TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE WACO MAGA ZINE

Digital InnovationDigital InnovationTSTC computer programs continue to TSTC computer programs continue to evolve with industry changes leading evolve with industry changes leading the way in digital innovation.the way in digital innovation. (Page 5)(Page 5)

IN THIS ISSUE

Building for the Future:

New campus facilities (Page 11)

ALSO

TSTC Workforce Development off ers

unique training opportunities

for businesses. (Page 13)

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There are so many exciting things happening at Texas State Technical College Waco, and to help keep you apprised of the latest developments, we have created TSTC Magazine.

Since my days as a student, I have always been amazed by the hard work and dedication of the college’s students, employees, alumni and many supporters who ensure TSTC successfully continues its mission. With the uncertain economic times, we are proud of the fact that TSTC graduates are still highly sought aft er by business and industry. It is through persistent growth and development that TSTC continues to change lives and positively impact

the economy of Texas. The new TSTC Magazine will help us recognize those who serve and support the college.

Whether it’s through a feature on our new and emerging instructional programs, such as the vast range of computer programs highlighted in this edition’s article “Digital Innovation,” updates on our building projects and new initiatives in Building for the Future” or learning about the college’s partnerships in the “Q&A: Workforce Development’s David Day” — this magazine covers it all. And through a wide array of photographs, you will not only hear about the many changes, you will get to see them too!

I hope you enjoy the publication and look forward to hearing your comments.

Thanks for all you do for TSTC!

Dr. Elton E. Stuckly, Jr.TSTC Waco President

It’s a great day to be at TSTC.

PRESIDENT

Dr. Elton E. Stuckly, Jr.

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Jan Osburn

EDITOR

Sarah-Jane Menefee

STAFF WRITERS

Mary DrennonSarah-Jane MenefeeJan Osburn

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Mark BurdineRobin ReidSarah-Jane Menefee

PHONE • (254) 867-3035WEBSITE • www.tstc.comE-MAIL • tstcmagazine@tstc.edu

NUMBERS TO KNOW

Main 1-800-792-8784Recruiting (254) 867-2360College Records (254) 867-2362Alumni Association (254) 867-2026

TSTC WACO MAGAZINE is published two times a year by the Marketing & Communications offi ce at Texas State Technical College Waco.

Texas State Technical College Waco is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate of Applied Science degrees and Certifi cates of Completion. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Texas State Technical College Waco.

© Copyright 2010 Texas State Technical College Waco. All rights reserved.

A PUBLICATION OF TSTC WACO VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1

FALL 2010

MAGAZINE

WRITE TO US:We welcome your letters. The editor reserves the right to determine the suitability of letters for publication and to edit them for accuracy and length. Letters should refer to material published in the magazine and include the writer’s full name, address and telephone number. If an alum, please include degree and year of degree.

E-MAIL: tstcmagazine@tstc.edu

WRITE:TSTC Waco Magazine3801 Campus Drive Waco, TX 76705 Attn: Marketing & Communications

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duFrom the President

Texas State Technical College

3 Tech NotesCampus news and accolades

5 Digital InnovationComputer programs off er new degrees to keep in line with technological advances in industry

7 Campus SnapshotSolar cell installation at the Electronics Center

11 Building for the FutureNew facilities accommodate growing programs

13 Campus Q&AAssociate Vice President for Workforce Development David Day outlines the division’s off erings

ON THE COVER

CNS student Matt Bischoff works with a cluster of hard drives to build a high performance computer.

MAGAZINE

Contents & Calendar

14 People & PlacesPhotos from TSTC events

Campus Snapshot Page 7-8

In This Issue:

OCTOBER

22 Professional Development Day - classes canceled

NOVEMBER

12 Last day to withdraw

15 Registration begins for returning students

22 Registration begins for new students

25-26 Student & employee holiday

DECEMBER

10 End of semester

Fall Commencement, 6 p.m., Waco Convention Center

24 Campus closed for winter break

JANUARY

3 Campus reopens

5 Last day to register for spring

10 Spring classes begin

17 Student & employee holiday

FEBRUARY

18 Last day to apply for graduation

MARCH

7-11 Spring Break — Student holiday

31 Industry Career Day

APRIL

1-2 College Preview & Open House

4 Registration begins for returning students

11 Registration begins for new students 28 Last day to register for summer

29 End of semester

Spring Commencement, 6 p.m., Waco Convention Center

Calendar of Events

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Since the report’s inception, TSTC has ranked top in the state numer-ous times, and the college consis-tently stays on the top 50 list in nearly every category for which it is eligible.

