Board Accolades May 2017

Congratulations goes to Board of Regent Dr. Nick Adame for the Texas Bar Association recognizing his role in the establishment of the Tejano Civil Rights Museum and Resource Center in the historic Grande-Grossman House in Heritage Park. The turn-of-the-19th-century structure includes a first-floor art gallery featuring new work reflecting Hispanic, Tejano or American Southwest themes every two months. The second floor contains the museum and artifacts. Exhibits include a “Wall of Tejano Heroes,” historic maps and artifacts. The Tejano Civil Rights Museum opened in May 2014 in a collaborative effort between the City of Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University-Kingsville and the League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 1. Dr. Adame serves as Executive Vice President of the Tejano Civil Rights Museum and Resource Center as well as President of LULAC Council No. 1.

Congratulations goes to Jennifer Jimenez, Instructor of Electronic Resources and Reference Librarian, who was selected by the Texas Library Association for the highly competitive Texas Accelerated Library Leaders Institute, popularly known as the TALL Texans Leadership Development Institute. The program recognizes the best of the rising Texas Library leaders and provides advanced leadership in management education for mid-career librarians and library staff. The Texas Library Association has over 10,000 members. Over 200 members apply to the TALL Texan Institute annually. As a member of the TALL Texans Leadership Development Institute Class of 2017, Jimenez was one of 24 individuals selected to study strategic planning, risk-taking, conflict negotiation, persuasion, coaching, ethics, personal career planning and more.

The National Science Foundation and the American Association of Community Colleges announced Del Mar College’s Natural Sciences team among 10 finalists selected from across the country to move to the final round of the third annual Community College Innovation Challenge. The competition focuses on innovation and entrepreneurial thinking and cultivates students’ knowledge and skills in the STEM areas to develop solutions to complex, real-world problems. Under the guidance of Professor of Biology Dr. Rob Hatherill and Associate Professor of Biotechnology Dr. Daisy Zhang with the Natural Sciences Department, Del Mar’s team was selected for their proposal to use viruses to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria and is titled “Slowing Antibiotic Resistance with EnteroSword”. The team includes Biotechnology majors Danial Nasr, Ray Pray and John Ramirez, who will travel to Arlington, Va., in June for final competition. Congratulations!

DMC Journalism students who oversee and write for the College’s two student publications––the campus newspaper, Foghorn, and magazine, Siren––brought home 36 awards from the annual Texas Intercollegiate Press Association’s (TIPA) annual competition and live contests in Dallas. Among the awards were 12 rst place, 9 second place and 7 third place TIPA awards along with 8 honorable mentions. Topping off those wins, Foghorn Editor-in-Chief Natalie Murphy received a Mike Warms Scholarship for two-year students. The students produce the two publications under the guidance of Associate Professor of Journalism Rob Muilenburg and Lab Advisor Scott Beckett with the Communications, Languages and Reading Department. TIPA is the oldest collegiate press association in the nation and has grown into one of the largest and most respected collegiate groups in the country. Way to go, team!

Congratulations, Vocal Vikings! Members of the College’s forensic team recently traveled to Virginia to compete during the 2017 Phi Rho Pi National Speech and Debate Tournament. Competition was tough with 558 students from 59 other colleges and universities competing for top awards. Allison Meaux Rackley, a Speech major, brought home a national Bronze Award in the individual public debate category. Rackley joined the team this spring and had only debated in one other tournament before becoming one of 129 participants vying in that category at the national level. Other Vocal Vikings who attended and participated in eight different events included Speech major Michaela Engel and Speech/Drama major Mariah Massengill. The team falls under the advisement of Professor of Speech Sarah Contreras with the College’s Department of Communications, Languages and Reading. 

The College’s Student Government Association (SGA) chapter and advisor Beverly Cage, Director of Student Leadership and Campus Life, attended the Texas Junior College Student Government Association (TJCSGA) Leaders Assembly in Houston and participated during their annual competitions. The chapter won several awards and recognitions including first place in the Community Service Project competition, second place for Advisor of the Year, third place for Chapter of the Year, third place for Poetry of the Year and honorable mention for Event of the Year. Additionally, Del Mar’s SGA chapter was recognized for organizing a statewide Community Service Project with the Ronald McDonald House of Houston. TJCSGA is the only student maintained organization in the state that works to promote the cause of community college students at the local, regional, state and national levels. You make us Viking Proud!