TAMIU AIRES Project Helps Ensure Student Success this Spring

This Spring, Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) upper-level STEM students have a powerful support ally in the AIRES (Academic and Industry Readiness in Engineering and Science) project, a five-year, Title V grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Funded for $3 million, it provides academic support services and career readiness training to upper-level undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree programs. Its mission is to assist upper-level STEM students in completing their degrees on time to successfully transition into the workforce upon graduation.

AIRES is led by Dr. Claudia San Miguel, College of Arts and Sciences dean and project director, and Dr. Marcus Antonius Ynalvez, associate dean and co-project director.  Its academic services target the most challenging and demanding upper-level STEM courses by providing proactive advising and dedicated tutoring.  

Dr. San Miguel noted the Program also provides readiness-focused resources for STEM students.

“An additional career readiness component provides a variety of work-based learning opportunities and skill-building workshops. Collectively, they comprise a Comprehensive Readiness Program to ensure the success of TAMIU students. The program’s focus on career readiness is realized through internships, incubatorships, and entrepreneurships,” Dr. San Miguel explained.

Andrea D. Beattie, AIRES program manager, said a new Ebook collection is among this Spring’s Program resources.

“Most recently, AIRES has selected and purchased a curated 123-volume Ebook collection from EBSCO, one of the leading providers of research databases, e-journals, magazine subscriptions, e-books and discovery service to libraries of all kinds. It’s valued at approximately $15,000, and the collection spans topics including STEM Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy, Career and Skill Development, and Start-Ups.   It was compiled through a collaborative effort between AIRES program manager Andrea D. Beattie and Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library director Benjamin Rawlins, and librarians, Elizabeth DeZouche and recently retired librarian Rogelio Hinojosa,” Beattie said.

Students can access the new resources by visiting https://www.tamiu.edu/library/, selecting the “Books” tab, and filter by Ebooks. Search by keywords STEM, Entrepreneurship, Start-Ups, Career Development, Financial Literacy, or Incubators. Titles are also available alternatively by database search, selecting the EBSCO EBook Collection. 

For more information on AIRES and program participation and events, contact Beattie at aires@tamiu.edu, call 956.326.2655 or visit offices in the Academic Innovation Center, room 313.

To preview the Spring Semester at TAMIU, visit: https://go.tamiu.edu/springpreview

Spring Semester face to face classes begin Monday, Jan. 24. Late Registration continues through Jan. 28, 2022.  To learn more about TAMIU’s Registration processes, visit the dedicated Registration Hub at https://go.tamiu.edu/registration.