Building rededication honors college’s founders

To mark the college’s 45th an-niversary, TSTC held a building Rededication Ceremony on April 23. During the ceremony, the TSTC campus joined with community leaders in the unveiling of building plaques to honor important college founders. TSTC offi cials commended posthumously local civic leaders and business professionals Harlon

TSTC tops degree conferrals TSTC leads the way among Texas colleges in three categories, accord-ing to Community College Week’s annual report, “Top 100 Associate Degree Producers,” 2010 edition. TSTC earned the top Texas spot for graduating the most students in the Precision Production, Engineer-ing Technologies/Technicians and Computer & Information Sciences & Support Services categories. The college also ranked No. 2 in Texas in the Agriculture, Agriculture Operations & Related Sciences category. Community College Week also ranked the college as the fastest-growing two-year public college in Texas in its December 2009 issue.

Fentress, J. H. Kultgen and Harry Provence, who were represented by their families. Offi cials also honored former Texas Sen. Mur-ray Watson Jr., who addressed the audience. They, along with former Texas Gov. John B. Connally and the fi rst TSTC president, Dr. Roy Dug-ger, hold a special place of honor at TSTC; each now have a facility named for them. The plaques not only serve as a tribute to these important individuals, they help ensure future students understand these honorees’ signifi cant contri-butions to TSTC’s creation.(See photos on Page 14)

TSTC Palacios branch to close TSTC offi cials announced in June the college is phasing out its programs off ered at the Texas State Marine Education Center in Palacios by December 2010. TSTC Waco President Dr. Elton E. Stuckly Jr. met with the faculty and staff to talk about the impending closure. Offi cials are working directly with Palacios students, assisting them in completing their programs of study. Students who do not com-plete their programs by December can fi nish at another TSTC location. TSTC currently teaches Environ-mental Health & Safety Technology, Diesel Equipment Technology, and Pharmacy Technician at the Marine Education Center. Despite an enrollment increase and the generosity of a lease from the Navigation Board, the rising cost of a technical education made it economically unfeasible to keep the Palacios Center open.

student kudos

TSTC Waco brings home SkillsUSA Nationals goldThe results are in from the National SkillsUSA championships that took place in Kansas City, Mo. from June 21 to June 25. Winners from TSTC Waco are as follows:

Gold: Victor Rocha, Architectural Draft ingGold: Thomas Stewart, Digital Game DevelopmentGold: Christopher Coff ey, Electronic Installation & MaintenanceSilver: George Buchanan, Computer ProgrammingBronze: Delsia Contreras, Food & Beverage Service

Follow us at:twitter.com/tstcwaco

tech notesCampus News & Briefs

Back from left: Sponsor Edward Hernandez, Thomas Stewart, Delsia Contreras and sponsors David Dunham and Wayne Connally. Front from left: George Buchanan, Victor Rocha and Christopher Coff ey.

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Become a fan at:facebook.com/tstcwaco

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New programs, degrees at TSTCAir Traffi c Control The Federal Aviation Administra-tion’s (FAA) approval of TSTC’s new Air Traffi c Control associate degree through its Air Traffi c Collegiate Training Initiative made TSTC the only public college in Texas to off er it. This exciting new program off ers the basics in air traffi c control and provides an advanced route into the FAA’s Air Traffi c Control Academy. The program launched this fall and already has a waiting list.

Residential Energy Effi ciency Specialist Certifi cate A two-semester certifi cate program started this fall to teach students about preventing home energy waste. The Residential Energy Effi ciency Specialist (REES) certifi cate, part of Building Construction Technology, will certify students to perform energy audits, improve home effi ciency and other important energy-related functions. The certifi cate is perfect for those who work in the residential building/construction fi elds, but even homeowners can train to reduce energy waste in their own homes.

