LULAC Names TAMIU’s Leyendecker Recipient of 2012 Higher Ed Award

The LULAC Council No. 7 has announced that Bede L. Leyendecker, Texas A&M International University associate professor and chair of the College of Arts and Sciences’ department of Fine and Performing Arts, has been selected as Recipient of its 2012 Higher Education Award.

The announcement was made during a press conference held this week at TAMIU’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts.

Organizers said the LULAC Higher Education Award is presented to a deserving individual who has encouraged the growth and advancement of higher education.

Leyendecker has been a member of the TAMIU faculty since 1998 and holds her B.S. and M.S. in Dance from the University of Houston.  Prior to joining TAMIU, she was a longtime dance instructor at Laredo Junior College. She has spearheaded the development of TAMIU’s fine and performing arts programs and the facilities that house them.

LULAC Council 7 is a proud affiliate with the Washington Birthday Celebration since 1996.  The Award to Leyendecker will be presented at the Noche de Cabaret Dance, LULAC’s major scholarship fundraiser, scheduled Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012.

Throughout the years, LULAC Council 7 has been able to build a strong scholarship program with over $450,000 awarded. This year 60 graduates from local high schools received scholarships totaling over $30,000.00.

The Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (TAHPERD) named Leyendecker its College/University Dance Educator of the Year in 2000. She served as TAHPERD’s dance vice president twice and received the group’s Honor Award in 2009.  The Webb County Heritage Foundation presented its Award for the Preservation of Folklore, Customs and Traditions to her in 2004 and 2010. She was named TAMIU’s College of Arts and Sciences Teacher of the Year 2005-2006.

She regularly choreographs for numerous Laredo groups and clubs including the Laredo Little Theater, Laredo Theater Guild International, Women’s City Club’s “Dancing With The Stars” and others.

Leyendecker has successfully secured TAMIU and Laredo’s hosting of the South Central Region’s top academic dance conference, The American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA) Conference in February 2012.  The Conference attracts over 30 colleges and universities from Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas; 500 dance faculty and students are currently registered to attend.

For additional information, contact LULAC Council 7 at 949-7685.

University information is available online at tamiu.edu and on the University’s social media sites on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

A TAMIU smartphone application is also available for free download at tamiu.edu and at online stores for Android, Blackberry and iPhone/iPad.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu