QUICK TAKES - NOVEMBER 2022
RECOGNITIONS
During the Board of Regents’ Nov. 8 regular meeting, individuals from Continuing Education & Off-Campus Programs and the College Relations Office were recognized for their hard work and accomplishments. (Click the photos to enlarge, read cutlines and download.)
Congratulations goes to Continuing Education & Off-Campus Programs Dean Dr. Leonard Rivera, Adult Education Initiatives Director Rachel Benavides and the Continuing Education team for receiving the coveted STAR Award from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The award recognizes Del Mar College and DMC Continuing Education for providing “exceptional contributions toward one or more goals of the state’s new strategic plan, Building a Talent Strong Texas.” Continuing Education’s leadership and team members utilized a $530,000 Texas Reskill and Upskill through Education (TRUE) Grant and worked with community partners such as Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend and its leadership, President and Chief Executive Officer Ken Trevino and Director of Programs & Planning Alba Silvas, to create post-secondary credentials of value for local targeted occupations in the area. This collaborative work resulted with the redesign and alignment of short-term credentials that over the past year prepared Continuing Education students for employment and increased accessibility to credit courses. These “stackable” courses take an industry-based credential and open the door for students to progress to a Level 1 certificate and ultimately to an associate’s degree. In September, the program recognized 110 individuals who completed training through the TRUE. Grant. Continuing Education representatives will attend the Higher Education Leadership Conference scheduled Dec. 7-8 in Austin to officially receive the STAR Award and recognition for their stellar program. (Read the initial release announcing the TRUE Grant award in fall 2021.)
Del Mar College’s Office of College Relations (CRO) is a long-standing member of the largest and fastest-growing affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges––the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR). The council is the only organization of its kind that exclusively represents marketing and public relations professionals at community and technical colleges across the nation with more than 1,600 members from nearly 550 colleges located in the United States and Canada. During the fall, NCMPR’s seven districts host conferences and recognize excellence in design and communication with the district-level Medallion Awards. CRO is a member of NCMPR District 4, which includes Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming; and members who participated in this year’s District 4 Medallion Awards competition met in Houston, Tx., Oct. 20-22 for professional development and to attend the awards ceremony. CRO Creative Services Manager Monica Benavidez submitted work that earned eight Medallion Awards, including five Gold, two Silver and one Bronze. The awards include a Gold in the Brochure (single or series) category for the Oso Creek Campus brochure, Gold in the E-card category for the Mike Anzaldúa Plaza Dedication, Gold in the Logo Design category for the DMC logo redesign, Gold in the Computer-generated Illustration category for the Mike Anzaldúa Family framed memento artwork, Gold in the Successful Recruitment or Marketing Program category, Silver in the TV/Video Paid Advertisement (single) category for the spot titled “Think,” Silver in the Interior Signage/Displays (single or series) category for the La Palmera Mall kiosk and Bronze in the Viewbook category. Congratulations!
ACCOLADES
The College also extends a round of applause to other DMC employees and students for their achievements, academic and personal enrichment and representation of the institution during the past month.
Physical Therapist Assistant Students Attend First In-Person TPTA Conference Since 2019
The Del Mar College Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Class of 2023 attended the Texas Physical Therapy Association (TPTA) state conference Oct. 28-30 in Irving, Texas. The 16 PTA majors were accompanied by Dr. Sharon Dunnivan-Mitchell, Assistant Professor and PTA Program Director, and Adjunct Faculty Amanda Lopez during the three-day conference. This fall marks the first TPTA conference to return to an in-person format since the start of the pandemic. The DMC students attended continuing education sessions, professional networking events and witnessed first-hand the Texas Assembly and General Session for enacting change within the profession. By attending their first professional conference, the PTA Class of 2023 benefitted from networking with other professionals, getting a glimpse of the professional outside the Corpus Christi area and understanding the power of their voices in directing the profession at the state level. The DMC students who attended the 2022 TPTA state conference included Hesiquio Cantu, Richard Flores, Samantha Garcia, Alyssa Garza, Kassandra Garza, Jennifer Gonzalez, Jacinto Jimenez, Gabriella Landin, Domingo Luna, Gilbert Rios, Sully Salinas, Adriano Santiago, Abel Silguero, Selma Springer, Ryan West and Marisol Ynfante.
DMC Students Win Five Awards During Media Fest 22 Conference in Nation’s Capital
Getting to hear in-person guest speakers like Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who broke the Watergate break-in story 50 years ago, is every budding journalist’s dream. During the national conference co-hosted in October by the Society of Professional Journalists, Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Association, eight Del Mar College students making up the Foghorn News team and their advisor did just that while attending Media Fest 22 in Washington, D.C., with 2,000 other students and advisors Oct. 26-30. Media Fest 22 featured the famous collaborative journalistic duo Woodward and Bernstein as keynote speakers, hands-on workshops and breakout sessions and networking opportunities with peers and professionals in the news industry. And, the DMC team returned with five national awards, including first place for Best of Show in the Broadcast News Program category, third place for Two-Year TV Station of the Year, sixth place for Best of Show in the Best Website at a Two-Year College category, eighth place for Best of Show in Print Newspaper at a Two-Year College, and an Honorable Mention for Two-Year Newspaper of the Year. DMC representatives who attended the conference included Communications, Languages and Reading Department faculty members Journalism Professor Robert Muilenburg and Rachel Jennische, Radio-Television Instructor, along with the following students: Ana Alldredge, Advertising-Public Relations major; Andrew-Pól Clements, Journalism major; Jake Hernandez, Radio-Television major; Heather Medina, Radio-Television major; Samantha Sparks, Advertising-Public Relations major; Eve Stogner, Advertising-Public Relations major; Allison Vela, Radio-Television major; and Nehemiah Zamora, Liberal Arts major.
Del Mar College Represents at 2022 National ASNT Conference in Nashville
Continuing Education & Off-Campus Programs and the Nondestructive Testing Program with the Industrial Technology Department represented Del Mar College during the 2022 American Society of Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) National Conference Oct. 31 through Nov. 3 in Nashville, Tenn. The conference is the world’s largest event addressing nondestructive testing training and professional development. DMC Continuing Education & Off-Campus Programs has entered into a newly formed partnership with Atlas Training to provide online training globally. The College is the first community college to offer this type of training program through continuing education offerings and now provides a new program to become a Certified Welder Inspector with certification through the American Petroleum Institute. DMC representatives who manned the College’s table during the conference were Dr. Leonard Rivera, Dean of DMC Continuing Education & Off-Campus Programs, Assistant Professor of Nondestructive Testing Technology Gary Parker and Domingo “Sonny” Vela, Industrial Technology Department Chair and Professor of Welding Applied Technology. Additionally, Cody McClure, Director for Systems & Training with Atlas Training, helped provide information about the new partnership and online training available through the collaboration.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.