Two-year Radiation Protection Technology degree The Environmental Health & Safety technology has added a two-year degree in Radiation Protection Technology that started in the fall of 2010. Students progress from basic radiation safety courses to advanced instruction in radiation physics, waste management/disposal, toxicology, solid-state radiation detection systems and much more. The associate degree was created in response to the current high demand for trained radiation safety technicians throughout the country.

Information/Communication Technologies Core begins The Computer/Graphics division at TSTC has reorganized to create a more streamlined process for incoming students. It’s a simple idea. Instead of going to their individual tech-nologies for the same introductory computer courses, all incoming Computer/Graphics students will take their fi rst semester through the Information/Communication Technologies Core. The core’s curriculum divides students into one of two tracks based on their chosen degree: graphics or information technol-ogy (IT). Students in the Advertis-ing, Design & Print, Web Design & Development, Media Commu-nication & Information, Digital Media Design and Computer

Science Technology (artists) take the graphics track, while stu-dents in Computer Networking & Systems Administration, Network Security, Computer Maintenance, High Performance Computing and Computer Science (programming) technologies take the IT track. It’s not exactly a new method. The “core model“ also has been used successfully in the Engineer-ing division to cut down on repli-cated classes across campus. Cindy Kimbrell, Computer/Graphics division director, notes the reorganization will help prepare students for the tougher coursework in their majors. “One of the purposes of the core is to give students a solid foun-dation so when they get to their technologies they can concentrate on advanced work,” Kimbrell said.

Chef Len Pawelek, a Food Ser-vice/Culinary Arts (FSC) instructor at TSTC, recently completed his requirements to earn the Certifi ed Executive Chef designation from the American Culinary Federation (ACF). He now joins an elite rank in Cen-tral Texas, becoming just the second person in the Waco-Temple-Killeen area to take — and pass — the rigorous testing to gain the distinc-tion. TSTC is fortunate to have the other chef in Central Texas with this designation, Mark Schneider, as its Food Service/Culinary Arts Depart-ment Chair.

faculty kudosCampus News & Briefs

Chef Len Pawelek, InstructorFood Service/Culinary Arts

Steven Moss, English Department assistant chair, was spotlighted in a public radio documentary that aired across the nation in February and March 2010. Moss was interviewed for “Race and the Space Race,” part of a three-hour “Out of This World” documentary series, that explored race and NASA’s space program. Moss, who wrote his college thesis on race and NASA’s impact on the South, gave two interviews for the program, which aired on more than two dozen public radio stations across the U.S, reaching thousands of listeners.

Steven Moss, Assistant ChairEnglish Department

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Behind closed doors at the John B. Connally Technology Center at Texas State Technical College, some interesting things are quietly unfolding. BIG things. In fact, some so big, you’d be hard pressed to fi nd them at other colleges.

Digital innovations

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Take the new High Performance Computing (HPC) program, for example. Launched this fall, TSTC is one of two schools in the entire nation to off er an associate degree in this amazing technology. HPC Program Chair Walton Yantis calls it a great resource to intro-duce students to graphical processing. Essentially, supercomputing — another moniker for HPC — is a high-speed process to solve computa-tional problems for industry and the scientifi c community. You might think of it as a revved-up computer, but actually it’s multiple comput-ers performing parallel processing to solve complex problems. And, thanks to more than $1 million in generous industry donations, it’s off to a great start. In addition to a top-line Cray supercomputer and high-tech machine room, the program has a student-built “vis“ wall. The 8-by-4-foot “vi-sual supercomputer“ features 24 monitors working in sync that allows users to run high resolution data simulations. And people are starting to notice. “There are a lot of eyes on us right now because of its uniqueness,” said Yantis. “Businesses and universities have begun to take notice and are interested in our activities here at TSTC.”

