�鶹AV

�鶹AV President Dr. Jaime Taylor represented the university at a national higher education symposium in Washington, D.C., highlighting �鶹AV’s commitment to student access, success and community impact in Southeast Texas.

�鶹AV has named its Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in honor of longtime faculty member Dr. Victor A. Zaloom, recognizing more than 40 years of leadership, mentorship and philanthropic impact.

As student loan debt continues to impact Texas graduates, �鶹AV leaders say the university’s emphasis on scholarships, grants, and early, individualized financial advising has helped it rank first in the state for lowest average student debt among public four-year institutions.

�鶹AV’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present three spring productions—a scripted play, a student works series, and a dance concert—showcasing faculty-directed theatre, original student work, and a range of dance styles throughout the semester.

�鶹AV physics professor Rafael de la Madrid has received the 2024–2025 David J. Beck Teaching Excellence Award in recognition of his innovative, active-learning teaching approach and exceptional mentorship of undergraduate researchers.

�鶹AV has named senior history major Brittni Silva as its January First Generation Student of the Month, recognizing her perseverance, academic achievement and commitment to becoming an educator as a first-generation college student.

�鶹AV strengthened its role in statewide higher education leadership when CIO Patrick Stewart was unanimously elected to the LEARN Executive Committee, giving the university a voice in shaping Texas’s advanced education and research network services.

�鶹AV has received a $678,003 grant to launch FLOWS, a three-year program engaging Southeast Texas middle and high school students in hands-on flood education, rain garden projects, and community resilience initiatives.

�鶹AV assistant biology professor Dr. Kole Kubicek, a comparative anatomist and fish biologist, studies the development and evolution of fishes while mentoring students in both field and laboratory research, exploring how skeletal structures emerge and vary across species.

�鶹AV has launched the College of Nursing and Health Professions to consolidate existing health programs and expand academic offerings in response to regional and statewide healthcare workforce needs.