Fall 2012 Dear Friends, CONTENTS executive editor CONNECT ONLINE Jude Valdez, Ph.D. Welcome to the inaugural issue of Find the online edition of Community Vice President for Community Services Community Connect, the magazine Connect at utsa.edu/communityconnect. managing editor Ashley Festa dedicated to telling the story of UTSA’s PICTURES & CHArtS University Marketing involvement with our community. in partnership with 4 Travel back in time The Office of the Vice President for University Higher education in the United Advancement and University Marketing to the Wild West States has traditionally included a contributing writers threefold mission: teaching, research 24 Summer Session James Benavides Claire Jenkins and public service. At UTSA, public Robert Benchley Olivia Lopez 9 IED’s Snapshots of Amy Dalrymple Sherrie Voss Matthews service is a robust and dynamic Ashley Festa Rhonda Moses component of our work, engaging Excellence 2011 report Christi Fish Cindy Tumiel virtually all sectors of the community 33 Outreach Activity at UTSA, in economic development, lifelong Athletics engagement Community Services Departments learning, cultural enrichment and Ricardo Romo, Ph.D. Jude Valdez, Ph.D. Institute for Economic Development community-university partnerships. Robert McKinley, associate vice president For our economy, UTSA’s extension services, which reach more DEPArtMENTS Prefreshman Engineering Program (PREP) than 37,000 businesses every year, are critical to stimulate growth 10 Rudy Reyna, Ph.D., executive director and job creation for our graduates, elevating both labor supply and Institute of Texan Cultures Office of Community Outreach demand. Top-tier programs providing technical assistance, strate- ITC welcomes new executive director Belinda Saldaña, director 4 gic planning, training and applied economics research generated a Office of Extended Education 5 41st annual Texas Folklife Festival Frank Salazar, director quarter of UTSA’s $1.2 billion economic impact on the state. A Maverick’s Texas Institute of Texan Cultures For our children, UTSA works with schools to promote a 2 Students from Pasadena photograph their culture Institute for Economic Development Angelica Docog, executive director college-going culture and raise college awareness. UTSA also 8 SBDC model expands globally Office of P-20 Initiatives conducts bridge programs for thousands of area students to ease Rachel Ruiz, Ph.D., assistant vice president UTSA and Honduran university will the transition from high school to college. Business Therapy 8 6 Shawn Fluitt finds success at the SBDC collaborate on new SBDCs UTSA Mexico Center For our society, the university offers learning and cultural Harriett Romo, Ph.D., director enrichment through the fine and performing arts and our museum, Child and Adolescent Policy Research Institute Service Learning at UTSA Harriett Romo, Ph.D., director the Institute of Texan Cultures. UTSA also provides forums for Real Life Lessons New park benefits community and students public discussion of critical community issues. Pressing social, 10 Architecture students get hands-on experience with energy-efficient designs 11 civic and educational issues are addressed through this type 14 Students make community improvements Submit news, story ideas and comments to: of engagement. 14 UTSA receives national honor for service Getting Prepped Community Connect magazine For our future, faculty research and outreach scholarship pro- 16 PREP graduates find their passion in STEM fields 15 Student earns award for volunteerism Office of the Vice President for Community Services vide insight and possibilities for transforming our community. The University of Texas at San Antonio 501 W. César E. Chávez Blvd. This first issue of Community Connect highlights a slice of P-20 Initiatives San Antonio, TX 78207 UTSA’s community engagement activities. We hope you enjoy A Change in Environment 210-458-2401 18 Budding engineers conduct research for NASA 23 High school students learn research reading it, and we welcome your comments and suggestions for techniques in TRIO future issues. Mexico Center Building the Future For more information on outreach 20 8th graders construct cars while Parent Academy gets community talking 29 Student’s research project focuses on activities at UTSA, visit healthcare of undocumented immigrants UTSA.EDU/COMMUNITY 30 Mexico partnerships benefit universities Crossing Borders Ricardo Romo, Ph.D. Jude Valdez, Ph.D. 26 DREAMers participate in research aimed at changing public perspective on both sides of border President, The University of Texas at San Antonio Vice President for Community Services 31 Scholar network develops immigration book Community Connect is published annually by the Community Services division at The University of ON THE COVER City of San Antonio Texas at San Antonio. The magazine is dedicated Dancers from Sarita’s Dance Studio performed at the 41st annual Texas Folklife to the mission of Community Services: extending 32 College of