TAMIU ‘La Frontera’ Lecture Series Begins Feb. 24 with A&M Regent Mendoza

A new lecture series focused on ensuring Laredo’s children are healthy, supported, and arrive at school ready to learn will be inaugurated this  Thursday, Feb. 24 from 6 – 7 p.m. and feature Texas A&M University System Regent Elaine Mendoza.

The virtual lecture is free of charge and available to all. Registration and additional details are available online at:  https://go.tamiu.edu/COEDSeries1

TAMIU’s College of Education and Laredo Learns co-host the new series, dubbed The La Frontera Speaker Series.  Dean of the College of Education Dr. James O’Meara explained its mission.

“Through this occasional Series, we want to connect thought leaders from various professional fields to students, agencies, and community members across Texas. The Series is designed to inspire and stimulate conversation, and provide a unique opportunity to hear from and interact with our featured speakers.  Its offering is consistent with the University’s goal of serving as a leading academic resource for improving the quality of lives for citizens of the border region, the State of Texas, and national and international communities,” Dr. O’Meara said.

Inaugural Series guest speaker Elaine Mendoza was appointed to the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System in 2011 by Governor Rick Perry and is Chair of the Committee on Academic and Student Affairs. A member of the P16Plus Council of Greater Bexar County, a Board member of Generation Texas San Antonio, and member of former Mayor Castro’s Brainpower Committee, she serves on the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of The Texas Technology Development Center. 

Mendoza is founder, President, and CEO of Conceptual MindWorks, Inc. (CMI). Established in 1990, CMI is a biotechnology and medical informatics company  in San Antonio. Its strengths lie in building scientific and technical teams to develop and deliver unique solutions to address issues in areas such as chemical/biological defense, trauma medicine, and population health.

Laredo Learns is a group of local residents working to advance the economic prosperity, and sustainable development of Laredo by expanding access to quality education and lifelong learning opportunities.

Memo Treviño of Laredo Learns said the Series offers an innovative way to help families.

“Many families with young children in Texas are having trouble getting the support they need, especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Now more than ever we need to hear from Texans about how we can invest in quality early childhood care, opportunities to learn, and to support families to ensure our children are healthy and arrive at school ready to learn,” Treviño noted.

Additional announced speakers in the new La Frontera Speaker Series include David Leebron, Doug Foshee, Sarah Baray, Sydney Ahern, and Sheetal Singh. Future topics to be explored will include Teacher Education, STEM Education, and Bilingual Education.

For more about the Series, contact Dr. O’Meara at  james.omeara@tamiu.edu  Information on College of Education programs and resources is available at tamiu.edu/coedu