor of political science, and Dr. Claire Nolasco Braaten, an associate professor of criminal justice, will be published in October. The book is titled “Benched Justice: How Judges Decide Asylum Claims and Asylum Flights of Unaccompanied Minors.”
DR. JENNIFER G. CORREA and DR. JAMES M. THOMAS Dr. Jennifer Correa, associate professor of sociology, and Dr. James M. Thomas, associate professor of sociology at the University of Mississippi, coauthored “It’s my Home, not a War Zone: Mobilizing a Multitude to Demilitarize the Texas Rio Grande Valley,” published in the peerreviewed international journal Sociology Compass. The article examines three major social mobilizations: the Rio Grande Sierra Club, Texas Civil Rights Project and the South Texas Human Rights Center.
DR. MARIYA DAVIS Dr. Mariya Davis, assistant professor of special education, co-authored five peerreviewed publications focused on transition and post-secondary education support for students with disabilities. In addition, she published a book review on partnerships in special education. Davis is also a coprincipal investigator for a universityfunded grant (President’s Commission on Equity). To share her research, Davis presented several sessions at various peer-reviewed conferences, including the Council for Exceptional Children Annual Convention.
DR. BERENICE DE LA CRUZ Dr. Berenice de la Cruz, assistant professor and coordinator of the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Program, along with her students, participated in various advocacy and awareness efforts in recognition of World Autism Month in April. Dr. de la Cruz and her students visited Texas legislators at the State Capitol, where they participated in the Texas Association for Behavior Analysis Public Policy Group Day. She and her students also attended the Autism Society of Texas’s Advocacy Day. Other activities included participating in the Autism Walk, which helps bring awareness and acceptance of autism.
DR. WALTER DEN
DR. ELENA FOULIS
Dr. Walter Den, professor in the Department of Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, was recognized by the Office of the Provost for his scholarly efforts and achievements in securing grants and external funding. One of the projects, funded by Grand Challenges Canada: Creating Hope in Conflict, involved the development of “breathable” pit latrines for humanitarian aid. He led a team that recently pilot-tested the technique in a rural village within a flood zone of the Ganges River in India. Den also leads the Scholarship in STEM project funded by the National Science Foundation to help STEM majors with financial needs. The project emphasizes faculty-led mentored research for all awarded student scholars with waterrelated topics.
Dr. Elena Foulis, assistant professor in the Department of Language, Literature and Arts, has been selected to be co-editor for Latinx topics for the Review in Digital Humanities journal. Additionally, she received two book contracts, one for an edited collection on service-learning with Latina/o/e communities with Arizona University Press, and one for an oral history monograph with Ohio State University. Additionally, she is coauthoring two open educational resources textbooks on Spanish in the United States and U.S.-Latino digital humanities.
DR. SOCORRO GARCIA-ALVARADO, DR. MELISSA M. JOZWIAK and DR. HENRIETTA MUÑOZ
DR. MARCOS DEL HIERRO Dr. Marcos Del Hierro, assistant professor of English, was accepted into the 2023 Democratizing Racial Justice Ethnic Studies Educators’ Academy. During the academy, he learned about ways to promote equity in the classroom. The academy featured speakers, both in and out of academia, who are making a positive impact on society on behalf of marginalized people. Del Hierro also worked with educators across Texas to develop curricula they could use in their classrooms.
DR. WILLIAM ERICKSON Dr. William Erickson, assistant professor of psychology, published an article as part of the psychology program titled “Can Undergraduate Artists with No Training in Forensic Art Produce Accurate Age Progressions?” The article was published in the inaugural issue of the new International Journal of Missing Persons. The article was based on a project in which artists were asked to age-progress images of children to adulthood.
Dr. Socorro Garcia-Alvarado, assistant professor in the Department of Educator and Leadership Preparation, and Dr. Melissa M. Jozwiak, associate professor of early childhood, along with Dr. Henrietta Muñoz, CEO of the Institute for School and Community Partnerships, published an article about the Texas A&M University San Antonio Lab School, Winston Intermediate School of Excellence, in the International Association of Laboratory Schools Journal.
