News (Noticias) Tagged ‘Texas A&M’

The Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) and notable Texas State Agencies and Universities announced that they intend to sign an historic and unprecedented agreement worth potentially $100 Billion. In a public signing ceremony on June 24, 2008, at the Texas State Capitol, TAMACC Executive Board Members, key state legislators and university officials, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding for procurement opportunities.

“This is a historic moment for TAMACC and Texas state agencies and universities,” said Ms. Arcilia Acosta, TAMACC Chair. “It is historic because of the cooperation between TAMACC and these state entities, and the amount of money that will be available to qualified Texas D/M/W/BE firms. We hope that all qualified businesses will take advantage of this opportunity.”
The Memorandum of Understanding provides for an exchange of information concerning procurement and other opportunities with Texas agencies and universities totaling over $100 Billion. Texas universities will provide the procurement opportunities and information, while TAMACC provides qualified D/M/W/BE firms.

Mr. Frank Cortez, TAMACC President & CEO, noted that the business climate in Texas is right for this type agreement. “We have worked hard and are well positioned for our member firms to take advantage of these business opportunities. I think you’re going to see a lot of excited business owners at our state convention later this month as we roll-out additional information on this new development.”

Notable state agencies and universities participating in the Memorandum of Understanding include: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas A&M University, Texas Health & Human Services Commission, Texas Tech University and The University of Texas at Austin.

About TAMACC:
TAMACC is a private non-profit corporation founded 32 years ago by a small group of Hispanic business persons interested in increasing business opportunities for themselves and other similar business owners. The association, with headquarters in Austin, Texas, acts as the organizational umbrella providing advocacy, technical support, programs, and services to the network of local Hispanic chambers.
Contact: Mauricio Navarro

469.733.8137
Navarro@raizinc.com
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Murano brings a unique perspective to A&M.

As a child, she fled Cuba and settled in Miami. She was the first in her family to attend college.

She then became an associate professor at Texas A&M.

In 2001, she was tapped by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to become the highest-ranking food safety official in U.S. government and presided over the first case of mad cow disease.”*

Record numbers of Hispanic and African-American students are expected to attend Texas A&M University this fall as part of the largest freshman class in the university’s 132-year history, according to projections released today by the Office of Admissions.

Confirmations for Hispanic students have increased 20 percent, or by 232 students, in comparison to this date a year ago for a total of 1,371. For African-American students, confirmations have increased 19 percent, or by 49 students, for a total of 303.

“These numbers reflect a university-wide effort and represent significant strides that have been made in attracting underrepresented students to Texas A&M,” said Dr. Elsa A. Murano, who was named the university’s first Hispanic and first female president in January.

“While Texas A&M is a welcoming place for underrepresented students, we are not where we need to be from an overall enrollment standpoint. Our commitment is to expand our Hispanic and African-American student populations even further as part of our land-grant mission for the state of Texas .”

Overall enrollment in the fall 2008 freshman class is expected to top 8,200 students, an increase of about 100 students in comparison to last fall. Texas A&M officials anticipate that about 25 percent of the freshman class will again be first-generation college students, while about half of the incoming freshmen will represent the top 10 percent of their respective high schools, a slight increase over a year ago.

“We believe these numbers indicate that Texas A&M continues to be affordable and accessible for students across the state and a tremendous value as a ‘tier one’ research institution,” President Murano said. “We are ever-mindful, however, of the increasing financial burden on students and their families to attend Texas A&M, and are continually looking for ways to enhance efficiencies and decrease costs on our campus.”

Murano noted that the lowest tuition and fee increase at Texas A&M since 1999 was approved by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in March. In addition to expanding the university’s scholarships, Murano plans to work with members of the Texas Legislature to increase the state’s investment in higher education and research in preparation for the upcoming session in January.

“Attracting top students to Texas A&M has become extremely competitive, particularly for underrepresented students,” Murano said. “There is a small number of Hispanic and African-American high school students in our state who actually take the college entrance exams, and an even smaller number – only about 6,000 – who score at or above the criterion established by the Texas Education Agency.”

Murano attributes the increases in the number of underrepresented students applying for and being admitted to Texas A&M to several factors, including more aggressive and personal attention in the recruiting process both on-campus and through the university’s eight Prospective Student Centers, additional financial aid and the work of Texas A&M’s Hispanic Network and Black Former Student Network.

