23 Dr. Kameron Jorgensen, TAMIU associate professor of Chemistry, research faculty member, and advisor for TAMIU’s ACS Student Chapter, led the group, accompanied by Dr. Alfred Addo-Mensah, TAMIU professor of Chemistry. Seven students presented original research during the Undergraduate Research Poster Session, sharing projects conducted under the mentorship of TAMIU faculty. Six student leaders delivered an oral presentation highlighting the achievements of the ACS Student Chapter, which culminated in the group receiving a Commendable Student Chapter Award. “Our students not only demonstrated academic excellence but also modeled leadership, professionalism, and scientific curiosity,” said Dr. Jorgensen. To learn more about LSAMP at TAMIU, visit the LSAMP program page at go.tamiu.edu/lsamp. TAMIU STUDENTS CONDUCT SERVICE ABROAD IN COSTA RICA This summer, TAMIU students traveled internationally for service through the University’s newly established Service Abroad program. Ten TAMIU students, four graduate and six undergraduates, embarked on an excursion to Costa Rica, where they engaged in hands-on community service experience and cross-cultural exchange. The life-changing initiative took place June 21 – 27, as the group visited San José and Sarapiquí, where they partnered with the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation to support various communityfocused initiatives in La Carpio, one of the most vulnerable neighborhoods in the region. There, TAMIU students assisted the Foundation’s food bank delivery services, participated in reading sessions with children and youth, led icebreaker games, and hosted educational cultural activities. Additionally, students volunteered at the Centro de Cuidado y Desarrollo Infantil, a local daycare center serving children from low-income families. Elisa Saldívar, a University graduate student and program participant, noted the importance of the Service Abroad program. “Volunteering in Costa Rica was a powerful experience that deepened my connection with locals and my TAMIU team. Our projects and donations made a meaningful impact on the children we served and inspired me to continue volunteering both locally and globally,” said Saldívar. TAMIU’S DR. THOMPSON, THREE GRAD STUDENTS PRESENT AT TSHA MEETING Dr. Jerry D. Thompson, Regents Piper Professor of History at TAMIU, has taught history first at Laredo College and then TAMIU for 56 years, encouraging hundreds of students to pursue graduate degrees. At the Annual Meeting of the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) in Houston, held Feb. 27 – March 1, 2025, three of his top graduates joined their current and former TAMIU professor for a session he chaired, “Political, Economic, and Social Leaders on the 20th Century South Texas Borderlands.” Zach Nora completed his master’s in history at TAMIU and is now a PhD student in History at the University of Oklahoma. Nora presented his TAMIU Master’s thesis on “King Petrol: Oliver Winfield Killam and the South Texas Oil Boom.” Diana Medina-Rendón, who finished her TAMIU Master’s thesis last Spring, presented, “Abraham ‘Chick’ Kazen and the Creation of the Kickapoo Nation Reservation” in Eagle Pass. Rendon holds a bachelor’s in history and two additional graduate degrees, all from TAMIU. Grace Maciel, who also finished her TAMIU Master’s thesis last Spring, presented “Heinrich Portscheller: Famous Only by Design.” Dr. Thompson said he was gratified to share the TSHA stage with current and former students. “All three are among some of the best graduate students I have ever had,” he offered, “This TSHA session I chaired offered a fascinating exploration of South Texas history,” said Thompson. UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Dr. Jerry D. Thompson
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mzk1Mzc4