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ORANGE & WHITE
ORANGE & WHITE
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school of business
Focusing on the Future Dr. Mark Kroll, Dean of the School of Business since January, has returned home to the Rio Grande Valley to positively impact a place he calls home. To better focus the School of Business’ disciplines, Kroll is spending his first semester reorganizing the school into three departments: accounting and management information systems; economics and finance; and management, marketing and international business. Kroll also is working to start a Bachelor of Finance program at the university. “I hope this will come soon,” said Kroll, who graduated from Rio Hondo High School. “There are a number of careers that can be built out of a bachelor’s in finance, among them financial services, money management, stockbroker and insurance agent. I hope to be ready to roll with this in the fall.”
College of education
Kroll also is shepherding accreditation for the School of Business by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International.
The Science of Teaching A grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will have farreaching impact for science in Valley school districts. Nearly 50 teachers representing eight school districts, from Port Isabel to Progreso, were recruited to receive training paid through the “UT-Brownsville Mathematics, Science, and Technology Teacher Preparation Academy” grant. They have been taking courses online and undergoing training at their campuses since 2009. “We wanted our grant to reach rural school districts in South Texas and make an impact,” said Dr. Rey Ramirez, Associate Professor and principal investigator of the grant. The teachers are divided into two groups. Once they complete their studies, one group will take the Master Science Teacher certification examination. The other cohort will earn a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Secondary Science Education. Both will be awarded their degrees in December.
“We have learned to incorporate technology into our classes, said Norma Gonzalez, Harlingen ISD science teacher. “Online gaming, wikis, podcasts and online tutorial development are just some of the techniques we have learned to use with our students at the junior high level.” Ramirez said these teachers will also serve as experts in science as well as mentor other teachers and affect curriculum reform on their campuses. Two graduate programs – the Master of Education in Community Counseling and Master of Education in School Counseling – have received national accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. CACREP offers a specialty accreditation with the highest national standards in counselor education. Graduate students seeking a doctorate in education can now select from five specializations: Higher Education Learning and Educational Technology are the newest, added to Bilingual Studies, Early Childhood and Literacy.
“Obviously we are working on this very hard,” said Kroll. “Being accredited by AACSB sends a strong message to our stakeholders and potential partners, both in the U.S. and abroad.” Kroll knows what it will take for Brownsville and its surrounding communities to do well economically and compete globally: business leaders with the skills and human capital necessary to build and manage highly competitive enterprises. “My aspiration for the School of Business is to be able to equip the region’s business students with an education that will allow them to lead businesses that can successfully compete with any others in the world.” The School of Business partners with local businesses and civic agencies to provide internship opportunities for business students. Current partnerships include the finance, purchasing and internal-auditing departments of the city of Brownsville, Brownsville Urban System, Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport, San Benito Economic Development Corporation, PUB, HEB, Proyecto Juan Diego and Rio Bravo Wildlife Institute.
Undergraduate marketing major Enrique Espinoza (right) said he appreciates having R.J. Alfaro as his mentor at Wells Fargo. Through tuition assistance from Wells Fargo, Alfaro received his M.B.A. at UTB/TSC in December 2010 and now is the Assistant Branch Manager of the Wells Fargo on Boca Chica Boulevard. Alfaro worked at the bank full time while in school, as Espinoza is doing, attending classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Upon receiving his B.A., Espinoza intends to follow in his mentor’s footsteps and continue his education, courtesy of Wells Fargo, to earn an M.B.A.
Did you know UTB/TSC graduates nearly 300 teachers every year?
The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College
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