“The results to date are very encouraging,” Murano said. “We can’t be overly confident, however, until the students attend our freshmen orientation sessions this summer and actually start classes this fall.”

Enrollment figures for the fall semester will not become official until after the 20th class day.

Contact: Jason Cook, Vice President for Marketing & Communications, at jason.cook@tamu.edu or ( 979 ) 458-1729.
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David Vela will be the new Southeast Regional Director, one of seven regional directors for the National Park Service. “David came up through the ranks, beginning as a frontline park ranger,” said Mary A. Bomar, National Park Service Director. “His early field experience prepared him to be a great superintendent and now he will apply those same skills as regional director.”

The Southeast Region encompasses 66 parks in nine states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and welcomes over 60 million visitors a year. It has a $204 million operating budget and employs more than 2,600 people, including 174 employees at the regional office in Atlanta. Since 1998, Vela has served as superintendent for several park units including the George Washington Memorial Parkway ( 2006-2008 ), Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park ( 2004-2006 ), and Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site ( 1998-2002 ). In 2002, he was appointed the Texas State Coordinator for the Intermountain Region of the National Park Service. Vela began his career with the National Park Service in 1981 at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. He transferred to Appomattox Court House National Historical Park as a supervisory park ranger in 1984 and then to Independence National Historical Park in 1986 as a district ranger. From 1987 to 1998, Vela resigned from the National Park Service and worked as a Special Agent with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General, performing white-collar criminal investigations in New York and New Jersey. He also served as a Special Assistant for Hispanic Affairs to the late U.S. Congressman Mickey Leland, worked as a Federal Investigator with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and was appointed as the Director of the Texas Child Support Program by the Attorney General of Texas in 1996. Vela holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreation and Parks from Texas A&M University. He is the recipient of numerous awards including a Distinguished Service Award in 1998 from the Federal Commissioner of Child Support Enforcement, the Intermountain Region’s “Pinnacle Award” in 2002, a Departmental “Superior Service” Award in 2003, and former Secretary Manuel Lujan, Jr.’s Champion Award in 2006. Vela graduated from the U.S. Department of the Interior Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program in May 2006. He was the 2007 recipient of The Leslie M. Reid Alumni Award - For Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Recreation, Parks, or Tourism by a Graduate of the Department of Recreation, Parks & Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M University.

Contact( s ): David Barna, 202-208-6843 “*

The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) Board of Regents today voted to select Dr. Elsa Murano as the sole finalist for the position of president of Texas A&M University (TAMU). A noted researcher and academician, a former federal appointee and the current vice chancellor of agriculture of the A&M System, as well as the dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M, Dr. Murano will be eligible to become president in 21 days.

“We conducted a nationwide search to find the best candidate for the presidency of Texas A&M University, and we discovered that individual in our own backyard,” said the chairman of the Board of Regents, Bill Jones. “Dr. Murano is a distinguished researcher and academic leader, a successful manager who has transformed agriculture across the A&M System and a visionary with the credentials to oversee a $1.2 billion annual enterprise like Texas A&M University.”*

The governing board of Texas A&M University named a top official in Aggieland on Friday as the sole finalist for president of the College Station campus.

Elsa Murano, 48, would be not only the first woman to lead the university but also the first Hispanic. She is currently vice chancellor of agriculture for the A&M System and dean of the university’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She was previously undersecretary for food safety for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Before that, she was a faculty member at A&M.”*

“Texas A&M University’s high-profile campaign to increase minority representation on campus has stalled after some gains, with the percentage of black and Hispanic students among the freshman class remaining unchanged for the third consecutive year.

Of the 8,078 freshmen enrolled this fall, 14 percent are Hispanic and 3 percent are black, despite a record number of applications and acceptances for the minority groups, according to A&M’s preliminary counts.”

“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality have selected the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health for a new Hispanic Aging Initiative.

This makes the Lower Rio Grande Valley only one of eight sites in the United States selected for this Hispanic elderly effort. The goal is to address the disparity in health care for older Hispanics compared to other population groups.”

It’s hard to aim at something you can’t see. So Maria Fernandez is raising the sights for a growing number of San Antonio high school students. Literally.

