TAMIU Annual Report 2018

2018 Annual Report / IMPACT E X P L O R I N G / I M PA C T Earth Week Celebration Impacts Future Sustainability When your University president is also a research biologist, don’t be surprised if he shows a keen interest in science and its impact on campus. TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz said the University is tightly focused on campus sustainability and so dedicates a weekly observance to Earth Week on campus…and yes, Maroon is the new Green. “Sustainability is an important lesson for everyone, and Earth Week helps students learn how they can make a difference in their lives now and in the future. We’re fortunate to leverage our energy budget to fund much-needed energy and infrastructure upgrades designed to save money and improve our students’ learning environment,” Dr. Arenaz said. The week-long observation takes place in April and includes a pond clean-up, a recycling extravaganza and water conservation event, on-campus Community Garden beautification, a recycled bench dedication and more. Behind the scenes, there’s also some serious energy saving strategies at work with TAMIU partner Schneider Electric. Existing electric and chilled water metering systems have been upgraded, interior and exterior LED retrofits have taken place, HVAC equipment at the Residential Learning Community upgraded and campus water conservation optimized with domestic water fixtures and an irrigation well. And there’s more green, erm, maroon to come. “In 2019, we’ll initiate our Conserve My Planet Student Engagement Program aimed at gener- ating over $14 million in guaranteed savings over the life of the project and reducing energy consumption by 4,080,836 kWh per year -- an impact equivalent to removing 1,500,643 pounds of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere,” Dr. Arenaz concluded. Students Complete National Internships Summertime for TAMIU students often translates into impactful opportunities – like the chance to travel and study abroad, or to complete an extra course and get ahead on their degree plan schedule. For students Pauline Arredondo, María Jacobo and Cesar Villarreal, a 10-week-long summer internship through the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) National Internship Program helped further their career prospects and bolster their skills. Arredondo, a business administration major, worked out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Chief Financial Officer inWashington, D.C. Jacobo, a sophomore accounting major, completed an internship at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, also in Washington. Villarreal, a senior system engineering major, traveled to the U.S. Department ofAgriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services Office in Knoxville, Tenn. Established in 1986, HACU represents over 470 colleges and universities across the U.S. 20

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