Sul Ross State University

News Release for May 8, 2008

SUL ROSS SPRING COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES MAY 10 AT ALPINE, DEL RIO

Trisha Pollard, vice chairman of the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System, will be the featured speaker during spring commencement exercises at Sul Ross State University's Alpine Campus and Rio Grande College, scheduled Saturday, May 10.

Ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. in the Pete P. Gallego Center on the Alpine Campus and at 7:30 p.m. in the Del Rio Civic Center for RGC. About 240 students are candidates for degrees, 175 on the Alpine Campus and 66 at RGC

At Alpine, Dr. Justin Badgerow, assistant professor of music, will play the processional, "Pomp and Circumstance," and the recessional, "Postlude in G Major." Dr. Paul A. Lister, professor of English and Dr. Wayne J. Sheehan, professor of History, will be the mace bearers. Dr. Avinash Rangra, professor of chemistry, and Dr. Dale Christophersen, professor of political science, will serve as marshals.

State Representative Pete P. Gallego will introduce the speaker. President R. Vic Morgan will give the welcome and confer the degrees. Dr. David Cockrum, provost and vice president for Academic and Student Affairs, will announce recognitions and honors.

Lister will deliver the invocation. Dr. Donald Freed, associate professor of music, will lead the singing of "God Bless America" and "Alma Mater."

Pollard, Bellaire, is vice president of Pollard Development, L.P. She was appointed to the Board of Regents in 2007 by Governor Rick Perry. An attorney, she has also had a lengthy career in the natural gas industry and been active in civic and church volunteer activities.

She received a bachelor's of Business Administration degree (1974) from Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, and a Juris Doctor degree (1980) from the South Texas College of Law, Houston. She was appointed by Perry to a three-year term as a Public Member of the Texas One-Call Board in 2003.

Pollard has served as a director of the Sam Houston State Alumni Association, as foreman of the Harris County Grand Jury for three terms and as chairman, Building and Standards Committee, City of Bellaire. During

her career in the natural gas industry, she was assistant general counsel at Kinder Morgan, Inc.; vice president -- Legal & Human Resources at PennUnion Energy Services; and attorney at Transco Gas Marketing Company, after working as manager, Gas Purchases and in other business positions at Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation.

She is a Presbyterian Elder and is a member of First Presbyterian Church, Houston. She also serves on Houston Bar Association committees, was chair of the Oil & Gas Section of the Houston Bar Association and is a member of the State Bar of Texas. She has been active in both the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, serving as an assistant Boy Scout Leader and troop secretary.

Pollard and her husband, Randy, a CPA, have three children; Matthew, a student at Texas A&M University; Jenny, who attends Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacagdoches; and Jonathan, a middle school student.

SUL ROSS FACULTY MEMBER FREED PUBLISHES ARTICLE IN THE AMERICAN ORGANIST

An article by Dr. Donald Freed, Sul Ross State University associate professor of Music, has been published in the American Organist.

Freed wrote "Working With Aging Singers" in the magazine's May issue.

For more information, contact Freed, (432) 837-8216 or dfreed@sulross.edu.

2008-09 SUL ROSS STUDENT GOVERNMENT OFFICERS NAMED

Monte Piper, Houston, will serve as Sul Ross State University's Student Government Association (SGA) president.

Piper succeeds Jaime Rios, Roma. New officers were named during the SGA awards banquet, held May 1.

Juan Garcia, San Antonio, was elected vice president for 2008-09. Stephanie Marshall, Kermit, was elected secretary and Kenzi Miller, Lamesa, treasurer.

ALPINE TEXPREP PROGRAM APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MAY 16

The Alpine Texas Pre-freshman Engineering Program (TexPREP) will continue accepting applications for PREP I until Friday, May 16. TexPREP targets high-performing math and science middle school students and provides them with an intellectually stimulating, mathematics-based Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) summer education experience.

The Alpine PREP program is open to residents of Brewster, Presidio, Jeff Davis, Hudspeth and Pecos counties and is free of charge. Alpine TexPREP begins June 11 and ends with graduation ceremonies on Friday, Aug. 1. Classes scheduled 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Fridays.

Alpine TexPREP is an initiative resulting from collaboration between Sul Ross State University, University of Texas, San Antonio, Victoria College and the Dallas County Community College District and funded through a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture. Students may apply on-line:Alpine PREP http://www.prep-usa.org/portal/texprep/sitesdetail.asp?id=1694&pageno=1 Application https://www.prep-usa.org/locations/ApplyG/App1-1.asp?site=31

The program, which emphasizes hands-on project-based learning, has a 30-year track record contributing to demonstrated increases in high-school and college preparation, attainment and graduation.

"The success of TexPREP is extraordinary," said TexPREP executive director Dr. Raul (Rudy) A. Reyna. "Since 1979, 25,818 middle and High School students have successfully completed at least one summer of PREP. Of these students, 81 percent have been members of minority groups and 53 percent have been female, 99.9 percent are high school graduates and 82 percent are college graduates. Given the identified regional and national needs for scientists and mathematicians, TexPREP is in the right place at the right time for local middle school students."

For more information, contact Leslie Hopper, interim director, (432) 837-8393, lhopper@sulross.edu.

THEATRE OF THE BIG BEND FUND DRIVE MAY 19-JUNE 10

In preparation for its 43rd anniversary, the Theatre of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University will kick off its third annual fund raising drive May 19 - June 10.

This year's effort will aim for a broader reach within the community. The generosity of contributions from local businesses and individual contributors, coupled with successful box office holdings over the past two years have enabled the summer theatre to create an intern program for undergraduate and graduate students. Currently, 15 students have committed to the summer program which will include theatre and music scholarships and student worker positions.

The 43rd season will follow the same tradition of offering masterworks of historical and cultural significance, particularly within the diverse Big Bend region. This year's season will kick off June 27-July 13 with the musical, "Cowgirls." The second installment of the Petra Trilogy, "Petra's Cuento," runs July 18-Aug. 3. The 2008 season closes with the children's show, "Pecos Bill and the Ghost Stampede" Aug. 7-10.

The season's focus on heritage coupled with promotional support from the City of Alpine, has enabled the summer theatre to grow its attendance by over 50 percent during the past two summers.

For more information, call 432-837-8218; 1888-722-7778 or visit www.sulross.edu/theatre.