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FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
DR. THERESA GARFIELD Dr. Theresa Garfield, professor of special education, was appointed by the board of directors to serve as program co-chair for the 2024/2025 Council for Exceptional Children International Conferences. CEC is the world’s largest international special education organization.
DR. ESTHER GARZA Dr. Esther Garza, associate professor of bilingual education and chair of Educator and Leadership Preparation, published several works focused on increasing student achievement through assessment and literacy development for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Garza
authored a case study for The National Association for the Education of Young Children called “Creating Opportunities for Individualized Assessment for Biliteracy Development.” Garza also coauthored a book chapter with Dr. E. Lopez called “Assessment of English Learners: Adopting a Cultural Validity Assessment Framework.” Finally, she co-authored an article with Drs. R. Pittman, M. Rice, and M.J. Guerra called “The Importance of Phonemic Awareness Instruction for African American Students” in the Reading League Journal.
DR. DAVIDA SMYTH
Dr. Davida Smyth, associate professor of biology, along with Walter Den, professor in the Department of Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences, and Eliza Reilly, executive director of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement, received a $299,973 grant from the National Science Foundation for their project “Addressing Water Security: Towards Student Retention, Improved Relevance, and Increased Readiness.” The water resources program aims to generate graduates capable of responding to the region’s water security challenges and increase student recruitment into this program. Smyth co-authored a paper on the first implementation of wastewater epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 in Uruguay. In addition, Smyth published a paper on promoting vaccine education to reduce vaccine hesitancy (“Promoting RAPID Vaccine Science Education at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic”) in the Journal of
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Microbiology & Biology Education. She also published an editorial titled “Community Series in Tools, Techniques, and Strategies for Teaching in a Real-world Context with Microbiology” in Frontiers in Microbiology. And finally, her article describing one of the first random controlled trials of peer-led team learning titled “Peer Leader Perspectives from a PLTL Implementation in a Hispanic-Serving Institution” was accepted into the Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.
DR. HO HUYNH Dr. Ho Huynh, associate professor of psychology, published the following peerreviewed papers in 2023: “Stay (Close to) Humble: Intellectual Humility Negatively Predicts Stigma Toward and Social Distance from Individuals with PTSD,” Psychological Reports; “Celebrities to Lean On! Perceived Celebrity Social Support Across Two Cultures,” Asian Journal of Psychology; “What do Humble (and Non-humble) Doctors Do? A Mixed-Method Analysis of Solicited Patients’ Online Reviews,” North American Journal of Psychology; “Context Matters: Stress for Minority Students who Attend Minority-Majority Universities,” Psychological Reports; “Psychosocial Factors Associated with Vaccination Intention Against the Coronavirus (COVID-19),” Behavioral Medicine.
DR. ELIZABETH LEYVA Dr. Elizabeth Leyva, instructional assistant professor and director of entry-level mathematics, worked with colleagues across the United States to write “Making Mathematics Relevant: An Examination of Student Interest in Math, Interest in STEM Careers, and Perceived Relevance,” published in the International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education.
DR. GONGBO LIANG Dr. Gongbo Liang, assistant professor of computer science, published five research papers on artificial intelligence and related topics in publications including the IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics and Neurocomputing.
DR. MATTHEW MANGUM and DR. IRENE WAGGONER Dr. Matthew Mangum, clinical associate professor of business law, and Dr. Irene Waggoner, business leadership consultant and adjunct professor of management, have published the preliminary edition of “How to Do the Right Thing: A Practical Guide for Ethical Decision Making.” This textbook covers making ethical decisions in a variety of business contexts.
DR. SRINIVAS MUMMIDI Dr. Srinivas Mummidi participated in the National Institutes of Health’s “Fellowships: Infectious Diseases and Immunology B Review Panel.”
DR. JESUS JIMENEZ-ANDRADE Dr. Jesus Jimenez-Andrade, assistant professor of accounting, received the 2023 Best Paper Award in the Forensic Section of the American Accounting Association’s annual meeting for his manuscript “Financial Fraud, Hispanics, and Transgenerational Bonds.” Also, his manuscript “Origins of Financial Analysts in the United States” was accepted for publication by the journal Accounting History.
