In Brief: February 2023

Collin College will expand its existing partnership with Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) by offering the Technician Training & Education Network (T-TEN) program at its Technical Campus located in Allen beginning in Fall 2023. The T-TEN program provides students with state-of-the-art, hands-on automotive diagnosis and repair training along with mentors, internship opportunities, and the skills needed to be successful as Toyota and Lexus certified technicians.

Dr. Lupita Murrillo Tinnen was featured in an article by ShoutDFW.com. You can read the article here.

Collin College Womens Basketball was ranked No. 8 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Week 13 coaches poll, Feb. 21.

Adjunct History Professor Terence Furgersons book, The Dallas Story: The North American Aviation Plant and Industrial Mobilization during World War II, was published in February by University of North Texas Press as part of its War and the Southwest series. Learn more here.

Culinary Professor Andrew Jardin has earned a Certified Executive Chef (CEC) from the America Culinary Federation (ACF). The CEC designation is a notable achievement with practical and written exams and recognizes the chefs high level of knowledge and skill. Requirements include 30-hour courses in each of the following areas: nutrition, food safety and sanitation, supervisory management, beverage management, and cost control management. The Texas Chefs Association notes that the certification shows that a cook or chef has reached a benchmark of skills and culinary experience with high standards for food preparation.

Nine Collin College music students were named to the Texas Community College Band Directors Association (TCCBDA) All-State music ensembles for 2022-23. The students performed with the All-State Symphonic Band and All-State Jazz Ensemble as part of the Texas Music Educators Association convention at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio on Feb. 11. The students named to the All-State Symphonic Band were Lucinda Gatesman of Allen, flute; Adam Plummer of McKinney, trumpet; Cian McGuire of Plano, French horn; Wyatt Hayes of McKinney, tuba; Em Soriano of Lampasas, tuba; Brandon Halsema of The Colony, percussion; and Wesley Price of Plano, percussion. Dawson Hatton of Round Rock, tenor saxophone, and Jon Slaughter of Carrollton, guitar, were named to the All-State Jazz Ensemble. Hatton performed with the Symphonic Band on clarinet in 2022 and earned positions in both ensembles this year, opting to perform with the jazz group. These students recorded auditions in October and November and were chosen from among two-year college students across Texas for these positions.

The Department of Labor (DOL) included a story about Collin Colleges apprenticeship program with Raytheon Intelligence & Space in its newsletter in February. The Internal Office of Apprenticeship newsletter goes to all DOL apprenticeship staff nationwide.

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and the KECO Corporation have donated a Level 2 Glue Pull system to the Collision Technology program. Collins program was nominated by Jill Tuggle from the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT), an organization of which the college is an active member.The donation also includes training that will start on March 3.

The Construction Management program competed in the National Association of Home Builders Student Chapter National competition in Las Vegas, Jan. 30-Feb. 2. The college took 10 students who competed in the two-year school division. And for the first time, because of the colleges new Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Management, the college also competed in the four-year school division. The two-year team placed fifth nationally. The four-year team received the Rookie of the Year Award and placed 11^thnationally, competing against national powerhouses in construction management, including Texas A&M University, Oklahoma University, Clemson University, Louisiana State University, and others. Collin College was the only community college competing in the four-year school division. Craig Johnson, director of Architecture and Construction programs, said, We are extremely proud of our students and faculty for the great accomplishment and all the hard work they put into this four-month-long project.

Welding Professor Cesar Lopez-Maldonado passed American Welding Society (AWS) testing to be a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI).

HVAC Professor Mike Brucia has been recognized as the official representative for the Technical College for Texas Community College Teachers Association (TCCTA) at its 76^thannual convention in Houston, March 24.

Dr. J.D. Isip, professor of English at the Plano campus, released his second full-length poetry collection, Kissing the Wound. Moon Tide Press published the book. Dr. Isips poem, Nineveh, Again was published inFathom Magazine, and he had five poems, including Arwen at the River, published in theLothlorien Poetry Journal.

Dr. John Macready, professor of Philosophy at Plano Campus, was invited to give the keynote address at the Undergraduate Philosophy Conference at The University of Texas at Dallas on April 8.

Courtenay Jauregui was selected to serve on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Boards first Texas Transfer Framework Field of Study Discipline-Specific Subcommittee for Education. This subcommittee, composed of faculty from public two-year and four-year institutions, will consider which courses to recommend for inclusion in the first Texas Transfer Framework for Education. The workgroups recommendations will go to the Texas Transfer Advisory Committee for their consideration.

Eleven dual-credit students from Professor Nicole Donawhos U.S. History II classes at Plano West attended Community College at the Capitol Day with the Plano campus group. This is the first time dual-credit students have been able to participate in this event.

Forty-seven students participated in the Collin College Esports Arena grand opening on Jan. 17. The Esports Arena is located in the IT Center at the Frisco Campus and features gaming stations, projection screens, and a variety of cooperative and competitive games. Its hours of operation are 11 a.m.-7 p.m.