Dear University community,

The semester now seems to be settling into its special rhythm and I hope you are enjoying your experience.

• I’m happy to announce that TAMIU has been ranked fourth among US colleges in the South by Washington Monthly for its “Best Bang for the Buck” Ranking in the 2021 College Guide and Rankings. Last year, we ranked sixth, so we’re moving on up!
• This week, we will begin mandatory random COVID-19 testing here on campus. If you’re selected, you’ll need to test within 72 hours. Additional details will be provided as you are selected. The testing is at no cost to you and helps us to continue to actively secure the health and wellness of our campus community.
• Students: Remember you have until this Wednesday, Sept. 8 to apply for TAMIU CARES. There are over $7 million reasons in student emergency grant assistance to do so.
• On Friday, Sept. 10, I hope all currently enrolled students, faculty and staff will participate in our 2:30 p.m. Reading the Globe Lecture with Dr. Barbara Hong, Dean of University College and author of our Common Read Program selection, Failing Up: A Professor's Odyssey of Flunking, Determination, and Hope. Here’s the sign-up link.
• A big congratulations to Dr. Brett Stephen Nickerson of our College of Nursing and Health Sciences. He has been awarded our first National Institutes of Health research grant, totaling over $929,000. He’ll be looking at Hispanic body composition, research that has profound implications.
• If you’ve ever wondered how we deliver the “international” in our name…especially during a global pandemic…talk to Dr. Daniel Covarrubias of our Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development. He recently delivered a class on logistics clusters via Microsoft teams to students and professors in Germany and Mexico.
• Our Student Government Association and Faculty Senate helped create this video encouraging the use of face coverings on campus. While you’re at it, please visit our COVID-19 Response Center and our Fall Together@TAMIU Plan for faculty, staff, and students for more on the University’s continued COVID-19 response.
• COVID-19 Vaccinations continue to be available on campus. Our National Guard partners are making vaccinations available every Wednesday throughout September from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. in the Student Center Rotunda. Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are available for anyone 12 years old or older. Third doses are also available for those eligible. More info here.
• BTW, if you’d like to be eligible for some great prizes, including free tuition, consider joining our Be A Champ, Get the Shot campaign. Here are some of our winners.

Have a great week… and Go Dustdevils!

- Pablo Arenaz, Ph.D., President

TAMIU Ranked #4 in Washington Monthly's 2021 'Best Bang for the Buck' Southern Colleges

The publication's "2021 College Guide and Rankings" also listed TAMIU among the "Best Colleges for Student Voting" list and ranked TAMIU #73 among the nation's "Top 200 Master's Universities."

"TAMIU is proud to receive news of these rankings as they are a testament to the University's commitment to providing top-quality education at an affordable price to all. Generations of TAMIU students have realized their higher education dreams here and have attained upper social mobility thanks to TAMIU's commitment and dedication to educational excellence."

- Dr. Pablo Arenaz, University president

New $929,500 Research Grant to TAMIU will Explore Body Composition Among Hispanics 

The grant from the National Institutes of Health will fund a four-year research project led by project director and principal investigator Dr. Brett Stephen Nickerson, assistant professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

“This NIH-funded research will involve evaluating the validity of a rapid 4-compartment model....through this model, we’ll be able to get a much more accurate and detailed analysis of body composition than the widely used Body Mass Index measurement. Specifically, it may be useful in clinical visits for determining whether Hispanics have recommended or excessive body fat. This research will also allow us to determine if outlined assumptions employed in current body composition methods are violated when testing a Hispanic population. This may have implications on future research by identifying whether new equations are needed when we’re assessing the body composition of Hispanic adults.”

- Dr. Brett Nickerson, assistant professor of Kinesiology

Fall 2021 TAMIU CARES Applications End Sept. 8 

TAMIU CARES applications for TAMIU students enrolled for the Fall 2021 semester opened Aug. 9, and close Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 3 p.m. To date, TAMIU CARES has provided TAMIU student support in excess of $9 million. Fall TAMIU CARES funding is projected to be $7 million-plus.

TAMIU Offers Enrichment Courses in Ceramics, Sign Language, Drawing this Fall

Courses are offered to the public and participants do not need to be registered as degree-seeking TAMIU students. Aside from courses offered face-to face, the Office of Continuing Education offers hundreds of courses online that range in interest level from career track training programs to skills, enrichment and fundamentals courses.

TAMIU’s Texas Center's Reach Goes Global in Germany, Mexico 

Dr. Daniel Covarrubias, TAMIU director of the Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development, recently delivered a class on logistics clusters, “Port Laredo Logistics Cluster and the Impact of Technology on Logistics” to nine German students and two professors from the Fachhochschule Dortmund and 18 Mexican students and two professors from the Universidad de Guanajuato.

“It was clear that this helped affirm not only the importance of their studies and their future place in global business -- but also the pivotal role that higher education entities like TAMIU play in vital research and teaching that can truly help to sustain business successes.”

- Dr. Daniel Covarrubias, TAMIU director of the Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development

Join our 'Be a Champ, Get the Shot' Initiative

Students who submit their proof of vaccination have a chance at winning like a champ through our University's 'Be a Champ, Get the Shot' initiative.