TAMIU Annual Report 2021

Q: What’s 30-foot long, three stories tall, offers an inspired sense of our shared culture and past and is poised to become a living, iconographic destination for downtown Laredo? A: “The Living Mural,” a downtown, interactive, three-dimensional mosaic mural funded by a $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grant installed on-site at the historic La Posada Hotel. This innovative project is led by Grant authors, principals and TAMIU art faculty members Emily Bayless, assistant professor, ceramics, and Josias Figueirido, assistant professor, drawing and painting. They’re assisted by student research associates Elkin Cortez Cab, Daniela Jiménez, Lauretta Martínez, and Vanessa Rodríguez Renteria. While the project is still in development and won’t be mounted till late next year, the pair’s enthusiasm for the multi-part, collaborative project is palpable. Professor Bayless says the idea sprang from the very location that will be the future home to The Living Mural. “We had a student show at the La Posada in 2020 and remarked at the time that it seemed to be a great collaborative location…the historical center of town, an area ripe for rejuvenation...and we thought a 3D mosaic had the potential to be attractive for an NEA Grant,” she recalled. The pair worked with the University’s Office of Research and Sponsored Projects to develop their proposal. Additional funding for student research assistance is provided by the University’s ACT on IDEAS program. Read more about The Living Mural online at go.tamiu.edu/living-mural NEA-FUNDED ‘THE LIVING MURAL’ TO SHARE LAREDO HISTORY, CULTURE Left to right: Josias Figueirido and Emily Bayless. This Fall, TAMIU students welcomed a new one-stop center for academic success, featuring free tutoring and academic advising services both in-person and online with flexible and extended hours of operation. TAMIU’s Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) provides houses previously existing academic support services in one center to ensure students have ready access to the resources needed to complete their degrees in a timely manner. Dr. Barbara Hong, University College dean, said ACE provides free, subject tutoring such as reading content and writing courses to all students and one-on-one academic advising for freshman, transfer, and returning students. Students can also receive supplemental instruction in historically difficult courses integrating “what to learn” with “how to learn” concepts through weekly sessions. “The mission of University College is to empower students to become competent, resilient, and self- determined life-long learners, and ACE was established to guide TAMIU students through their academic journey, “ she said, “The ACE team is made up of highly-qualified and caring faculty and staff who are here to provide direction and personalized support so that students can successfully complete their education at TAMIU in a timely manner.” ACE wants students to readily identify and take advantage of its free services as soon as they are admitted to TAMIU, Hong concluded. To find out more, visit: go.tamiu.edu/ace TAMIU STUDENTS GET AN ACE FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS OUTREACH 32