Public Policy joins SA2020 UTSA beyond its campuses and into San Antonio Festival at the Institute of Texan Cultures in June. Photo by Mark McClendon and South Texas through public service, outreach and community education. ©2012 The University of Texas at San Antonio COMMUNITY CONNECT 1 INTRODUCING INSTITUTE CONNECT ONLINE Pasadena Memorial High School students OF TEXAN have even more photos and drawings to A display in our slideshow. Visit utsa.edu/ CULTURES communityconnect. “STEPS TO PRidE” (left) by Stephen Alcala The Institute of Texan Cultures “REMINisCENT” (below) by Shawnna Hill encourages the understand- Maverick’s ing and appreciation of Texas High school and Texans through research, students present collections, exhibits and pro- Texas grams. A Smithsonian affiliate, snapshots of the museum strives to become the nation’s premier life in Pasadena institution of contemporary cultural and ethnic studies by Ashley Festa focusing on the diverse cultural communities that make Texas tudents from Pasadena, Texas, special guest to speak to students. He what it is. recently put their stories on dis- explained some essential photography S play; stories of culture, heritage techniques, such as the use of lighting As part of UTSA’s Tier One and life in Texas. when capturing a shot. aspirations, the institute offers Earlier this year, Pasadena Memo- “The kids didn’t know who he was, schoolteachers new, innovative rial High School became the first high but I knew who he was,” said Tish content while developing their school in Texas to display an exhibit at Eubanks, assistant principal at the skills in teaching social studies, UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures. high school. Originally from Alabama, “CARROTS” by Sadie Burt “VioliN” by Myrna Rodriguez history and related disciplines. The institute’s leadership wanted an Eubanks learned much about Texas and opportunity to pair students with Griff its history by reading Texas Highways. submissions, only 30 photos and 10 of a bunch of carrots, which was one of Smith, photo editor of Texas Highways, It wasn’t until the students visited their drawings were chosen to be included in Eubanks’ favorite images. The carrots where he has been a photographer exhibit and viewed the “Griff Smith’s the exhibit. were part of the last crop to be har- for more than a quarter century. The Texas: A Retrospective through the Lens Unlike Varela, some students were vested from Burt’s grandfather’s garden hope also was to include students from & Images from Texas Highways” that new to the photography world. Amy Tru- before he passed away. outside the San Antonio area to show a they realized Smith’s contribution to ong, 16 and a junior, submitted a photo In another photo, a violin represents wider view of Texas. Texas photography. for the fun of it. After being selected as Myrna Rodriguez’ heritage of Mexican Ashlie McKenzie, an education spe- Fernanda Varela, 18, submitted an one of the exhibitors, Truong wants to music. As a Mexican-American, she cialist at the museum, contacted Pasade- image of one of the Mavericks in her become more active in photography. “I’m plays mariachi music and in an orches- na Memorial where she formerly worked photo titled “High School Football.” For already taking more photos,” she said. tra. For her, the violin is a connection “HiGH SCHool FOOTBALL” as an AP history teacher. her, the image represents Texas heat “My parents think it’s a great op- between those cultures, Eubanks said. by Fernanda Varela “We wanted them to be able to tell the and one of the state’s favorite sports. portunity for me,” she said, adding that “We don’t teach enough about what story of their town,” McKenzie said. “To “I’ve always been into photography,” the exhibit marked her first time visiting goes into making a Texan,” Eubanks show Texas through their eyes.” she said, but it became a passion for a university campus. She decided she said. “This gave our students an op- And show Texas they did. “I was just her during her senior year. As she grad- would like to attend college to pursue portunity to see what really goes into blown away with what students captured uated in the spring, the exhibit became art in some way. making a Texan. The students got to in their pictures,” McKenzie said. an exciting send-off, and she plans to A former art teacher, Eubanks learn that culture is about people. Named for the school’s athletics continue her education studying art, worked with the head of the art depart- “Culture is in the eye of the be- teams, “A Maverick’s Texas” was open photography and journalism. ment to select the best images. holder,” Eubanks said. “It’s carrots for CONNECT ONLINE from March 12 through June 17. “Not many people my age get to Some photos had special mean- one and a violin for another. These Find resources for multiple Before accepting student submis- have their photo displayed,” she said. ing for the young photographers. For kids deserve to know who they are and audiences at texancultures.com.