By Mary Drennon

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But the HPC program is not all they’re eyeing. The launch of the new Digital Forensics Investigation (DIF) program has snagged its fair share of att ention, with Program Chair Derek Smith fi elding multiple media requests for interviews. That’s because the program is one of the hott est career choices these days. Digital forensics specialists help investigators solve crimes by tracking the “digital foot-prints” left behind on com-puters, cell phones, PDAs and other digital devices. The information they gather oft en becomes the key focal point in crime investigations, divorce sett lements, compa-ny espionage and more. This has opened opportunities for trained experts who know their way around computers. While the DIF program isn’t new, it has evolved over the last fi ve years into the associate degree track, ap-proved in the fall of 2009. In its beginning stages, there were few students due to stringent prerequisites. Aft er a push to make it more ac-cessible, it att racted 80 students in just 10 days. When the associate degree launched, adding the top-rated Forensic Toolkit soft ware used by industry pros, the program soared. Today, there are more than 180 students enrolled. The added opportunity for students to gain a dual degree in Network Security Technology in just two extra semesters doesn’t hurt, either. “When our students hit the job market, they are much stronger job candidates,” said Smith. “These days, both Network Security and Digital Forensics are some of the hott est careers in the market.” Another hot career choice is also booming at TSTC. Computer Science Technology’s (CST) two programs geared for the video game industry – Graphics, Gaming & Simulation for Programmers or Artists – have mush-roomed since their start, launching some very successful careers in gaming.

Just ask Jason Jurecka. When he enrolled at TSTC, the department hadn’t fully developed the video game curriculum it currently off ers. But, as a highly motivated student, Jurecka learned his way around computers, and programming, extremely well. As he was about to graduate in 2002, CST Instructor

Susie Watkins drew Jurec-ka’s att ention to the gaming component of program-ming, helping him to fi nd a school specializing in game development. From there, Jurecka moved to Big Huge Games and his career began to grow. An interview while on a trip to visit California brought Jurecka to Rockstar Games. Rising within com-

pany ranks to become a senior programmer, he helped developed the popular game, “Red Dead Redemption.” It was an instant success, making millions of dollars. While it may be a long way from TSTC to Rockstar Games, Jurecka gives strong credit to TSTC. “TSTC essentially was my college,” he said. “When I went to Full Sail University in Florida, it was my gradu-ate school. But TSTC is what I based everything on. Because of my previous experience at TSTC, it made my gaming degree a whole lot easier.” Today, the CST program is quite sophisticated. Com-plete with a Vicon 8i Motion Capture System, referred to as mocap, students learn the process of recording and capturing movement in a digital model. It’s used for a lot more than games. The process of motion capture is utilized extensively in the military, medical, sports and entertainment fi elds. These and other programs continue to evolve at TSTC, att racting industry att ention and drawing additional students. Peek behind the doors of TSTC sometime — you might be surprised at what you’ll fi nd.

“When our students hit the job market, they are much stronger job candidates. These days, both Network Security and Digital Forensics are some of the hottest careers in the market.”

Derek Smith

Digital Forensics Department Chair

• Computer Maintenance Technology and Home Integration Technology: (254) 867-4861, www.waco.tstc.edu/cmt

• Computer Networking & Systems Administration: (254) 867-4831, www.waco.tstc.edu/cns

• Computer Science Technology: (254) 867-4862, www.waco.tstc.edu/cst• Digital Forensics Investigation and Network Security Technology:

(254) 867-2018, www.waco.tstc.edu/nst• High Performance Computing: (254) 867-4831, www.waco.tstc.edu/hpc

For additional information about the programs off eredat TSTC call, toll-free 800-792-8784.

Get Connected

snapshotLET THE SUN SHINE: The TSTC Electronics Center got an added boost of power from a new solar cell installation in August. Featured here are Solyndra solar modules that are designed to capture sunlight across 360-degrees, including light that refl ects from the white roof below the cells. This removes the arduous task of rotating the older-style solar panels and saves more energy overall.

The solar cells were installed as part of a grant from the State Energy Conservation Offi ce. Several types of solar cells were installed by professionals with the help of TSTC Solar Technology students. Once it’s fully installed, the total system will off set the electricity costs for the Electronics Center, as well as serve as a solar lab for TSTC students.

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INSTALLMENT TSTC Solar Technology students Daniel Juarez

and Anthony Melvin work to install the new solar cell

equipment on the roof of the Electronics Center.

