DIESEL-DRIVENDIESEL-DRIVENThe technology that keeps America on the The technology that keeps America on the move. move. (Page 5)(Page 5)

IN THIS ISSUE

A Long Way from

Home (Page 11)

ALSO

Laying the Plans

for Institutional

Advancement(Page 15)

Alumni travels

the world (Page 17)

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TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE WACO MAGA ZINE

I don’t believe I’ve ever looked forward to fall as much as I have this year aft er experiencing a summer marked by record-ing breaking-heat and drought. But while the temperature may be cooling down, the progress at TSTC Waco is not!

In its 2011 “Top 100 Associate Degree Producers,” Community College Week magazine named Texas State Technical College No. 1 in the entire nation among both two-year and four-year colleges in conferring the most associate degrees in the critical category of Engineering Technologies and Engineering-related Fields.

In this fall edition of the TSTC Magazine you can read about this honor and more. Read about an alumnus whose job takes him around the world; the largest single monetary pledge in the college’s history; our new institutional advancement offi ce; what Publishing has released; and much more.

Thanks for all you do for TSTC!

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

PRESIDENT

Dr. Elton E. Stuckly, Jr.

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Jan Osburn

EDITOR

Sarah-Jane Menefee

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mary DrennonSarah-Jane MenefeeJan Osburn

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Mark BurdineRyan GriponSarah-Jane MenefeeRobin Reid

PHONE • (254) 867-3035E-MAIL • tstcmagazine@tstc.edu

NUMBERS TO KNOW

Main (254) 799-3611Recruiting (254) 867-2360College Records (254) 867-2362Alumni Association (254) 867-2026

TSTC 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 Sci-ence 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 2011 Texas State Technical College Waco. All rights reserved.

A PUBLICATION OF TSTC WACO VOLUME 2, NUMBER 1

FALL 2011

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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From the President

President Stuckly with Murray Watson Jr. at the recent announcement of the largest monetary gift in the college’s history. Read more on Pg. 3.

National honors, historic gifts mark 2011

3 Tech NotesCampus news and accolades

5 Diesel-DrivenThe technology that keeps America on the move

8 Campus SnapshotsGolf Course & Landscape Management facilities

11 A Long Way From HomeStudents come to TSTC from the U.S. Virgin Islands

15 Campus Q&AVice President Carliss Hyde shares about TSTC’s renewed focus on Institutional Advancement

17 Alumni FeatureJeff Denney has traveled the world with his degree

ON THE COVER

Diesel Equipment Technology students Christopher Smith and Wesley Merryman work on a Freightliner truck in a DET lab class.

Contents & Calendar

18 People & PlacesPhotos from TSTC events

Campus Snapshots Page 8-10

In This Issue:

NOVEMBER

14 Spring registration begins for returning students

21 Spring registration begins for new students

24-25 Student & employee holiday

DECEMBER

9 End of semester

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

23 Campus closed for winter break

JANUARY

2 Campus reopens

4 Last day to register for spring

9 Spring classes begin

16 Student & employee holiday

FEBRUARY

17 Last day to apply for graduation

MARCH

12-16 Spring Break — Student holiday

29 Industry Career Day

30-31 College Preview & Open House

APRIL

2 Registration begins for returning students

9 Registration begins for new students

27 Last day to register for summer

End of semester

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

For more events, go towaco.tstc.edu/calendar

Calendar of Events

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tech notesCampus News & Briefs

In late July 2011, the Brazos Hi-gher Education Service Corp., under the leadership of former senator and Waco business owner Mur-ray Watson Jr., pledged the single largest monetary gift the college has received to date. TSTC offi cials have allocated the funds for its new Cu-linary Arts facility, currently under construction. Watson, chief executive offi cer and president of the Brazos Higher Education Service Corp., served as representative in the Texas House from 1956 to 1969 and as Texas senator from 1962 to 1972. In his role as senator in 1965, he proposed the bill establishing the creation of the then James Connally Technical Institute. Throughout the years, his support for the institution, today known as Texas State Technical Col-lege, has never wavered. “As a strong supporter of the college from the beginning, I am pleased with its growth and success. It has succeeded my expectations,” Watson said. “The future of our

