Spotlight: WISE Conference

WISE Conference showcases opportunities, awards research

By Billi London-Gray

The influence and achievements of women are on the rise in the scientific community and in the world of engineering.

The proof: The second annual Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Conference at Texas State University-San Marcos.

The conference — conceived by biology professor Dr. Dana Garcia and the Women’s Giving Circle, a philanthropic organization formed to benefit the College of Science — brought together leading researchers and industry experts to discuss and promote the work of women scientists and engineers.

Happenings: MR Fest 2011

KTSW festival features
music, market and more

By Britney Munguia

The fourth annual MR Fest, sponsored by Texas State’s KTSW-FM, will be this Friday and Saturday.

Thirty-one bands will be playing at seven  locations across the San Marcos Square, including Texas Music Theater, Texas Skate, Valentino’s, Tantra, The Coffee Pot, Root Cellar and Triple Crown.

Spotlight: Dawson Muñoz

Texas State senior earns
prestigious Fulbright grant

By David King

When Dawson Muñoz was taking classes at South Plains College, he joined a program called Focus Lubbock.

The program, sponsored by the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, is designed to prepare college students in the region for roles in public service and leadership.

One day, all the participants were taken to a gymnasium and told to imagine the floor was a world map and to stand where they expected to work one day.

Virtually everyone in the group — most of them aspiring professionals, many with political ambitions — gathered within the area designated as the United States.

Muñoz started walking. And walking.

“I walked all the way across the gym and I just stood there all by myself,” he recalls. “They went through everybody and asked what they wanted to be. And when they got to me, I said, ‘I want to be an international entrepreneur, and I’m here in Spain conducting international business.’”

Come September, Muñoz will be doing just that. The graduating senior has been awarded a Fulbright grant to work in Spain for 9½ months, helping teach at a secondary school and working on a research project he expects to be related to small business development.

Events: Pack It Up

Community Relations seeks help
for ‘Pack It Up and Pass It On’

Pack It Up and Pass It On, the annual Texas State recycling program that allows students to leave behind items they no longer want to benefit San Marcos residents in need, is under way.

Last year, residence hall students filled five storage units with thousands of useful items, including clothes, shoes, toys, furniture, electronics, unopened toiletries, non-perishable food, computers, household items and books that more than 1,000 clients from United Way of Hays County agencies selected from as they “shopped” for free in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom. Approximately seven tons of useful items were diverted from area landfills.

Study Tips: Finals

Final approach: Don’t hit the wall,
climb over it

By Texas State SLAC

Many students find their anxiety level at an all-time high by the end of the semester. Is this you during finals?

• Feel like you go blank?
• Become frustrated?
• Find yourself thinking, “I can’t do this,” or “I am stupid”?
• Feel your heart racing or find it difficult to breathe?
• Suddenly remember the answers after turning in a test?
• Score much lower on exams than on homework or papers?

Pressure can come from many directions. Maybe you just want to do as well on your final exam as you have during the semester. Maybe you must do well on your final to pull up your grade. Reacting to performance pressure, anxiety and stress can challenge even the best students, but you can take control by “preparing to succeed.”

Spotlight: Lupe Flores

For Texas State class act, Kennedy Center spotlight feels great

By Billi London-Gray

What started with a class assignment quickly became a national stage production for Lupe Flores.

The Texas State University grad student, who is pursuing a master’s in playwriting, recently saw his work performed on stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. His 10-minute play, The Coyote Stratagem, was a finalist in the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival.

Texas State Updates: Bobcats in Baseball

Updating former Texas State players
in professional baseball

Here’s this week’s statistics for former Texas State student-athletes playing professional baseball around the country:

Former Bobcats first baseman Paul Goldschmidt continues to lead the Southern League in home runs, runs batted in, total bases (49), slugging percentage (.845) and on-base-plus-slugging (1.318).

Statistics are compiled from MinorLeagueBaseball.com and MLB.com.

(Only those whose seasons have begun are included. For additions, questions and information, e-mail socialnet@txstate.edu.)

Around Campus: Designate a Driver

Survive finals with a Weekend P.A.S.S.

Finals are fast approaching. You’re probably feeling the stress. When the weekend finally comes, you’re ready to go out and relax.

Unfortunately, many weekend stress-reducers are often accompanied by excessive alcohol consumption. In fact, weekends are the deadliest time for alcohol-related crashes and fatalities.

The Texas Department of Transportation has launched a new campaign encouraging young adults to get a Weekend P.A.S.S. (Person Appointed to Stay Sober) to reduce incidences of drunk driving.

Texas State Updates: Japan Relief Fundraiser

Texas State Japanese club
to sponsor benefit event

Click to view larger image.

The Japanese Language and Culture Club at Texas State is sponsoring an event Thursday to raise funds for earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan.

“Sakura Night: A Night for Japan” will be from 6 to 8 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom. Admission is $3, with all proceeds going to the Red Cross Japan Relief Fund.

Japanese snacks and drinks will be provided, and there will be a silent auction of items from Japan.

Spotlight: Leanna Miller

Industrial engineering student lights up a career path

By Billi London-Gray

Leanna Miller came to Texas State unsure where her path would lead. But with the help and guidance of her professors, she found a field she describes as “a perfect fit.”

The Texas State senior always new she had a knack for mathematics and problem-solving. She chose Texas State because of the school’s proximity to her hometown, Spring, and because of the beautiful campus. She chose her major after receiving guidance from a professor.

“My introductory professor helped guide all students into the correct major, where they belonged; for me, it was industrial engineering,” Miller says.