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Alumni Association meetings The TSTC Alumni Association meets the third Tuesday of each month at 5:15 p.m. in the Industrial Technology Center, located off Cam-pus Drive on the TSTC campus. All alumni are encouraged to at-tend and help make great changes as the group moves forward. For more information, please contact Autumn Outlaw, Alumni Outreach coordinator and ‘00 Commercial Art & Advertis-ing graduate, at autumn.outlaw@tstc.edu or (254) 867-2026. Whether you are a graduate of James Connally Technology Insti-tute, Texas State Technical Institute or Texas State Technical College, we would love to have you join us!

New TSTC System website The TSTC System recently unveiled its new website, www.tstc.edu, which focuses on career information in an updated format. It combines informa-tion from all the colleges allowing prospective students to see the broad scope of what TSTC off ers. This innovative site features: in-teractive modules, including a “Pick Your Passion” quiz to help prospects fi nd that perfect career; a rising star section to spotlight high-achieving students and graduates; student and faculty blogs; and critical information on the college’s many programs and services.

@@@@Sign up for the weekly Student e-Newswww.waco.tstc.edu/enews

Industry Career Day Area companies are invited to att end TSTC’s Industry Career Day and Job Fair, to be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 31. Industry Career Day gives prospective employers a chance to meet with TSTC students who are educated in a variety of fi elds. Att endees will have backgrounds in everything from engineering-related technologies, such as computerized controls and robot-ics, to more traditional programs such as dental assisting, website design, welding, automotive technology and more. Deadline to register is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30; to register, call Jerry Atlas at (254) 867-3023 or toll free at (800) 792-8784, ext. 3023. Businesses also can register online at www.waco.tstc.edu/careerday.

Feature . & Campus News

tech notes cont.

College Preview & Open House TSTC’s annual College Preview & Open House provides an op-portunity for students, parents and friends to check out college options and learn about the instructional programs off ered at TSTC. Visitors can get information about college

fi nancing, housing options, student activities and more. The event is set for Friday and Saturday, April 1 and 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days. Students can choose to att end college full time and work on an as-sociate degree, or select a faster track and complete a certifi cate option in a

variety of educational programs. If you’d like to schedule a tour on another date or have questions about College Preview, please contact Chris Gropp at (254) 867-4806, (800) 792-8784 or chris.gropp@tstc.edu. To register for the event online, go to www.waco.tstc.edu/preview.

Campus News & Briefs

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student kudosTSTC ranked in national top 50 list TSTC earned high honors recently when the college made Washington Monthly’s 2010 rankings of America’s 50 best community colleges. Approximately 650 schools were ranked, from which the magazine published the top 50.

Magazine editors noted about the col-leges on its list, “When it comes to quality of instruction they outperform not only their two-year peers, but many elite four-year research universities as well.”

In addition to the top 50 ranking, both TSTC West Texas and TSTC Waco landed in the 2nd and 3rd spots (respectively) in Texas in the community colleges category.

To view the report, go to www.washing-tonmonthly.com and click on 2010 College Rankings.

Kudos to companies Thanks to the generosity of TSTC’s many supporters, students get more hands-on training with industry-standard equipment. Kudos to the following companies for their donations:

• Aurora Aviation of McGregor• Mitsubishi Motors of North America• National Science Foundation• AWS Foundation • Allergan Inc.• FreeFlight Systems• Turner Manufacturing Company

Electromechanical Principles of Wind TurbinesOne of the fi rst wind energy textbooks on the market, this book details the mechanics and operation of wind turbines specifi cally for the training of wind energy technicians. Writt en by Keith Plantier and Karen Mitchell Smith.

TechCareers: Wind EnergyA part of last year’s successful TechCa-reers series, this book features in-depth information on the development of wind energy, the skills and knowledge required for success in the fi eld and the education-al necessities of wind energy technicians. Writt en by Mike Jones.

Writing: Plain & SimpleStrong writing skills are imperative for students at every level. This book simplifi es the oft en intimidating task of writing into a simple, user-friendly process. Writt en by George Wilhite, department chair of TSTC Waco’s English Department.