Fernandez founded VISTA, Spanish for “sight,” a little over six months ago to overcome the prevailing conventional wisdom that keeps many West Side students from even considering college as an option.

She started small, with only five students last Spring. She helped them win only more than $250,000 in scholarships to only some of the country’s best schools including Dartmouth College, Loyola University-Chicago, Columbia College-Chicago, Baylor University, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin.

During the summer, another 25 kids signed up for the program making tough demands on Fernandez’ time but putting a college degree squarely within the reach of each student.

VISTA partners with the Guadalupe Street Coffee House, a community development project of Baptist Child & Family Services, which provides the computer connections and space for the weekly sessions.

Fernandez doesn’t ask any student to do something she hasn’t already done.

“I am a product of the San Antonio Independent School District, the same district many of my students attend. Like most of them, no one in my family had ever gone to college” she explains. “The expectation for me in the 70’s was to graduate from high school, get married, and have children. Unfortunately, this attitude still prevails today for many students from the West Side.”

She lived up to those expectations, marrying the day after she turned 18 and having four children. But she also went far beyond the norm: an associate of arts degree from San Antonio College and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UT-San Antonio.

“I was lucky enough to have a husband who believed in education and who inspired me to keep going to school,” she says. “My journey connects me with the bright young people in VISTA because I know what it’s like to go to class with children in tow.”

Fernandez had the dream of VISTA before she had all the resources needed to put it into action. Meanwhile BCFS put resources in place but unexpectedly had no way to fully utilize them.

When the coffee shop opened in October 2006, “we put in eight computers with internet connections and wi-fi, intending to offer after school tutoring,” Jeremy Everett, who headed up the launch of the West Side’s first internet cafe says. “What we didn’t know was that the kids don’t have homework because they are not issued textbooks they can take home. Then Maria shows up and we have a perfect match. VISTA benefits from the coffee shop and the community benefits from VISTA.”

Fernandez agrees, seeing “the empowering of students with choices and college admission as a true avenue in how we can work to change the cycle of poverty one student at a time.”

VISTA and the GSCH offer a quality, one-on-one advising program for students who need assistance with the college application process, including SAT/ACT tutoring, financial aid and career advising.

“By giving these students long term goals and the means to accomplish them, we are ensuring that they meet their basic short term goals of graduating from high school and getting accepted to college,” Everett points out.

Students eligible to participate in the program must be enrolled in grades eight through twelve, have at least an 80 grade average with good school attendance, be committed to attending VISTA advising sessions and have the desire and determination to go to college. Most importantly they must be following a dream to be the first person in their family to attend college.

“I have a lot of anxiety when it comes to applying for college and VISTA has really helped me prepare by having one on one attention from counselors,” John F. Kennedy junior Jackie Sanchez said. “VISTA helps us see that college isn’t just for those students in the top ten percent, but that anyone who wants to further his or her education can go to college.”

Individual counseling partnered with convenient scheduling and location is what sets the program apart. VISTA works with students, parents, school counselors and universities to bring them together for the benefit of the student.

“College advisors love the coffee house because it is a practical setting for recruiting and similar to many of the popular hangouts used for studying around college campuses,” Fernandez says. The recruiter for Texas A&M spent a lot of time there last Spring. Two of the five VISTA graduates wound up in College Station and a third enrolled at Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

Those first graduates are not forgotten. Fernandez continues the student mentoring into the first year of college to ensure that the students not only receive acceptance to the University of their choice, but also graduate. Students from this past year’s VISTA class have already volunteered to mentor future VISTA graduates planning to attend their university.

“The GSCH is a great location to meet because it’s a calm and relaxed atmosphere to meet with our mentor, use the internet to research universities, study SAT material and drink coffee,” agrees Kennedy high school junior Maria Villasenor, part of the Vista Class of 2009.

Though stretched thin by the rapid growth of the program, Fernandez’ goal is to continue spreading the word about the availability of this free service within the community, as well as being joined by other volunteers to involve even more students.

In the future, she hopes to receive the funding and volunteers for a program where under privileged students can earn educational travel, such as visits to Washington D.C. and college campuses through community service and other activities necessary for college admission.