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FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
DR. GAVIN WATTS
DR. JEONG YANG
Dr. Gavin Watts is an assistant professor of special education and co-lead of the TU CASA Program, which aims to offer an inclusive university experience for students with intellectual disabilities. The program graduated its second cohort of students who completed A&M-San Antonio coursework and participated in vocational internships.
Dr. Jeong Yang, associate professor of computer science, is part of the team that was recently awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Department of Defense Air Force Research Lab for the project “VICEROY for the NCAE-C Southwest Region.” Yang serves as the PI, working in collaboration with Texas A&M Engineering Experiment
Station’s Cybersecurity Center and Prairie View A&M University. The grant supports their work establishing a virtual cyber institute for cyber research and employment in the field. This aims to accelerate the development of skilled professionals and create a pathway for jobready graduates in computer science and cybersecurity.
DR. EDWARD B. WESTERMANN
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
DR. DAWN WEATHERFORD and DR. WILLIAM ERICKSON
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Dr. Dawn Weatherford, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. William Erickson, assistant professor of psychology, together published a chapter titled “The Now Memories: The Nostalgic Appeal of Stranger Things” in the volume Stranger Things Psychology: Life Upside-Down from Wiley Publishing. The chapter discusses nostalgia as depicted in the Netflix hit “Stranger Things.” This chapter also discusses how nostalgia itself drives viewers to that show and others that are similar.
Dr. Edward B. Westermann, Regents Professor of History, was selected as a Piper Professor for 2023 by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation. Westermann is one of 10 professors awarded the distinction in the state of Texas. Selections are based on nominations submitted by each college or university in Texas. Ten awards of $5,000 each are bestowed annually to outstanding professors for their exceptional teaching at the collegiate level. In addition, Westermann gave a talk at the University of Vermont for Holocaust Remembrance Day. He also led a teaching seminar for the 2023 Alfred Lerner Fellows in New York and was named an external advisory board member to Northwestern University’s Holocaust Educational Foundation.
CLASS NOTES
2009
Margaret Thompson ’09,’11, ’15, retired from North East Independent School District in San Antonio after 23 years. Her daughter Carole Thompson Schonsheck ’18 earned a master’s degree in educational administration.
Warren M. Sheridan Jr. ’13, ’17 is executive director of EmberHope Youthville foster agency where he helps facilitate its treatment foster care program. In his new position, Sheridan has been able to better advocate for children and families through his engagement with the Texas Alliance of Children and Families and had an audience with State Rep. Josey Garcia to discuss the needs of youth in foster care.
2010
Tifarah Canion is a counselor for adolescents and adults after earning a master’s degree in counseling from St. Edwards University, Austin, Texas, in 2022. Canion worked in foster care for 10 years. “Texas A&M San Antonio opened my heart to social work and social work opened my heart to counseling and I could not be happier,” she said. Joseph Halterman is a history instructor at Bradwell Institute in Georgia. He earned a master’s degree from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, is married, and has one child. Halterman and his spouse are expecting a second child. Celestino Valentin ’10, ’11 is an assistant professor, entrepreneurship, and M.B.A. program advisor in the College of Business and Industry at Jacksonville State University. Marie A. Valentin ’10, ’11 is an assistant vice provost, Institutional Research and Effectiveness, in the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness at Jacksonville State. Their daughters Valerie Marie Caballero ’14, Brittany Marie Valentin ’20 and Tiffany Marie Valentin ’22 are alumnae of A&M-SA.
Cindy Chavez accepted a position as physical education instructor and head tennis coach for Round Rock High School in Round Rock, Texas. Elias Guetaneh is an audit manager focusing on enterprise risk management for USAA. Prior to joining the financial services company in October 2021, he was a principal auditor at Wells Fargo, where he led engagements over the thirdparty risk oversight/attorney management network, and data transformation programs, including various compliance and regulatory validation work. A proud alumnus of A&MSA, Guetaneh said he is eager to connect with current and former students.
