‘Mosaic TAMIU’ Experience Profiles Newest Faculty Members
To meet the educational needs of its thriving community, Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) recruits faculty members from across the country and around the world. The University’s faculty focuses on educating students, engaging dynamically with the community and continuing their professional research, often to national and international acclaim.
In an effort to showcase TAMIU faculty, the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services, in concert with the Office of the Provost, developed Mosaic TAMIU, an immersive online experience that profiles new faculty members. Through the Mosaic experience, visitors can learn more about the University’s gifted faculty.
Jesse Shaw
Shaw’s interest in the arts began at an early age, but it wasn’t until reaching college that he really explored his interest in printmaking.
“As a kid, I was always been interested in comics and drawing stories. It wasn't until I took a printmaking course in college that I realized what I was truly into - graphic art,” said Shaw. “When I made my first print, I knew it would be the medium that best suited my artistic vision.”
A native of Clarksville, Tennessee, Shaw earned a Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design.
He has been featured extensively art exhibits in major cities throughout the U.S., including Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York
Currently, Shaw is an assistant professor of art at TAMIU. In addition to his work as an educator, Shaw works as an assistant fine art printmaker at the Durham Press.
He hopes to make a profound impact on the students at the University through community-wide art projects and preparing students for careers in the arts.
“My research will bring a unique presence to TAMIU and the Laredo area. We will have a large silkscreen press and will be outfitted to publish professional screenprints and posters,” Shaw reiterated.
Learn more about Shaw through the interactive, online Mosaic TAMIU project at http://www.tamiu.edu/mosaic/jesse_shaw.shtml.
Dr. Abby Lloyd
Growing up, music has played an important role in the life of Dr. Abby Lloyd.
“Music has always been important in my family, and I played many instruments growing up,” said Lloyd. “By the time I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to get my doctorate in music and establish a career as a performer and a teacher.”
A native of Jefferson City, Missouri, Lloyd earned a Doctorate in Musical Arts and Master of Arts in Musicology from Arizona State University. She also earned a Master of Music Education, with an emphasis in Clarinet Performance from the University of Missouri - Kansas City.
Lloyd has performed with various ensembles including the 108thArmy Band, the Arizona State University Symphony and Wind Orchestras and the Missouri Symphony Orchestra. She’s received several accolades on behalf of the 108th Army Band, including being named the 2017 Soldier of the Year and receiving the Senior Leadership Award.
Currently, Lloyd is an assistant professor of Music at TAMIU. She hopes to use her doctoral research to help increase music access to minority students while promoting a stronger emphasis on the arts in the community.
“Through this research, I discovered how important it is to cultivate music programs that reach minority students and those who might not otherwise have access,” Lloyd explained.
Learn more about Lloyd through the interactive, online Mosaic TAMIU project at http://www.tamiu.edu/mosaic/abbylloyd.shtml.
Dr. Joseph J. García
Several defining moments during the life of Dr. Joseph J. García helped guide his path toward becoming an educator, including the memory of his parents winning a voting rights case in the 1980s and his service in the U.S. Peace Corps in Paraguay.
“These two experiences involved the promotion of a more humane and just world that influenced and inspired my field of study,” said García.
A native of Taft, Texas, he earned a Ph.D. in Latin American Studies (Sociology and History) and a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies/Master of Community and Regional Planning at the University of New Mexico.
García has been published in the Journal of South Texas by the South Texas Historical Association and is currently completing drafts for the Mid-Atlantic Review of Latin American Studies and the International Journal of Cuban Studies, amongst others.
He has been invited to attend and speak at international conferences including the 38thannual Mid-Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies - Changing Climates in the Americas Conference and the International Cuban Revolution Symposium.
Currently, García serves as an assistant professor of Sociology at TAMIU. During his time at TAMIU, he hopes to instill within his students a sense of purpose and motivation to combat the injustices of the world.
Learn more about García through the interactive, online Mosaic TAMIU project at http://www.tamiu.edu/mosaic/josephgarcia.shtml.
For more information, click on the tamiu.edu. Contact the TAMIU Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu, or visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 268.
The University’s story is also told on its social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