state is going to depend on its train-ing of a skilled workforce for future growth and prosperity. I encourage others to join in to help TSTC grow and provide a springboard to the future prosperity of our country.” To acknowledge the generosity and continued support of the Brazos Higher Education Service Corp., TSTC’s System Board of Regents unanimously approved naming the new Culinary Arts facility the Greta W. Watson Culinary Arts Center. “We are very grateful and pleased that Mr. Watson and the Brazos Higher Education Service Corp. have such faith in TSTC,” President Stuckly said. “We strive hard to pro-vide our students with a viable edu-cation that will ensure the economic viability of Texas’ future workforce. To do that, it is imperative that we have the proper tools and facilities to train our students. This generous gift will go a long way to helping us achieve that goal.” The new center is set to open for classes in the spring 2012 semester.

Murray Watson Jr. and his wife Greta W. Watson speak at the press conference announcing the million-dollar donation. The Culinary Arts Center will be named in honor of Mrs. Watson.

Historic million-dollar gift, new name

for Culinary Arts Center

TSTC closes on land in Hutto

On Sept. 19, TSTC Waco of-fi cials closed on the land for the new East Williamson County Higher Education Center-Hutt o (EWCHEC). The college acquired 56.7 acres of land for the EWCH-EC-Hutt o project, including a generous donation by the Avery family of land valued at just un-der a million dollars. Construction is slated to begin in spring 2012 with classes set to start in the new facility in fall 2013. Temple College and TSTC Waco are the primary college partners in EWCHEC, a multi-institutional teaching center. Classes currently are being held in a temporary location at Veterans’ Hill Elementary. TSTC off ers certifi cates in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Combination Welding (off ered in Taylor), Electrical Construction,Food Service Operations, Indus-trial Systems and Radio Commu-nication Electronics at EWCHEC.

WCJC Fort Bend Technical Center celebrates 10th Anniversary

August marked a milestone for the Fort Bend Technical Center in Richmond—the 10th anniversary of its opening. TSTC began hold-ing classes at Fort Bend on Aug. 27, 2001. The college has off ered Air Conditioning, Diesel Equip-ment, Machining and Mechani-cal Engineering technologies at the facility since it fi rst opened. Enrollment has grown from 10 students in the fi rst class, to 90 students today. Enrollment in TSTC’s programs at the center stays near capacity, showing a strong need for techni-cal education and training in the area.

Texas State Technical College is No. 1 in the entire nation among both two-year and four-year colleges when it comes to conferring the most associate degrees in the critical category of Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields. Community College Week magazine has released its lat-est analysis of the country’s Top 100 Associate Degree Producers, arguably one of the most important indica-tors of success for community and technical education institutions. The move to the top slot represents a 40 percent increase in engineering-related degree conferrals for TSTC Waco. “We are pleased TSTC is No. 1 in producing engi-neering technology graduates,” said Dr. Elton E. Stuck-ly Jr., TSTC Waco president. “Industry leaders have consistently said skilled technicians are in high demand in today’s increasingly complex workforce. TSTC works hard to ensure our graduates meet this demand, so it’s nice to be recognized for fulfi lling that need.” In addition to ranking top in the nation in Engineer-ing Technologies, TSTC also was top in Texas — and second in the nation — in the Computer and Informa-tion Science and Support Services category, and top in the state in the Precision Production category. The annual report lists associate degree and certifi -cate conferrals for the 2009-2010 academic year, the latest year for which data is available. It includes an analysis of 1,200 two- and four-year public, private and

proprietary schools to produce the top 100 list. Data is collected and analyzed from the National Center for Education Statistics through the Integrated Postsecond-ary Education Data Set completion survey. Since the survey’s inception, TSTC has ranked top in the state numerous times and has stayed consistently on the top 50 list in nearly every category for which it is eligible. To read the full report, visit htt p://www.ccweek.com and click on “Top 100.”