Lust, Violence, Religion:Life in Historic WacoGuaranteed to intrigue readers, this book uncovers the drama and ten-sion that permeates Waco’s colorful history, with essays that delve into the racial tensions and religious confl icts in Waco’s past. Writt en by Bradley Turner.

New TSTC Publishing Titles

student kudosStudent wins nationalwelding competition Carissa Love, a recent Welding Technology graduate, became the fi rst woman to win the American Welding Society’s FABTECH Inter-national 2009 Professional Welders Competition, held in Chicago last November. She beat out more than 138 other professional welders from across the U.S. Aft er graduating from TSTC, she received four job off ers in her home state of Montana.

TSTC Publishing is wrapping up the current adoption season with several new schools adopting its books, includ-ing Baylor University and McLennan Community College in Waco. In addition, schools from Washington, North Carolina, New York, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana and Minnesota have adopted TSTC textbooks. Recent titles from TSTC Publishing include:

Campus News & Briefs

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Drafting students design TSTC Draft ing & Design Technology (DDT) students got hands-on experience this past spring by contributing the construction designs to the “We Care” Garden Project (Waco Empowered Community Achieved Renewable Environment Garden) in Waco. This isn’t the fi rst community service project DDT students have undertaken. Another project that stirred up lots of att ention included students draft ing buildings for the Cameron Park Zoo, including animal habitats and a new multi-use pavilion.

A 3-D rendering

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drafting students

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Cameron Park Zoo.

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Build ing for thethe FutureFuture

hen Golf Course & Landscape Management (GLM) alumnus Ray McFarland fi rst came to campus, he had a hard time fi nding the department’s building. Tucked away in the east corner of campus,

the GLM facilities were spread across several small buildings, green houses and outdoor lab spaces. McFarland said the faculty was innova-tive with the space they had, but he didn’t feel the buildings truly represented the caliber of the program. Now, as the construction of a new building specifi cally designed for the GLM program is nearing completion, the program will fi nally have the state-of-the-art facilities it’s always needed. The new GLM building, designed to resemble a golf course clubhouse with labs built specifi cally for equipment calibration and plant studies, is the fi rst of many building projects at TSTC. The purpose for each project is the same—get TSTC’s world-class programs into world-class facilities. More than 45 years aft er its chartering, many of the campus buildings still harken back to the air force base days. For growing technologies such as GLM, Food Service/Culinary Arts and TSTC’s aviation programs, the current facilities

have reached their maximum potential. Construction on the new GLM facility and other campus additions is currently underway thanks to various grants and revenue bonds. Additional buildings to be constructed are an aerospace center and a culinary arts building. Vice President for Student Learning Ron Sand-ers said the new structures are a part of the college’s master plan for facilities that bett er refl ect TSTC programs. “The changes we’re making are specifi cally for providing a bett er learning environment for our students,” Sanders said. “Our GLM pro-gram has been voted the ninth best program in the country in golf course management, and we haven’t really had a facility that refl ected that. This will help us get there.” The aerospace center will bring TSTC’s avia-tion programs all under one roof along with multilevel hangers, training labs, classroom space and a new terminal; and the culinary arts building’s plans currently call for triple the kitchen space than its current location off ers. “These facilities will give our programs much-needed space and, especially in the case of the aerospace center, create a more collab-orative environment for our students,” Sand-ers said. “It’s time for our campus’ facilities to match the high quality of our programs.”

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New Campus Facilities

Plans for the new Col. James T. Connally Aerospace Center

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Golf Course & Landscape Management Fac i l it iesGolf Course & Landscape Management Fac i l it ies

• TSTC and community offi cials broke ground on a new 12,418-square-foot Golf Course & Landscape Manage-ment facility on March 4, 2010

• Approximate Cost: $1.5 million• Features: A clubhouse façade, more

than 7,800 sq. feet of lab space and state-of-the-art greenhouses with digital controls

• Location: 10th and Greenway Drive at the edge of the four-hole golf course.

