On the Road

Foreign Language Professor Tim Altanero is a visiting professor of German at North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa, this summer. NWU is one of a few universities that teach primarily in the West Germanic language Afrikaans. While German is not widely spoken in the country, German immigrants founded agricultural towns in the region, and neighboring Namibia was once a German colony. Altanero has taught at ACC since 1999.

ACC sociology professors Rennison Lalgee and Sam Echevarria-Cruz are traveling to Tamil Nadu, India to conduct research for a planned sociology course on social problems in India and an associated study abroad program. They will start in Chennai and proceed to Madurai. Lalgee was one of two recipients of a $1,500 Internationalizing Curriculum, Courses, and Instruction grant from ACC’s International Programs Office. Read about their experiences or share your own on a new International Programs blog.

Sharing Expertise

Instructional Design Specialist Jennifer Gray recently moderated an occupational skills session at the NBC2 NSF ATE Biofuels Workforce Summit at Kapiolani Community College in Honolulu. NBC2 promotes biomanufacturing education in the workforce. ACC Biotechnology faculty members also were panelists at the conference. Read the Community College Times feature about the summit.

Brian Smith, communications and social media coordinator, was a panelist at the Texas Association of Community College Marketers conference in Austin in June. Panelists discussed how to manage social media to engage students and support recruitment marketing.

Just Published

Dorothy Ellis Barnett recently published her memoir, “Road Songs.” Barnett is professor emeritus of creative writing.

The July 8 issue of Community College Week features an article by Dr. Richard Armenta, associate vice president for student success. The opinion piece, “Effective Community Colleges Can’t Thrive on Data Alone,” discusses the relationship between fostering a sense of community on campuses and student retention.

On Stage

Sara Farr

Sara Farr‘s Puppet Improv Project (PIP) performed its eco-friendly story, “TRASH” at Austin’s Dougherty Arts Theater in July. Colorful puppet characters, created from “trash” and recycled materials, presented a tale about the problem of waste in cities. Farr, associate professor of visual communication, founded PIP in 2009; it has been a sponsored project of the Austin Creative Alliance since 2011.

Do you know a faculty or staff member who has accomplished something notable outside the classroom or in their community? We want to hear about them. Contact Jennifer Powers, [email protected].