Campus News & Briefs

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TSTC top engineering degree producer in nation

Industrial Systems & Engineering student at work in a lab class. ISE is one of many engineering re-lated degrees off ered at TSTC.

employee kudosBowles Elected to National Commission

Biomedical Equipment Technology Department Chair Dr. Roger Bowles recently was elected to United States Certifi cation Commission for Clinical Engineering and Bio-medical Technology (USCC). Beginning June 2012, he will serve a three-year term on the Commission as an educational representative. The USCC is part of the Inter-national Certifi cation Commis-sion for Clinical Engineering and Biomedical Technology. This commission oversees certifi cation

for Biomedical Equipment Tech-nicians to ensure a safe, reliable healthcare environment

Texas Governor appoints Morris to commission

Environmental Health & Safety Department Chair Linda Morris has been appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact Commission. The Commission manages and disposes of low-level radioac-tive waste, while maintaining the health, safety and welfare of Texas citizens. The term of ap-pointment is set to expire in 2015.

Schneider featured in weekly cooking show

Culinary Arts Department Chair Mark Schneider recently debuted on KWTX TV Channel 10 in a new segment, “What’s in the Fridge?” Chef Schneider’s show now airs once weekly on the new “Mom’s Everyday News @ 4” program, showing viewers how to put together delicious meals from basic ingredients they can fi nd in their refrigerator.To view the videos, go to TSTC’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/tstc4u.

Scan this QR code to watch his show on YouTube.

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TECHNOLOGY THAT KEEPS TECHNOLOGY THAT KEEPS AMERICA ON THE MOVEAMERICA ON THE MOVE

DIESEL-DRIVENDIESEL-DRIVEN

By Sarah-Jane Menefee

sk any company that works in shipping and freight and they’ll tell you — diesel powers the world. From the traditional semi-trailer trucks on

the highway and construction equipment making way for new growth, to huge tractors and reapers moving agriculture along and even oil pumping operations, diesel motors off er consistency to an ever-moving industry. Consistent is also a word that describes the Diesel Equipment Technology program at Texas State Technical College. Like a well-serviced engine, it runs with quiet effi ciency sending out graduates trained in variety of tech-nical fi elds to keep America moving. “They’re the best in the country,” Re-vis Parkison said. “By far the best, and I’ve visited several schools. Some of our bett er technicians graduated from TSTC and we’re very pleased with their work.” Parkison, the regional customer service manager for Rush Truck Center of Dallas, has had a 30-year relation-ship with the program and has seen it change over the years to keep up with the latest advances in diesel technology. It’s the program’s commitment to quality that keeps him coming back to hire more graduates and to serve on its advisory committ ee. “Another thing that makes TSTC superior is their in-structors,” he said. “With Henry as the department chair and the great job he has done, I have no doubt the pro-gram will continue to be great.” Henry Macik, DET department chair, knows his pro-gram bett er than anyone else. As a 1973 graduate who

came back aft er working in the industry to teach and now lead the popular program, he knows each lab, each piece of equipment and each student. With an average of 250 students annually and several large labs, he has a lot to keep track of with the help of his nine other instructors, many who also graduated from the DET program. If you ask him why he came back to work where he fi rst learned the trade, he’ll tell you it’s a matt er of pride. “Of course I’m proud of this program. With our stu-dents we have a lot of repeat business from the same fam-

ily and friends of our graduates. They hear about us through word of mouth and just keep coming,” he said. “We always have several students who had a brother come through the program. I feel like if it wasn’t a good school, then they wouldn’t be here.” So, what sets TSTC’s diesel program apart? In a few words: variety, hands on training, indus-try-grade labs and instructors. At

least those were Jake Brown’s reasons for choosing TSTC. The fi rst-semester student from Robinson came to learn the Heavy Truck and Construction specializations. “I heard it’s the best and I believe it,” he said. “Now that I’ve gone through some classes and I’ve worked in the hands-on labs, I’ve found they teach you in a way you can relate to. I chose two specializations because it gives me a variety of jobs I can choose to do and I can make more money.”

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“THEY’RE THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY. BY FAR THE BEST, AND I’VE VISITED SEVERAL SCHOOLS.”

