29 UNIVERSITY OUTREACH TAMIU PROFESSORS PRESENT WEBB COUNTY RESEARCH A research report prepared by TAMIU faculty providing insight from a “Structural and Administrative Analysis of Webb County (2000-2020)” was presented to members of the Webb County Commissioners’ Court this summer. Researchers Dr. Peter F. Haruna, professor of Public Administration and director of the Master of Public Administration Program, and Dr. Mehnaaz Momen, professor of Public Administration, prepared the Report. Dr. Momen said the Report project had three main objectives. “One... to conduct a structural administrative analysis and address the challenges related to the County’s continuous growth and development; two, to identify gaps in understanding such a vast, rural County, especially regarding various stakeholders and processes in its governance and resource management, and three, to extract the lessons learned and provide suitable recommendations that we hope will improve governance,” Momen explained. Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina concurred with the value of the Report. “On behalf of Commissioners Court, I […] extend our heartfelt thanks to TAMIU, Dr. Peter F. Haruna, Dr. Mehnaaz Momen, and all key players whose dedication made this comprehensive research report possible,” Judge Tijerina said. HISTORY CONFERENCE FEATURES TAMIU GRAD STUDENTS, ALUMS The first-ever Alliance for Texas History (ATxH) Conference at Texas State University in San Marcos included a session presentation made up entirely of TAMIU alums. Presenting at the conference were Zachariah Nora, TAMIU MA in History/Political Thought alum and current PhD. student at the University of Oklahoma; Pablo Rangel, MA in History/Political Thought alum and former College of Arts and Sciences writing consultant, and Rebecca Romero, MA in History/Political Thought alum and University College academic advisor. Serving as a moderator for the session was Dr. Leah LaGrone, assistant professor of History at Weber State University... who also holds a Bachelor of Arts from TAMIU. Commenting at the session was Dr. Deborah Blackwell, TAMIU associate professor of History. She noted the need for these opportunities to further rigorous historical research through critical thinking practices. “To understand the past, we need to be able to appreciate both its differences from our own times and the ways in which that past influences our lives,” said Dr. Blackwell. Dr. Peter Haruna, center, and Dr. Mehnaaz Momen, right, Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) Public Administration professors, present research findings and recommendations to the Webb County Commissioners Court. They were joined by TAMIU MPA graduate student and research assistant Victoria Alfaro (left). Zachariah Nora, Rebecca Romero, Dr. Deborah Blackwell and Pablo Rangel
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