CAMPUS HAPPENINGS

Through the five-year grant, UT Tyler will partner with local school districts to enhance their capacity to provide mental health services to their students.

Dr. Citlali Molina, assistant professor and school counseling program coordi nator, and Dr. Erin West, associate professor of counseling, serve as grant primary co-investigators and project codirectors. Both are certified professional school counselors and licensed professional counselors.

“Given the significant mental health challenges faced by East Texas youth and the barriers they face for accessing treatment, schools are their best hope for getting the care they need,” says Molina. “This project will allow UT Tyler’s counseling programs to strengthen and build sustainable infrastructures to support students’ required fieldwork, place more qualified practitioners in highneeds schools and continue expanding these services across the region beyond the grant funding period.”

The project will place UT Tyler graduate-level school counseling and clinical mental health counseling students or counselors in training at 15 high-needs schools within the partnering local education agencies.

“No parent should fear for the safety of their student when they drop them off at school, and no student should be afraid when they walk into the classroom,” Cornyn says in an announcement about the funding. “In the aftermath of the tragedy in Uvalde, I’m grateful that meaningful solutions are starting to be delivered through this funding to prevent violence, provide training to school personnel and students, and hire additional mental health professionals in Texas schools.”

Molina has 14 years of experience in public education, and that experience led her to study teacher- student relationships. West was instrumental in developing an internship program that benefits both the university and Whitehouse Independent School District.

UT Tyler is transforming its Honors Program into a new Honors College. Started in 2009, the Honors Program began with a cohort of 20 students and has grown to approximately 200 students. Projections are to reach 300 by fall 2025. ¶ “The Honors College will help recruit more high-achieving students and engage more faculty in honors education,” says Dr. Amir Mirmiran, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “The greater visibility of the Honors College will also help our graduates to better serve East Texas and beyond.” While not degree-granting, the Honors College will provide specialized content and programming for high-achieving and intellectually curious students who comprise a community reflecting the population and people of the East Texas region. ¶ The college emphasizes small, unique courses with engaged faculty and rigorous undergraduate research. Students who complete the Honors College will earn an Honors designation on their final transcript. Because of their varied and enhanced collegiate experience, Honors graduates are among the most sought-after by employers and graduate schools. Dr. Paul Streufert has served as the founding director of the program for 14 years, and he has been appointed to serve as the founding dean of the college. — HB

The UT Tyler community reminded him of the closeknit private high school he attended. ¶ “It was a great community like here at UT Tyler, so visiting the university was like coming home; but, honestly, I’ve dug deeper roots here than I ever did back home,’’ says Smith, who began attending UT Tyler in 2020 and is majoring in history with a minor in prelaw. He plans to attend law school after graduating this spring. ¶ Serving as Student Government Association president this year, Smith says the university has exceeded his expectations in the class- room and beyond. ¶ A history buff, he enjoys interacting with classmates and professors who share his enthusiasm for the subject. He also has thrived in his courses, making the President’s Honor Roll and receiving the 2022 Frank H. Smyrl Endowed History Scholarship for aca‑ demic excellence. ¶ “The nice part about the Department of History is that our professors are passionate about what they teach, and students feed off of that,’’ Smith says. “And when they see us getting excited about what we’re learning, they get excited. That makes learning easier and has deepened my love for history.’’ ¶ Early on at UT Tyler, he was eager to get involved on campus – but hesitant to take part in SGA. He played football and was a member of the debate team and drum line in high school, but never participated in student government.

¶ Encouraged by friends to give it a try, he ran for SGA chief of staff and was elected.

“I just fell in love with stu‑ dent government,’’ says Smith, who quickly advanced to vice president and then president. “I love getting to interact with people and work together toward a common goal.’’ ¶ SGA involvement has led to other opportunities for Smith, from representing UT Tyler on the UT System Student Advisory Council to being mentored by city officials in a partnership between the SGA executive board and the city of Tyler. Outside of student government, he mentors students in the Freshman Leadership Initiative and represented the university as a Rose Scholar in the 2022 Texas Rose Festival in Tyler. ¶ “Since com‑ ing to UT Tyler, I’ve gotten a lot better about putting myself out there and taking initiative,’’ says Smith, adding that community and opportunity are two of the university’s strongest assets.

“There are so many opportunities at UT Tyler, and I believe it’s because of the culture of community here. Community and opportunity work in tandem.’’ ¶ Wherever life takes him after graduation, Smith says he’ll be back to UT Tyler for visits — and it will always be like coming home.

— EMILY BATTLE