5 minute read
shorts
Construction begins on Agricultural laboratory
Construction of the new $3.8-million Agricultural Field Machinery and Fabrication Laboratory is underway at the Tarleton Agricultural Center, with completion slated for January 2017. The 24,000-square-foot facility will rise near the front entrance to the Agricultural Center at the intersection of FM 8 and College Farm Road (County Road 518).
The facility will include three 6,000-square-foot laboratories— one each for studies in metal fabrication, agricultural power applications and agricultural structures. Also included will be space for four classrooms, a computer laboratory, faculty offices and meeting spaces.
Funding for the project comes from Permanent University Funds granted by The Texas A&M University System and $277,863 in donations, predominantly from the Pevehouse Family Foundation, a supporter of Tarleton and its agricultural mechanics program.
The new facility will enable the college to unite activities occurring in three separate buildings. The programs currently are housed in two structures off Washington Street adjacent to the Tarleton
2Horticulture Center and a third location west of the Equine Center.
regents approve $24 million for Memorial Stadium renovation
Tarleton will begin renovation and expansion of Memorial Stadium, President F. Dominic Dottavio announced in a September news conference on the Stephenville campus.
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has authorized $24 million to begin planning, designing and financing the project. Initial plans include expansion of seating from 7,400 to about 10,000 and conversion of the west side stands to seating for home fans. Additional plans will be finalized during the design phase of the project and donations will be sought to fully fund the project.
Renovations will include an expanded press box and suites, additional premium seating with chair backs, expanded entrances and ticket booths, and improved concession and other facilities. The football field and track-and-field surfaces will be replaced as part of the project.
Planning and design are expected to begin immediately and stretch through next fall. If all goes well, construction will begin after the 2016 football season.
Developed in the 1940s as a tribute to the 179 Tarleton faculty and students who died in World War II, the original Memorial Stadium opened in 1951. A major reconstruction was completed in 1977, when today’s features were created. In 1988-89, seating was expanded, the concession stand was remodeled, the current field house was built and track-and-field facilities were renovated.
Taylor Kennedy, a senior agricultural communication student, was named president of the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow. The Paradise, Texas, native was elected in July during the 2015 Agricultural Media Summit in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Kennedy’s selection marks the fourth straight year a Tarleton student has been elected to serve on the national officer team. Last year, Kennedy served as the organization’s secretary/treasurer.
The National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow’s officer team is elected by delegates representing collegiate chapters across the nation. Selections are based on service, leadership, involvement and passion for agriculture.
Throughout the next year, the officer team will oversee various organizational activities, concluding with the 2016 national convention in New Orleans.
Students work 375 hours in Dominican republic
Fifteen Tarleton students traveled to the Dominican Republic for a week during which they provided 375 hours of environmental sustainability-focused service with peers from Escuela Ambiental, a national environmental resources and sustainability school.
Sponsored by Tarleton’s Student Success and Multicultural Initiatives (SSMI), the trip provided service-learning opportunities. The student volunteers planted a campus garden, painted trash barrels, created a water garden and assisted with removal of invasive plant species.
The service-learning trip, led by associate professor of communication Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason, director of Tarleton’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion, and Dr. Brenda Faulkner, director of Student Success programs, was designed as a hands-on academic experience and ecotourism initiative through EF Tours.
This marks the third year of service-learning efforts in the Dominican Republic.
“This year is the first time the Intercultural Communication course was partnered with the Social Psychology course, which led to a rich cultural dialogue while the students were in the Dominican Republic and after they arrived back in the U.S.,” said Helvie-Mason.
food pantry aids students
The Tarleton Food Pantry—a collaboration of the university’s Student Success & Multicultural Initiatives, the Division of Student Life and other campus groups, including H.O.P.E. Inc.—opened on Aug. 7.
The goal is to make healthy, nourishing food available to students who might otherwise not have enough to eat, helping them stay enrolled and enjoy academic success.
The Tarleton Food Pantry will rely on donations of food and money.
Alumni Kyle, Dyess receive state’s highest military honor
Chief Petty Officer Christopher Scott Kyle and Col. William Edwin Dyess, Tarleton alumni, posthumously received the state’s highest military honor—the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor.
The Texas House of Representatives and Senate each adopted resolutions to honor the two Tarleton alumni and directed Gov. Greg Abbott to award the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor.
Kyle, nominated for his exceptional dedication over the course of his service, was specifically cited for conspicuous gallantry and self-sacrifice during the battles of Fallujah in 2004 and Ramadi in 2006.
Kyle, author of the top-selling book, American Sniper, attended Tarleton from 1992-1994 before joining the U.S. Navy and being assigned to SEAL Team 3. He served four tours of duty in Iraq, and was awarded two Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars. He’s credited with being the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history. In 2013, Tarleton honored Kyle as its Outstanding Young Alumnus.
Dyess, was a native of Albany, Texas, and studied pre-law at John Tarleton Agricultural College from 1934-36. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps upon graduation. During World War II, Dyess became a certified combat pilot, commanding the 21st Pursuit Squadron in the Philippines.
Nearby Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene bears the Tarleton alumnus’ name, honoring his memory and World War II heroics for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross and Distinguished Service Cross. Need more information? Check out these resources.
For information about enrolling at Tarleton, go to
tarleton.edu/ becomeatexan
Discover ways to give back to your university at
tarleton.edu/giving
Check out the latest sports stats and information at
tarletonsports.com
Reconnect with old classmates at
tarleton.edu/ alumniassociation
For everything else, go to
tarleton.edu
Chat with us!
facebook.com/ tarletonstate
Tweet us!
@tarletonstate
Follow us!
TarletonState
texan facts
90
Percent of first-year freshmen live on campus
1,722
Number of students enrolled at the Fort Worth center
12,326
Number of students enrolled in Tarleton for fall 2015
23,682
Number of service hours volunteered in 2015 by Tarleton Transition Mentors to help the Class of 2019 transition to university life
