For Immediate Release
November 30, 2007
Contact: John Hammond, Director
Public Relations, 210-733-214
San Antonio College, one of the Alamo Community Colleges, has been selected
as the first site in Texas for a MESA (Math, Engineering, and Science
Achievement) Center. The MESA Center that was founded in California in 1970
has been a model for other centers throughout the country, which are
designed to help educationally disadvantaged students excel in science and
math fields, graduate, and ultimately meet the needs of the U.S. technology
and economy.
Activities taking place in the Center will be partially funded by a U.S.
Department of Education Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program
grant.
“It is a great honor that San Antonio College has been selected as the first
site in Texas for a MESA Center,” said Dr. Robert E. Zeigler, President.
“This will provide many important resources for our math, science and
engineering students, who will in turn become the trained professionals
needed by American business and industry.”
The goal of the SAC MESA Center is to increase the number of Bexar County
students who complete associate degrees and/or transfer to baccalaureate
degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
The Center will be centrally located at the college in a converted classroom
in the Chance Academic Building, with plans to add more computers, reference
and office areas, and a social/meeting area for students. In addition to
outreach activities, academic enrichment workshops, and learning
communities, the Center will establish or enhance student support systems
for tutoring, personal advising, transfer and university enrollment,
transfer scholarships or research experiences.
MESA supports 2,550 university students in ten centers and 3,500 community
college students in 29 centers throughout the country, with assistance from
AT&T, Chevron, Texas Instruments, and Google.
For more information about the SAC MESA Program, contact Dr. Dan Dimitriu,
Coordinator of Engineering, at 785-6049.