REVIS PARKISON,RUSH TRUCK CENTER OF DALLAS

OPPOSITE PAGE: The DET p rog ram has a d i ve rse s tuden t make-up inc lud ing non-OPPOSITE PAGE: The DET p rog ram has a d i ve rse s tuden t make-up inc lud ing non-t rad i t i ona l s tuden ts and women. TOP LEFT: A DET s tuden t a t work on a semi - t ruck t rad i t i ona l s tuden ts and women. TOP LEFT: A DET s tuden t a t work on a semi - t ruck eng ine . TOP RIGHT: One o f t he ma in d iese l l abs .eng ine . TOP RIGHT: One o f t he ma in d iese l l abs .

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The specializations in DET are designed to do just that: help students qualify for more jobs and get more money for their knowledge and skills. There are fi ve specializations to choose from: Heavy Truck, Construction, Agriculture, Outdoor Power Equipment and the dealer-sponsored John Deere Construction & Forestry Technician Program. The fi rst four specializations are designed to allow students to cross-train and get multiple degrees by staying just a couple extra semesters. The John Deere program trains students sponsored by John Deere dealerships who are reimbursed $8,000 in return for working at the dealership. With all the advantages of a TSTC diesel education, alumni generally get placed quickly. For alumnus Anthony Drake, now the lead shop supervisor at ATC Freightliner in Dallas, it was the basic diesel education that made him job-ready. “I absolutely felt prepared walking into a fl eet shop... TSTC doesn’t skip over the basics to get to the newer tech-nology. You’ve still got to be able to replace a part before you can troubleshoot problems.” Now in the posi-tion to hire from his alma mater and other institutions, Drake said he sees a big diff erence between the quality of candidates he has to choose from. “As far as base knowledge, TSTC graduates are above or bett er than other schools’ graduates. There are some schools we just don’t hire from … TSTC is consistent. The instruc-tors really do care about what they’re putt ing out. It’s more of a quality-driven institution, and that’s something missing from a lot of other schools.” As quality continues to be the driving factor behind the diesel program at TSTC, its legacy lives on in the alumni and students it serves. Alex Donaldson, a fi ft h-semester Heavy Truck student from Wichita Falls, said he will undoubtedly recommend the program to others. “It really exceeded my expectations in every way.”

Diesel Equipment Technology

www.waco.tstc.edu/det

For more information about the Diesel Equipment specializations

off ered at TSTC, call (254) 867-4871.

GET CONNECTEDGET CONNECTED

“IT REALLY EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS IN EVERY WAY.“

ALEX DONALDSON,DET STUDENT

Alex Donaldson, Alex Donaldson, DET studentDET student

DET students at work in a DET students at work in a construct ion equipment labconstruct ion equipment lab

Scan this QR code to fi nd out more.

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KEEPING THINGS GREENWith their new state-of-the-art

facilities, Golf Course & Landscape

Management has room to show

off their students’ and instructors’

skills. The spacious equipment

lab (TOP) is specially designed for

repair classes and the new loca-

tion is closer to the practice golf

course students maintain (LEFT).

The digitally controlled green-

house (BELOW) is a perfect place

to cultivate plants for landscap-

ing. See Pg. 10-11 for a full shot of

the greenhouse.

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snapshotStudents work to prune plants in the state-of-the-art Golf Course

& Landscape Management greenhouse. During their horticulture

classes students learn to identify diff erent plants and soil types and

the best combinations for landscaping in diff erent climates.

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Hovensa Partnership HHHoooooovvvvvveeeeeeeennnnnnnnssssaaa PPPPPaaaaaarrrrrrrrtttttttnnnnnnnnneeeeeeerrrrsssshhhhiippp

A Long WayBy Mary Drennon

from HOME

ueandra Alexander is a long way from home —some 2,000 miles, in fact. In spite of being in a strange town surrounded by unfamiliar faces, she’s not only thriving, she’s excelling in one of the more

diffi cult programs at TSTC: Instrumentation, Computer-ized Controls & Robotics (ICR). And she’s just 19 years old. Alexander is not alone. She is one of nearly three dozen students who hails from St. Croix (the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands) now att ending TSTC through a scholarship “loan” program provided by St. Croix’s biggest employer, Hovensa, one of the largest refi neries in the United States.