“That kind of exposure gives students the desire to go away for college,” points out Fernandez, who has more than a decade of experience in college admissions advising and is a regular participant at the National Association of College Admissions Counseling Conference.

To learn more, students can contact Fernandez at collegevista@bcfs.net or stop by the Guadalupe Street Coffee House (1320 Guadalupe Street, a half block from the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center) during VISTA sessions 4-6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

BCFS and Fernandez continue to seek partners to share in their vision in making college admission possible for under privileged students. BCFS program director Jeremy Everett can be reached at jeverett@bcfs.net or 210-863-0506.

“One of Texas A&M University’s Vision 20/20 goals is to diversify the student body.

Through an Aggie collection of ideas, hard work, and experiences, the Texas A&M Hispanic Network is seeking to increase the number of Hispanic students who enroll and graduate from A&M.

Texas A&M Hispanic Network Chairman David Flores said a more diverse student population on campus offers a true representation of the cultures present throughout the state.”

“Sarita Brown and Deborah Santiago, officials with national nonprofit Excelencia in Education, presented Hispanic enrollment statistics and projections to students and staff at the university’s Performing Arts Center. Brown, president of the organization, said that universities such as A&M-Corpus Christi should strive to match regional demographic levels.

The university’s Title V/TRIO program sponsored the “Latino Students and America’s Future” event, held to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month. The month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.”

“The National Archives
will celebrate Hispanic American Heritage Month with special films,
programs, and lectures. These events are free and open to the public and
will be held at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., which
is located on the National Mall at Constitution Ave. and 7th Street, N.W.,
and is fully accessible.

New Thinking on Lincoln’s Legacy: Hispanic Perspectives
Tuesday, September 18, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater
Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday is in 2009. Does his legacy have
resonance within Hispanic communities? Estevan Rael-Galvez, New Mexico
State Historian; Ernesto Chavez, associate professor of history at the
University of Texas at El Paso; and Jerry Thompson, Regents Professor,
Social Science Department, Texas A&M International University, will unearth
fresh historical perspectives on Lincoln, his era, and his legacy.

Film: The Lemon Grove Incident
Friday, September 21, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater
Based on historical events, this docudrama, which blends archival
photos, dramatic reenactments, and interviews with former students,
portrays the efforts of the Mexican American community in Lemon Grove, CA,
to challenge local school segregation practices and racial discrimination
in Depression-era America. Produced by Paul Espinosa. (1985, 58 minutes.)

Playing America’s Game: Baseball, Latinos, and the Color Line
Wednesday, September 26, at noon, Jefferson Room
Latinos have emerged as baseball’s largest minority group over the last
two decades, highlighted by the pitching of Pedro Martinez and the hitting
exploits of Alex Rodriguez. In Playing America’s Game: Baseball, Latinos,
and the Color Line, Adrian Burgos examines the long history of Latinos in
U.S. professional baseball, focusing particularly on their significant
presence in the Negro Leagues.

Zoot Suit Riots
Friday, October 12 at 12 noon, William G. McGowan Theater
In August 1942 the murder of a young Mexican-American man ignited a
firestorm in Los Angeles, California. In no time at all, ethnic and racial
tensions that had been building up over the years boiled over. Police
fanned out across the city in a dragnet that netted 600 Mexican Americans.
Among those accused of murder was a young “zoot-suiter” named Hank Leyvas
– the poster boy for an entire generation of rebellious Mexican kids who
refused to play by the old rules. These dramatic events are chronicled in
this 2001 documentary from the PBS series, American Experience. Written,
produced, and directed by Joseph Tovares. (60 minutes.)

RELATED NATIONAL ARCHIVES “KNOW YOUR RECORDS” PROGRAMS
All programs are open to the public and are free unless otherwise
noted.

Hispanics in the 19th Century through Military and Census Records
Wednesday, September 26, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Jefferson Room
National Archives staff archivist Constance Potter and archives
specialist John Deeben will present a workshop on Hispanics in the
Southwest in the 19th century, focusing on Civil War military service,
regimental, and pension records for volunteers from New Mexico, Arizona,
and Texas as well as population and non-population census schedules.
Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check at
the door. Call 202-357-5333.