Hilary Ann Contreras ’12, ’15, welcomed baby Ivy Reese on April 27. Brandon Pesqueda married Texas A&M-San Antonio alumna Marissa De Leon ’15 on July 17, 2021. He earned a master’s degree in legal studies from Arizona State University in 2020. Pesqueda is a case manager at McCormick Law Firm. He and his wife welcomed a son, Nathaniel Eric, on Feb. 23. Pesqueda plans to attend law school.
2013
2011
Beverly Bragg ’11, ’15 was accepted into the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). She presented a paper, Dark Tourism Trends in the Historical Community of Sumner County, and served as chair of a panel, Expression of Culture Through Language, at the KFLC Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Conference at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, in April.
2012
Christine K. Jacques is a real estate investor with a portfolio of 88 properties. Shown with Kevin O’Leary of Shark Tank, whom she met at a conference, Jacques says her education has been crucial to her development and the growth of her career.
Karina G. Acosta, the first ROTC cadet to graduate and commission from A&MSA, will take command of an FSC (forward support company). She currently is the company commander of Hotel Company, 536 BSB, 72 IBCT. Acosta earned a master’s degree in mental health and wellness from Grand Canyon University.
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CLASS NOTES
Nathan Gershon joined the cast of “Death World,” where he will star as Mayor Rick in this feature film, due to begin production later this year. His previous movie, “Friday Night Delight,” where he starred as Judd, is in post-production and should be out next year. After 11 years with the La Vernia (Texas) Police Department, Gershon joined the Bishop Police Department in Bishop, Texas, as a reserve officer. The move to the Corpus Christi, Texas, area was prompted by his wife, a neuroradiologist, who made full partner at Radiology Associates LLP. Ayesha K. Morin ’13, ’15 is an early learning inclusion manager. “The skills and experiences I had as a student set the foundation for collaboration and research that keep me innovative in my field,” she said. Melissa A. Ochoa serves communities in seven states as a financial services professional. Ochoa works on retirement planning and is an LGBTQ+ advocate. She serves on the A&M-SA Foundation board, representing A&M-SA alumni, an ACTS Missions board, and Sheriff Salazar’s Foundation Committee. She made lifelong memories serving as an Honorary Commander for JBSA 502nd ABW from 20212023. She has a 6-year-old granddaughter.
THE MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – SAN ANTONIO | FALL 2023
2014
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Ruben Medrano Sr. has been with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Don Johnson, REALTORS® for almost eight years, holding designations as a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), Military Relocation Professional (MRP), and Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR). He is studying to become a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). Medrano earned a B.B.A. from A&M-SA and an A.A. in network administration from San Antonio College. Medrano plans to start his 11-month M.B.A. program in the fall. He became a Texas State Notary Public and earned his FCC HAM Radio License, call-letters KG5PNV. He eventually wants to pursue a doctoral degree. He has attended candidate school to prepare to run for public office.
2015
Stephanie Bustos owns and operates two licensed childcare centers in the west side of San Antonio, Bustos Daycare and Bustos Youth Center, both of which recently earned the highest quality designation, Texas Rising Star 4, certification from the Texas Workforce Commission.
2016
Brian Harrin accepted a role with the U.S. Air Force, working under the deputy chief of staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Cyber Effects Operations (A2/6) at the headquarters at the Pentagon.
2017
Ron Adams earned a certification as a project management professional in May 2022 and began as a senior project manager with Wells Fargo in June 2022. After earning an M.B.A. from A&M-SA, he worked with Maximus, where he opened call centers for pandemic electronic benefit cards in Texas, Alabama and Virginia. Cristina L. Frias earned a master’s degree in clinical mental health and for the 2023-24 academic year is an instructional assistant for ESL immigrant students in the San Antonio Independent School District. In 2022-23 she was a long-term substitute science teacher.