Hovensa chose to partner with TSTC to develop its future workforce and send students into one of three pro-grams, ICR, Industrial Systems & Engineering Technology (ISE) or Electrical Power & Controls (EPC). The fi rst group of 20 students arrived in the fall of 2010 and included Al-exander. Although she’s now been here a year, she’s been planning for this a lot longer. “When we were in eighth grade, the top students were approached by Hovensa to join their four-year program, learn a craft and then join the workforce,” Alexander said. Aft er initial testing, selected students began training in high school and chose the course of study they wanted to

Partnership with Hovensa brings students to TSTC from St. Croix

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Hovensa Partnership

pursue. By the time she graduated from St. Croix Central High, Alexander already was NCCER-cer-tifi ed (National Center for Construction Education and Research) and had spent a summer working in the refi nery. At the end of her senior year, she was off ered a conditional scholarship “loan” provided she maintained her grades and worked for Hovensa for two years aft er graduating from college. At the end of the two-year period, the “loan” would be considered paid in full. It’s a sweet deal. Students get a monthly stipend and Hovensa picks up 100 percent of the costs for all lodging, books, tuition and travel back to St. Croix upon completion of the program. Of course, while students only have to work for the company for the two-year period, “It is our hope they will continue aft er the two years and become the core of our maintenance organization, not only as craft smen and technicians, but as our future supervisors, specialists and managers,” said Joe Hazewski, vice president of Maintenance & Con-trols at Hovensa. Hovensa offi cials said the program evolved out of the need for skilled craft smen. Historically, the company would hire off -island contractors, an expensive — and temporary — proposition. Since there were no technical schools in St. Croix, Hov-ensa worked with the local government to provide NCCER-based curriculum in the public schools to help train locally grown workers. But they needed more. Aft er researching technical schools in the U.S., Hovensa decided TSTC Waco would be the best choice and sent a team to visit in January of 2008. Company offi cials spoke to instructors and adminis-tration, toured housing, classrooms and lab facilities and even checked out the city of Waco to ensure it would make a good social and cultural match for the students. “TSTC has been a great choice. The staff and administration have been outstanding, and the facilities and training are something that would be diffi cult to provide,” said Jerry Gerlich, facilities engineer and supervisor at Hovensa. “We were par-ticularly impressed with the amount of ‘hands-on’ training the students receive.” Alexander is happy with her training, too. “I personally love this school. I love that [Hoven-sa] had this opportunity for us. I am learning a lot,” said Alexander. The students are an asset to TSTC, too, said Pro-gram Coordinator Marcus Balch, who added many students are on the dean’s list, some are student workers, and one is a Student Ambassador. “I can’t say enough about the folks at Hovensa

who have helped this project grow, as well,” said Balch. “It is evident that Hovensa is committ ed to making a diff erence in the lives of these students, and at the same time bringing qual-ity employees that are well-trained back to the company.” Hovensa offi cials echoed Balch’s sentiment: “Partnering with TSTC makes good business sense and is a win-win proposition for Hovensa, TSTC and the people of St. Croix.”

Hovensa students Lueandra Alexander, Jed Bougouneau and Denzel Gore work to dismantle and repair a valve in an ICR maintenance calibration lab class.

St. Croix is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands at 28 miles long and 7 miles wide. It’s located in the Carib-bean Sea south of Puerto Rico.

HOVENSA operates a world-class refi nery on St. Croix. It is one of the most modern and largest refi neries in the United States with a crude oil processing capacity of 500,000 barrels per day.