Mexican Border Crossings
Thursday, September 13, at 11 a.m., Room G-24, Research Center
National Archives staff archivist Claire Kluskens will discuss Mexican
border crossing records that document the arrival of permanent and
temporary immigrants to the United States at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Hispanic Volunteers in the Antebellum U.S. Army
Tuesday, September 18, at 11 a.m., Room G-24, Research Center
National Archives staff archives specialist John Deeben will discuss
service records and other documentation for Hispanics who served in the
U.S. Army, 1835-55. Many fought in the Second Seminole War, the Mexican
War, and the Apache and Navajo wars of the 1850s. (This lecture will be
repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B,
on Thursday, September 20, at 11 a.m.)

Hispanic-Related Films from the National Archives
Friday, September 21, at 11 a.m., Room G-24, Research Center
National Archives staff present and discuss a variety of film clips
illustrating Hispanic population, culture, activities, and families in the
early to mid-20th century.

Documenting Community, Politics, and the Economy in Puerto Rico,
1898-1950
Tuesday, September 25, at 11 a.m., Room G-24, Research Center
National Archives branch chief Kenneth Heger will provide an overview
of the records of the two Federal agencies that administered Puerto Rico –
the Bureau of Insular Affairs and the Office of Territories — focusing on
their value to local historians. (This lecture will be repeated at the
National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday,
September 27, at 11 a.m.)

To verify the date and times of the programs, the public should call
the Public Programs Line at: (202) 357-5000, or view the Calendar of Events
on the web at: www.archives.gov/calendar/. To contact the National
Archives, please call 1-866-272-6272 or 1-86-NARA-NARA (TDD) 301-837-0482.”

“The luncheon recognized 64 area students attending or planning to attend Del Mar College, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi or Texas A&M University-Kingsville who are committed to work in the area upon graduation. Hispanic Chamber Chairman Rock Ruiz said the program helps the areas economy by helping its present and future workforce, a sentiment shared by Flint Hills spokesman Rich Tuttle.

“If we grow and train our talent locally, theyre more likely to stay,” Tuttle said. “This program saves us time and money because we dont have to bring them from the outside.”"

“About 700 firefighters representing most of the worlds Spanish-speaking countries gathered near Texas A&M last week to share tips, swap stories and douse a few blazes together.

The Texas Engineering Extension Service has sponsored a Spanish Fire Training School for more than four decades and itss become a well-known event among international firefighters. This year, participants converged from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Venezuela and the United States, said TEEX spokesman Jay Socol.”

“Texas A&M University has been ranked among the top colleges for Hispanics, according to Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine.

The magazine ranked A&M 25th out of 100 among institutions awarding the most bachelors degrees to Hispanic students. Thats an advance from A&Ms previous ranking of 26th.”

“Buried in the returns of Saturdays election is a first in Corpus Christi politics.

Nelda Martinez became the first Hispanic to take first place among at-large City Council candidates since the city reformed its system of council election in 1983, according to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi political science professor Bob Bezdek.”

“Scholars presented the latest research on ethnic studies defining the visible differences in economy, class, education and culture during “Siglo XXI: Economies of Class, Economies of Culture” Thursday at the Center for Mexican-American Studies.

The scholars came from institutions around the nation that have centers in Latino, Mexican-American, Chicano, Puerto Rican and Dominican Studies, including Texas A&M University, Loyola Marymount University and the University of Notre Dame, said Elvira Prieto, academic advisor at UTs Center for Mexican-American Studies. “

“A future president. A revered labor leader. A Nobel-Prize-winning chemist.All are part of a historic national exhibition focusing on Latino achievement that opens at Texas A&M International University’s Student Center on Thursday.

Developed by the Smithsonian Latino Center, the exhibition is free and open to the public. It will be open through May 12 with viewing possible Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Large group tours can be scheduled at 326-2175.

“Our Journeys/Our Stories: Portraits of Latino Achievement” presents narratives and portraits of 24 individuals and one extended family that provide a look at the experiences of U.S. Latinos who have made significant contributions to American life.”

“A national exhibition focusing on Latino achievement developed by the Smithsonian Latino Center will make its appearance at Texas A&M International University’s Student Center from March 1 through May 12.The exhibition is open to the public and free of charge.

“Our Journeys/Our Stories: Portraits of Latino Achievement” presents narratives and portraits of 24 individuals and one extended family that provide a look at the experiences of U.S. Latinos who have made significant contributions to American life.”