Col . James T. Connally Aerospace CenterCol . James T. Connally Aerospace Center

Food Serv ice/Cul inary Arts Bu i ld ingFood Serv ice/Cul inary Arts Bu i ld ing

New Campus Facilities

• TSTC offi cials broke ground on a new 85,000-square-foot aerospace facility on May 13, 2010

• Approximate Cost: $11.5 million• Features: A new terminal and

air traffi c control tower, labs and classrooms combining all TSTC’s aviation programs, 8,600-foot-long dual runways and a new Aviation Maintenance Hangar

• Location: On the TSTC Airport just off Airline Drive near 6th Street.

• Plans are underway for a new 18,000-square-foot Culinary Arts facility

• Approximate Cost: $3.6 million• Features: Three new kitchens, de-

sign labs, a new dining room and outdoor patio dining space, as well as offi ce and classroom space

• Planned location: On Campus Drive between 9th and 10th streets, in front of the current Air Condi-tioning & Refrigeration building.

Q&A:TSTC WorkforceDevelopment’s

David DayHow does Workforce Development support the overall mission of TSTC?The Workforce Development offi ce (WD) is one of the revenue centers for TSTC. It provides customized contract training to industry and Continuing Education Credits to individuals wanting to upgrade their skills. It also acts as one of the recruiting arms of the college by introducing customers to technical education and TSTC. Also, the Workforce Development Offi ce sup-ports partnerships with other colleges to off er TSTC courses at remote locations.

What services and training do you off er to companies?We begin by off ering an assessment of training gaps a company may have so we can help the business design programs to meet their individual needs. Once training objectives are identifi ed, WD works with TSTC faculty and staff to develop a curriculum to meet these objec-tives. We then work to coordinate TSTC instructors or certifi ed contractors to provide training on the com-pany’s site or in our facilities.

What partnerships and projects are Workforce Development working on right now?Currently, WD is working with TSTC’s Offi ce of Spon-sored Programs on several grant training opportunities, which include: • Clean Start — a grant from the Department of

Energy to increase public awareness of alternative fuels, specifi cally Liquid Propane Injection (LPI). Additionally, WD provides training for technicians to maintain both the LP-powered vehicles and LP dispensing systems. Lastly, WD assists communi-ties in either converting existing fl eet vehicles to LPI power or with the purchasing of new LPI- powered vehicles.

• Associated Hygienic Products — a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to identify needs and

off er training for new employees required at the new AHP plant, located in Waco.

• L-3 Communications — WD provides training for L-3 Communications by both direct contract and grants through the Texas Workforce Commission.

Some of the current college partnerships include:• Wharton County Junior College – Ft. Bend

Technical Center at Richmond/Rosenberg • Alvin Community College – Pearland Center• Trinity Valley Community College – Palestine

Regional Education Program (PREP) Center• Temple College – East Williamson County Higher

Education Center

What is the scope of the majority of projects you take on?The scope varies widely based upon the need of the company or industry. WD has very large initiatives, such as the $12.7 million Clean Start Grant, and smaller company trainings, such as a recent hazardous materi-als management course we did for 20 employees. Most companies we deal with, however, are larger.

What has been the longest training initiative you have undertaken?The longest-running training relationship we have at present is with L-3 Communications, located on the TSTC campus. We have been providing all types of customized training for L-3 since the company began leasing their facility location on the TSTC Airport. Actually, we have had an ongoing relationship with past and present companies that have leased these facilities for over 25 years.

Campus Q&A

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du Learn more about TSTC Workforce Development at www.waco.tstc.edu/wd.

David Day can be reached at (254) 867-2053 or david.day@tstc.edu.

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Event Photos

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people & places Photography byMark Burdine & Robin Reid

Building Rededication Ceremony

Aerospace Center Groundbreaking

Summer 2010 Graduation

Dia Techsana 2010

Murray Watson Jr. and wife Greta. Clara Fentress Warren. David and Marge Kultgen.

President Elton E. Stuckly Jr. Community speakers address the crowd. Offi cials break ground for the new center.

MCI graduate Sofi a Hernandez. U.S. Representative Chet Edwards. Graduates Christopher Dunn & C.J. Garrett.

Students at play during Dia Techsana 2010. Students at play during Dia Techsana 2010. Students at play during Dia Techsana 2010.