St Croix

I personally love this school. I love that [Hovensa] had this opportunity for us. I am learning a lot.

p yyLueandra Alexander

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Campus News & Briefs

While most middle and high school students spent their summers loung-ing by the pool, those att ending TSTC’s Summer Academy made room for a week to learn about a specifi c technol-ogy fi eld. The fun, educational camps were provided through a Texas Work-force Commission and GEAR UP Waco grant. There were an extensive variety of areas to choose from, including su-percomputing, welding, WaterBotics, video game and aerospace technolo-gies. More camps will be off ered this coming summer. For additional information on TSTC’s Summer Academy, contact Sheryl Katt ner-Allen at (254) 867-3875 or sheryl.katt nerallen@tstc.edu

tech notes

TSTC’s annual College Preview & Open House provides an opportunity 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, March 30 and 31, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days. Students can choose to att end college full time and work on an associate 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 Autumn Outlaw at (254) 867-2026 or autumn.outlaw@tstc.edu. To reg-ister for the event online, go to www.waco.tstc.edu/preview.

WaterB oticsWaterB otics

See addit ional photos on Pg. 18See addit ional photos on Pg. 18

Upcoming College Preview & Open House

TSTC Summer Academy

student kudos TSTC’s Air Traffi c Control Technology has been awarded $412,220 in Year 2 Wagner-Peyser funds. The funds will enable TSTC to purchase a tower simulator system, with a 180-degree tower simulator and three controller positions for training in all three ground traffi c operations: clearance delivery/fl ight data, ground control and local control. A student training in radar guides an airplane to the airport, and the tower controller will eventually see this airplane on his or her virtual screen and clear it to land. The tower simulator will also allow training on directing aircraft to and from runways. The addition of the high-fi delity tower simulator will enhance the quality of the training and estab-lish TSTC Waco’s program as a leader in Air Traffi c Control instruction. The Air Traffi c Control program at TSTC is the only FAA-approved ATC Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) program off ered at a public college in Texas.

Latest TSTC Publishing Title

student kudos

SkillsUSA National MedalistsSkillsUSA competitors from TSTC Waco brought back nine medals in eight categories from the Na-tional SkillsUSA competition held in Kansas City, Mo. over the summer.

Gold: Mark Eslick, Residential Systems Installation & MaintenanceGold: Chris Coff ey, Customer ServiceSilver: George Buchanan, Computer ProgrammingSilver: Jason Meurer, Power Equipment Tech.Bronze: Tim Branch & Stephanie Tannous, 3D VisualizationBronze: Matt hew Gaskill, Computer MaintenanceBronze: Russell Elhardt, Technical Draft ingBronze: Jake Eskridge, T-Shirt Design

SkillsUSA Winners celebrating in Kansas City.

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Witches wandering in the forest, chanting; ethereal silhouett es sway-ing from the trees of Cameron Park; unearthly gatherings heard from afar on the shores of Lake Waco — these tales leave locals quaking in fear and add to the rich social and cultural history of the Heart of Texas. Stories dating as far back as the Civil War and as recent as the 1990s fi ll the pages of Cott on Bales, Goatmen & Witches: Legends from the Heart of Texas. The book includes multiple variations of certain tales, like the infamous Cameron Park witch. Accounts of strange happenings at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, a small girl who wanders

the grounds of St. Mary’s and voices whispering in the old high schools around McLennan County will steal you away to places fi lled with omi-nous omens. Whether you believe in ghost stories or not, Cott on Bales, Goatmen & Witches: Legends from the Heart of Texas contains enough information to spark the interest of anyone curious about the strange happenings in the greater Central Texas area. The book, by Bradley T. Turner, with photographs by TSTC’s own Mark Burdine, will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 22, and is available for pre-order now at BarnesAndNoble.com and Amazon.com.

Cotton Bales, Goatmen & Witches: Legends from the Heart of Texas

Scan this QR code to watch the book trailer and preorder.

Air Traffi c Control Technology awarded $412,220 for tower simulator system

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 29. 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 robotics, to more traditional programs such as dental assisting, website design, welding, automotive tech-nology and more. Last year more than 700 students and alumni att ended the event, along with more than 100 representatives from com-panies such as Halliburton, Eastman Chemical and Dell. Deadline to register is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27; to register, call Jerry Atlas at (254) 867-3023. Businesses can register online at www.waco.tstc.edu/careerday.