Jennifer Garza-Vasquez celebrated 23 years of service to CPSEnergy, where she is an energy equity business planner, working to address the high energy burden in her community and increasing access to equity and assistance programs. She is a certified change practitioner with a background in human resources. Garza-Vasquez has been in multiple areas throughout her career. She and her spouse, who have been married for 10 years, have two children. Gabrielle M. Harden Herrera was selected as an “Emerging Talent Mentor” at HubSpot, where she works as a marketing operations manager. She was recently elected to the board of directors for San Antonio Wave, a club team serving over 250 youth competitive swimmers. David A. Marquez ’17, ’20, completed the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program, which prepares professionals for executive leadership. Since completion, Marquez has been appointed dean, business operations academy, at IRS University, where he will lead the design and development of curricula to train and evaluate employees in delivering service to taxpayers. Marquez’s son is a senior at A&M-San Antonio studying computer information systems. He plans to pursue a Master of Science in Cyber Security after a December 2023 graduation. Abby N. Ybarra Ramirez was certified as a peace officer by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. Ramirez has been in the field for two years. She and her husband have twins.
2021
Phil Russell ’19, a new home consultant with Lennar, was named Lennar San Antonio’s Top Performer for Q2 2023. Russell has won multiple awards in the more than three years he has been with the company. He sells new Lennar homes in the more than 25 Lennar communities in the greater San Antonio area, including Vida, which is on the A&M-SA campus.
2018
Pablo R. Cabrera earned a master’s degree in criminal justice and behavior management from Saint Joseph’s University in May 2020. In 2021 he relocated to the Washington, D.C. , area to accept a position supporting an agency for the U.S. Department of Defense. He has been promoted twice and now supports the Defense Threat Reduction Agency for the Cooperative Threat Reduction directorate. He plans to eventually pursue a doctoral degree. Catarina Garza earned a master’s degree in history from the University of Texas at San Antonio and is an archives associate in Archives and Special Collections at A&M-SA. Sa L. Huynh became president of the Rotary Club of Alamo Ranch in June. R. Bret Stidham was named fire chief for the city of Arlington, Texas. He recently retired as executive assistant chief of the Dallas, Texas, Fire-Rescue Department after 30 years of service.
2019
Kevin Castro, social media coordinator in A&M-San Antonio’s Marketing and Communications Department, has been accepted to the A&M-San Antonio Leadership Academy. The nine-month program is designed to explore leadership
Jessica Arriola was certified as a Texas Community Health Worker Instructor (CHWI). In 2022, Arriola was promoted to professional development specialist, which allows her to train community health workers. During the pandemic she worked on the city of San Antonio’s COVID Hotline.
topics and enhance existing skills with the goal of creating a solid foundation for higher education leaders. Castro also is enrolled in the University’s 11-month M.B.A. program. Cindy Trinh earned a master’s degree in health informatics in May at the University of North Texas where she completed a remote internship for a healthcare data analytics company.
2020
Brigid Cooley’s first poetry collection, titled “family recipes,” was published by Kelsay Books. Centered on her personal battle with eating disorders and the strong female figures who have made their presence known throughout her life, Cooley’s collection is a compilation of poems written throughout her teenage years and into early adulthood, including her time at A&M-SA. Amber Nolan is an eighth grade math resource teacher at Kitty Hawk Middle School in Universal City, Texas. Previously she had been a special education math teacher at Harlan High School in San Antonio. La-Tieka SimsHowell is the district director for District 7 city of San Antonio Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito, where she works with Erick De Luna ’17. Sims-Howell is also in the 4th cohort of the LBJ Women’s Campaign School, University of Texas at Austin.
Aleyna S. Brazzill won First Year Educator of the Year at McDermott Elementary School in San Antonio where she is a first grade ESL teacher. Zachary Bullard earned a master’s degree in applied behavior analysis in May. Shelby M. Chapa earned an M.S. in data science from Texas Tech University in May. She graduated magna cum laude and is pursuing a career in an environmental research setting. Chapa is a first-generation college student who says she developed her passion for research data analysis while obtaining her B.A. in biology at A&M-SA. Emilie M. Gonzalez celebrated the Gregorio and Anna Esparza Family Reunion with over 500 families in attendance. The threeday event included an unveiling of a portrait of Alamo defender Jose Maria Gregorio Esparza, from whom Gonzalez is descended. Brandon T. Harrist earned an M.S. in Athletic Training from University of the Incarnate Word. He is pursuing a position with the military, in an industrial setting or in baseball. Andrew Klebahn is enrolled in graduate studies at University of Texas at San Antonio and will pursue a doctoral degree.
