Top Ten Moments: December 2022

Beth and I had so much fun celebrating the 50th anniversary of the TXST College of Health Professions. Grateful for the leadership of our four deans - especially our current dean, Dr. Ruth Welborn. It was remarkable looking back over all that our team has achieved since 1972.

I announced big changes on the horizon for our Round Rock Campus. In the spring, TXST will launch a nation-wide search for a vice president for operations and community engagement for our Round Rock Campus. I also established the Round Rock Campus Leadership and Organizational Structure Work Group to support the growth of the campus.

Beth and I hosted and attended several fun holiday events, including Holiday Open Houses for faculty, staff, and students on both campuses; a Community Holiday Open House in San Marcos; and Dreidels with the Damphousses, an opportunity to share the food and traditions of the Hanukkah season with the TXST Jewish Faculty and Staff Association. We loved the fellowship and celebrating the season with friends and colleagues

It is exciting to see industry support our students! We are grateful for the scholarships presented by concrete industry leaders and the Concrete Industry Management National Steering Committee. Our Bobcats are a driving force in the concrete industry with 100% of TXST grads employed at graduation earning a typical starting annual salary of $75,000.

Many thanks to all the TXST staff members who joined Beth and me in serving over 1,600 students a late-night breakfast from 10-midnight. A good/messy/sticky/fun time was had by all as we gave students the fuel they needed to study for finals and finish the semester strong.

I enjoyed meeting with our TXST Faculty of Color at Texas State (FoCaTS) at their Winter Break Social. Many thanks to Dr. Aimee Roundtree and Dr. Melissa Martinez for providing leadership to this group and to our university. I love their passion!

I am thrilled to welcome G.J. Kinne as the 21st head football coach in our program history. After meeting with several candidates, it became clear to me Coach Kinne was the right person to lead our football program forward. He demonstrated leadership experience, success as a head coach, and success with recruiting and developing players. Welcome to the Bobcat Nation, Coach!

I enjoyed a night on the San Marcos Square with the Fashion Merchandising Association at their annual fashion show. It’s inspiring to see the creative, hands-on learning opportunities our students receive outside the classroom.

Great fun with the annual TXST ring ceremony. The students pick up their rings with their families, take pics, and dunk their ring in water that comes straight out of the San Marcos River. I was honoured to fill the dunk tank to kick things off. Great job by the Alumni Association to make this a special moment for our future alumni!

I loved attending the TXST Ingram School of Engineering Senior Design Day. The poster presentations and awards ceremony showcased the talented, motivated, and brilliant students we have at TXST. This month’s NEXT Up profile features electrical engineering student Benjamin Swan who presented during the event.