Companies invited to spring Industry Career Day

Q&A withCarliss Hyde

Vice President of Institutional Advancement

What does your job in Institutional Advancement entail? My job is about gett ing external dollars into the institu-tion and managing those dollars appropriately — wheth-er it’s grants or gift s. In addition to submitt ing proposals and asking for donations, my team supports the process of receiving funds and administering them in accordance with law, compliance and individual donor wishes. With grants we are accountable to a legal body or state or federal agency, but on the pure development side, we are accountable to a donor, a friend. There’s more of a personal story behind individual donations and those gift s are also managed much more personally than are grants. Compliance on grants is essentially a legal matt er.

Does your offi ce make the donation process smoother? We already have a very solid relationship with industry and donors at the departmental level. What is helpful for them is anything we can do to get their donations distrib-uted more effi ciently. We’ve always had the relationships; we just haven’t had the infrastructure. Fortunately, our offi ces of Financial Aid and Student Accounting provide very high level support to the process (not to mention training me when that’s necessary) so that the process can be as smooth as possible.

What are some points you focus on when talking to donors? I talk to two sets of people. One set already knows us and places a high value on what we do — our industry partners. With them, the focus is always about how we can take this discussion from the board room to a student gett ing a scholarship or a department gett ing equipment. The other set includes groups like foundations who don’t know how TSTC fi ts into the picture of higher edu-cation or why they should invest their dollars with us.

For this group, my message is that we are unique among colleges and universities. TSTC’s mission is at the intersection of the traditional academy and economic development. It’s unique. I try to bear in mind that “the donor is always right.” There’s almost no gift that could not be used or be mean-ingful. The idea behind a gift is the fact that someone is excited about what we do. We are happy to receive what-ever they choose to give us. How do donors directly aff ect students? Our industry partners and advisors give donations of equipment that are used in labs, providing a learning environment that we simply could not aff ord otherwise. Our donors also provide scholarships and sponsorships. Some donors provide scholarships that can benefi t any student — they leave the selection to us. Other companies provide sponsorships, providing a particular student’s tuition, fees and supplies, in return for which the student commits to work for the company aft er graduation. It’s a win-win! Finally, donors can give cash donations to the college. As our appropriated money decreases, gift s to the college help us to keep programs and positions we might otherwise lose.

How do they aff ect the state? A gift of equipment provides infrastructure long aft er this current body of students passes through and goes on to work. Through these contributions, we’re capable of serving more companies and have increased economic impact because our graduates have a higher skill level. Companies talk about the amount of time an employee has to work there before they’re worth their salary — they measure it. With our graduates it’s a very short time. They’re worth their pay very quickly and that’s because our infrastructure is maintained at an industry-ready level. Industry makes that possible for us by giving

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By Sarah-Jane Menefee

Previously in charge of managing only grant funding, Carliss Hyde and her team have taken on development and fundraising to create TSTC’s fi rst Institutional Advancement offi ce.

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equipment and creating an environment that has a lasting impact. The state of Texas is made stronger when we’re made stronger. Companies cannot grow without a competent workforce. Those things go together.

What unique gifts have you received? We’ve received a gift of original aviation artwork for the new aviation building from Bill Ward, a donor out of Austin. That’s a very unique gift . He’s also giving us some museum-caliber mod-els for the new building and even models of planes that were used here historically when TSTC was an air force base. Scholarship memorials to faculty members or students are very meaningful. Recently we had alumni come back to give a schol-arship to the college because their experience here changed the quality of their life so much they wanted to make that possible for another person. It was a thank you to their department. In other instances, memorial gift s have established a way for TSTC to maintain a connection to the family member of a TSTC employee, student or advisory committ ee member who is no longer living. Keeping that historical link alive is very important to us.

What are the ways to give to TSTC and how can donors get started? Contact our offi ce. We’d be happy to visit with anyone inter-ested in giving to TSTC. Each gift is unique, and we like to take the time to work out agreements to give the donor confi dence that their gift will be implemented in the way they want it to be. We manage each gift according to the donor’s wishes. When a donor is ready to move from discussion to award, our team works out an agreement spelling out the amount and nature of the gift along with any specifi c guidelines the donor outlines.