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CLASS NOTES
Georgina M. Pena was named Rising Star Teacher of the Year at Maverick Elementary School in San Antonio, where she teaches physical education.
Dominique C. Katauskas ’21 won Secondary First Year High School Educator of the Year at William J. Brennan High School in San Antonio, where she teaches history and coaches the school’s award-winning pep squad. In January, she ran her first-ever half marathon at Disney World. In the 2023-24 school year, Katauskas is teaching the school’s first African American studies course.
Leslie Esquivel is an early intervention specialist at the Warren Center in Irving, Texas. The center advocates, serves and empowers the children and families impacted by developmental delays and disabilities. Carmen L. Robledo married Carlos Robledo on May 19.
2022
Brenda L. Reyes is teaching third grade, having taught second grade last year, her first year of teaching.
Rita P. Arce works in the consumer protection clinic at St. Mary’s Center for Legal and Social Justice. She helps tenants who are facing eviction. She also is pursuing an M.B.A. at A&M-SA. Zachary Durham won honorable mention in the A&M-SA history department’s annual History Student Awards for his paper entitled “Muted Strings: The Hidden Multi-Ethnic Origins of Texas Fiddle Music,” written for Dr. Francis Galan’s History 4301 class.
Samantha Y. Bravo ’22 is the color guard director for the band program at Edison High School in San Antonio and plans to purse a master’s degree in English at A&M-SA. She and two of her brothers are firstgeneration A&M-SA graduates.
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Taylor William is a member consultant for Security Service Federal Credit Union.
2023
Celina Gomez won the 2023 Ocasio-Lopez Hernandez Memorial Award in history for the best undergraduate student research paper. Her paper entitled “From Organic to Toxic: How Soap Industries and Advertising Affected Women and Consumers in the Early Twentieth Century," was written for Dr. Amy Porter’s History 4301 class. Jesse Lopez is the central region manager for the Travis Manion Foundation, supporting the 9/11 Heroes Run, held on campus Sept. 16.
Caton A. Sandoval is a fuel inventory controller at the mining company Freeport McMoRan. He was married recently.
Caroline Salazar is traveling, caring for her son and writing a book before joining the University of Texas San Antonio’s doctoral program in occupational therapy. Jessica L. Salazar purchased a home and welcomed a second grandchild.
Enjoy a day of golf while supporting a great cause! SAVE THE DATE THURSDAY
MAY 2 2024
SCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT
The Texas A&M San Antonio Foundation partners with the University for this annual event to help generate scholarship support for deserving A&M-San Antonio student athletes!
PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE IMPRESSIVE
GOODIE BAG
CHANCE TO WIN
BIG PRIZES including a NEW VEHICLE!
FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Since the Foundation was established in 2008, it has worked with the University to
RAISE PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT of more than
$13 MILLION
AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS to more than
6,700 STUDENTS
Please contact John Sanchez,
Executive Director for University Advancement
FOUNDATION
john.sanchez@tamusa.edu | 210-784-1119
Non-Profit U.S. Postage One University Way San Antonio, TX 78224
PAID
San Antonio, TX Permit No. 1319
WHERE AMBITION
MEETS ACCESS
Texas A&M University-San Antonio is making higher education more accessible and affordable for Texas students. On Sept. 5, President Ochoa announced the launch of the Jaguar Promise to a full house of business and community leaders, education partners and media interested to hear the announcement. The Jaguar Promise program provides pathways for eligible Texas students to receive free tuition, fees and book stipends making it possible to attain a four-year degree at little or no cost.
High School graduates in the top 10% of their class Early College High School graduates with 30 credit hours Transfers with an associate’s degree or 60 credit hours* Graduates in the top 11-35% of their high school class* *family Adjusted Gross Income of $70,000 or less
“As we move forward, it’s important that we fulfill our promise to students, who will always be our North Star,” said President Ochoa. “This special program is a powerful tool that helps us do just that. The Jaguar Promise establishes A&M-San Antonio as the place where ambition meets access.”
tamusa.edu/jaguar-promise