“Race relations on the campus, where 74 percent of undergraduates are white, have become a big topic since a video posted on YouTube showed a white Aggie in blackface, chomping a banana and begging mercy from his “master.”

As word got around, administrators responded swiftly. A&M President Robert Gates strongly condemned the video in several campus-wide communications, and the three students who made the video have withdrawn from the university. The video was removed from YouTube.”

“Hispanic Business magazine honored Tessada & Associates Inc., CEO Enrique Tessada at its 16th annual EOY awards gala on Thursday, November 9 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, Calif.

The event recognized Hispanic entrepreneurs who have worked to advance the U.S. Hispanic market in five distinct industry categories, as well as one overall Hispanic entrepreneur. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award went to Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) founder Dionicio Morales, one of the most enduring advocates for California Mexican Americans since the 1960s. Melinda Guzman, partner at Goldsberry, Freeman & Guzman, LLP and general counsel of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, served as the Mistress of Ceremonies.

Enrique Tessada was the big winner of the evening, taking home the Trade Industry category award as well as the overall Hispanic Business EOY award. A former Navy aviator, Vietnam veteran, and documentary exclusive producer, Tessada founded his infrastructure solutions company, Tessada & Associates Inc., in Springfield, VA in 1993 with a Compaq computer and $500. By 2006, Tessada & Associates Inc., ranked 99th on the Hispanic Business 500(R) with revenues of $70 million and received Minority Contractor of the Year awards from the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service and NASA. A Mexico City native, Tessada immigrated to the U.S. in 1960 and holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and a graduate degree in international public policy from John Hopkins University.

The 16th annual Hispanic Business magazine EOY category winners included:
– Yvonne “Bonnie” Garcia of Market Vision for Latina Entrepreneur
– The Goodman Brothers of Goodman Networks for Infobusiness
– Jose Rey of Rey Group, Inc. for Heavy Industry
– Rainier “Ray” Gonzalez of Pacer Health Corp. for Rising Star
– Enrique Tessada of Tessada & Associates Inc. for Trade Industry

As a young man, Lifetime Achievement Award winner Dionicio Morales saw the need for job development and training among California Hispanics. He founded the MAOF in 1963 (called Equal Opportunity Foundation at the time). By 1965, the MAOF received its first federal grant to provide job training and new careers through education. Today, the MAOF is the largest Latino-based, community-orientated, non-profit organization in the United States. Spanning over 7 counties, the MAOF provides services to over 100,000 Californians, 95 percent of which earn a low to moderate level income.

The Hispanic Business magazine EOY Awards were sponsored by Cadillac, ExxonMobil, Sony Vaio, TGIC Wine Importers, Sprint, Choice Hotels International, American Airlines, FedEx, Microsoft, Telacu, Bank of America, Liberty Power, NL Financial Alliance, and Union Bank of California. “

“When Tito Guerrero III attended Texas A&M in the late 1960s, Earl Rudder was the university president, and women and minorities were scarce, fighting for their right to an education.

Now Guerrero, 59, sits on the sixth floor of Rudder Tower strategizing plans to diversify the student and faculty population.”

“Tito Guerrero, III, Texas A&M University’s vice president and associate provost for diversity, has been named to Hispanic Business Magazine’s “2006 Hispanic Business 100 Influentials” listing.

Guerrero, who was named to his current post with the university in August, was one of 15 individuals honored by the magazine in the field of education in its October edition. As vice president and associate provost for diversity, Guerrero is responsible for providing leadership and implementing Texas A&M’s vision for diversity.”

“Now the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Clearinghouse for Mexican-American Research just needs to prove it can stick around.

The project, begun at the start of the semester as a proposed center to promote and facilitate cultural studies, has $10,000 in research seed money, a small office on the third floor of Bay Hall and a part-time student worker.”

“The former president of Stephen F. Austin State University was tapped Friday to lead Texas A&M University in recruiting a more diverse faculty and student body.

Tito Guerrero III, a 1970 Texas A&M graduate, will start his job as vice president and associate provost for diversity Sept. 1. His salary was not immediately available.

The position was created in 2003 and was first filled by James Anderson, who resigned last year to take a similar job at the University of Albany.”