Cristobal Villalon’s childhood dream came true recently when, with his family present, he was sworn in as a police officer at the Texas State Technical College Police Department. At a swearing-in ceremony led by TSTC Police Chief Eduardo Patino and Justice of the Peace Eloy Cano Jr., the Brownsville native said he has finally found his home at TSTC. “I couldn’t believe how much the department feels like family,” said the…
The RGV is home to many incredible local businesses that strive to make an impact on the community. Among them are those who have a dedication to instilling life lessons such as anti-bullying through the art forms of martial arts and taekwondo. Team Tiger Martial Arts was first established nearly 15 years ago out of founder Gilberto Villanueva’s home in Palmhurst, Texas. The licensed chemical dependency counselor came across victims…
South Texas College is offering a new pilot program to match the needs of low-income students with the ongoing demand for skilled first responders. The program will target 80 low-income students as well as existing firefighters and first responders. The goal is for participants to complete or re-certify their first responder certification. With a grant from AT&T, the pilot program will cover all costs associated with the first responder certification.…
Workforce Training and Continuing Education at Texas State Technical College is introducing a new course that will help both the region and state fill a need for endorsed bus drivers. As early as next month, the School Bus Driver Endorsement course will begin and is already enrolling students. “We’ve been working on bringing this program to life for a little over a year, and we’re excited to finally launch it,”…
Research by two UTRGV professors is monitoring the critical honeybee population in South Texas via tiny cameras placed on their hives. The research by Dongchul Kim and Joanne Rampersad-Ammons is receiving funding from a federal research grant from the USDA. Kim is an assistant professor of computer science and principal investigator on the project. Rampersad-Ammons is co-PI and professor in the School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences. “Applying Computer Vision…
Local high school seniors recently began an environmental conversation by using their artistic creativity and passion for fashion design and photography to advocate for ecological sustainability within the world. International Baccalaureate Programme at Lamar Academy students Gisselle Costa and Denisse Damken are the designers of a fashion line completely made out of recycled materials. The project raises awareness of environmental conservation. “The name of our project, Modern Chaos, illustrates what…
It was quite an experience for Pedro Casillas and more than 40 of his peers as they helped save lives in a mock two-vehicle accident. It was part of Texas State Technical College Emergency Medical Services program‘s recent Extrication Day. “This was a great opportunity to practice what I’ve learned in the classroom,” said Casillas. “It was exciting to be able to showcase our skills to the local first responders who…
It might seem unusual to see drawings of utensils or constant safety reminders around the home. Yet, these can be beneficial when caring for a loved one or patient with Alzheimer’s. These helpful visual cues can make the difference from a patient. Photos and other reminders can aid a patient in completing a task instead of experiencing frustration or confusion. South Texas College Occupational Therapy Assistant Program students recently had…
More than 1,400 law enforcement officers have trained at South Texas College’s Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence since January. The numbers come from RCPSE interim Chief Administrator Sgt. Jose Moroles, who spoke recently at STC’s President’s Advisory Council Committee. STC is the first border community college in the nation to establish integrative training for local, state and federal professionals in law enforcement. This also includes those in public safety,…
Faculty in the UTRGV College of Education and P-16 Integration have been awarded a $1.2 million grant for Project PLEASE, a collaborative initiative to help grow leaders in special education administration. “Project PLEASE is a personnel training grant that will give scholarships and stipends to 14 vetted candidates to complete their doctorate in education in special education administration,” said Hsuying Ward. Ward is an associate professor of Human Development and…