To learn more about giving to TSTC, contact the Institutional Advancement offi ce at (254) 867-3050.

Carliss Hyde can be reached directly at (254) 867-4843 or carliss.hyde@tstc.edu.

Carl iss Hyde in front of the new Carl iss Hyde in front of the new

Culinar y Ar ts Center.Culinar y Ar ts Center.

Alumni

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FhotJenic Photography, San Marcos, CA

At 17, Jeff Denney never imagined the direction his life was about to take. A Riesel High School student at the time, Denney joined two of his buddies at Texas State Technical College in the Laser Electro-Optics Technology (LET). He and his friends learned about the program aft er a TSTC recruiting venture to Riesel put on a demo for soon-to-graduate seniors. With his friends enrolling in the same program, Denney didn’t really know what he was gett ing into, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Litt le did he know. Fast forward some 18 years later: Denney is now a world traveler and a leader in his fi eld. He knows lasers inside and out. He serves as president of the LET Advisory Committ ee and lends his technical expertise to engineers on his day-to-day job with Cymer Inc., a global company that provides sales and support of excimer lasers (a form of ultraviolet laser) in today’s high-tech semiconductor marketplace. “It’s an interesting job, that’s for sure,” said Denney. “I never knew TSTC would take me in this direction in my life.” Indeed. Employed since two months before he even graduated in 1995, Denney has traveled to the likes of Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Japan,

France, Scotland and more. He’s been to 11 states in the U.S., has lived on both the West and the East coasts and makes frequent trips between California — the parental location of Cymer — and his home in Waco. In his fi rst two jobs before Cymer, he serviced half a dozen diff er-ent lasers and conducted fi eld service along the East Coast. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at Con-cordia University, fully funded by Cymer, and moved out of the fi eld and into second-level support for fi eld service engineers. While he aspires to move someday into manage-ment, he’s really quite content with his life. Now sett led down with a wife and a son, Denney has come a long way from the naive 19-year-old he described graduat-ing from TSTC. “I could never have envisioned where I’ve gott en to, where I’ve gott en to travel, who I’ve gott en to meet. It’s been such a huge world experience I’ve been able to gather because of the education and where it could take me,” Denney said. When he talks to current students, his main message is really quite simple: “This program [LET] can give you the skills to gain a good job and really good pay — as long as you stick with it and do your best.” And that’s coming from a guy who knows.

World travels for Laser Electro-Optics alumniBy Mary Drennon

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Event Photos

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people & placesEWCHEC-Hutto Grand Opening

TSTC Summer Academy

Summer 2011 Graduation

Events on Campus

EWCHEC-Hutto location at Veterans’ Hill. Dr. Stuckly and Temple College President Dr. Glenda Barron cut the ribbon for EWCHEC.

Dr. Stuckly with Dr. Barron and former TSTC Regent Chair Rolf Haberecht.

Welding campSupercomputing campFuture Flight camp

Dr. Stuckly hands out diplomas. Students stand for the national anthem. Brooke Hernandez receives the Mike Torres Jr. Leadership Award from Nanette Torres.

Dodgeball Tournament Flag Football intramurals Culinary Club Pumpkin Carving

Scan this QR code to see more event photos on TSTC’s Flickr:www.fl ickr.com/tstcwaco

Building Careers : Building Partnerships : Building Our State Economy

www.waco.tstc.edu

Technology focused. Career driven.

AerospaceThe Col. James T. Connally Aerospace

Center is quickly becoming a reality,

further enhancing Texas State Technical

College’s ability to deliver world-class

aviation and aerospace education and

training based on a robust industrial

airport infrastructure, instep with Texas’

workforce needs.

TSTC’s friends and corporate partners

have many avenues through which to

support the advancement of aerospace

in Central Texas and beyond. Investing

in TSTC is an investment in our students’

futures, an investment in your community,

an investment in higher education

and an investment in the future

economic growth of Texas.

To invest in TSTC call Carliss Hyde

at 254.867.4843