News – Page 60 – Lake Weekly

USDA economist/data scientist will speak on campus

USDA Economist/Data Scientist Dr. Gianna Short from Washington, D.C., will host a guest lecture and discussion on campus on Friday as part of Dr. Briana Salas’s “Careers in Environmental Science” Seminar. All students, faculty and staff are invited to join TExAS FAST scholars and seminar students in hearing from this expert on land stewardship and conservation programs. The seminar will be hosted virtually, over Teams, from 1:45-3 p.m. Scab the QR code on the flier below to join, or email ollustexasfast@ollusa.edu for more information.

Guest Speaker – Gianna Short Download

TExAS FAST scholars attended conference on land stewardship

Scholars from OLLU’s TExAS FAST program recently attended the Confluence of Young Conservation Leaders (CYCL) conference at Morgan’s Camp, San Antonio, from Oct. 24-27. The theme of the conference was “Land Stewardship in an Urban Environment,” and the nine OLLU scholars who attended met and stayed with young people from all around the country and learned how to advocate for themselves and the natural world. “Initially I thought everyone was so different, there is no way we would have anything in common,” said TExAS FAST transfer student, Michaela Mendez. “But the common factor was that we are all passionate about making a change in the environment. We all want to see things get better.”

]

Reminder: Apply for spring/summer 2025 graduation by Jan. 3

Students planning to graduate in the spring or summer 2025 semester have until Jan. 3, 2025, to submit the graduation application. Apply online through the “Graduation” tile in Saints Connect.

If you have any questions, email graduate@ollusa.edu.

Employees must complete computer security training by Tuesday or network access will be suspended

All university employees must complete computer security training by Tuesday, Nov. 5, to avoid losing user access. Loss of access will prevent employees from using any OLLU network systems. Loss of access will impact the ability to carry out daily responsibilities.

Training is managed by InfoSec, a third-party vendor. All employees should have received emails from notifications@securityiq-notifications.com with a message about completing the 24-25 OLLU Faculty/Staff Annual InfoSec Training course.

If you are having trouble locating the email, please contact Gregory Garza, OLLU Information Security Officer, at ollu_its@ollusa.edu.

Dr. Salas participates in National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Workshop

Dr. Briana Hauff Salas, Associate Professor of Environmental Science, attended a National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) workshop in Houston on Oct. 29, at the University of Houston – Downtown. The workshop, titled “Building Health and Climate Research Capacity in the U.S. Gulf Coast: Elevating Minority-Serving Institutions as Key Partners,” explored ways to increase MSI participating in climate-related public health research. Dr. Salas is on the planning committee for this workshop series and was a panelist for the “MSI Perspectives on Climate Impacts on Communities and Health in the Gulf” panel. A second workshop in this series, open to OLLU faculty and staff, will take place in New Orleans in February 2025. Registration for in-person or virtual attendance will be sent out in the new year. Faculty from a broad range of disciplines are encouraged to attend.

Reminder: Staff vacation leave ‘Use It or Lose It’ date is Dec. 31

Staff Employees are reminded that there is a one-year, carry-over limit on accrued vacation time. The “use-it-or-lose-it” date is Dec. 31.

Employees cannot carry over beyond this date more than the number of annual vacation days for which they are currently eligible. If work or medical conditions prohibit the employee from taking their accrued vacation by Dec. 31, the chief administrator of that division can request an extension of one additional year. The chief administrator and the employee must make every effort to schedule and use the accrued vacation in the coming year as additional extensions will not be permitted.

Contact a Human Resources team member or call 210-431-3970 for more information.

Women’s cross-country wins 10th conference championship

For the sixth year in a row and 10th time overall, the women’s cross-country team has captured the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Women’s Cross-Country Championships. This victory adds to the team’s impressive track record in the RRAC, having consistently performed at the top of the competition over the years. The event was held at the Windcrest Golf Course.

OLLU’s victory was a collective effort, as they outpaced second-place Texas A&M University—Texarkana (TAMUT) with four of the top five individual times and six of the top eight. This strong team performance was a key factor in their success.

Third place went to Xavier University of Louisiana, who had one runner in the top 10 – Skylah Barton. Fourth place went to Jarvis Christian University.

OLLU junior Mia Curiel claimed the RRAC individual championship with a time of 24:03.6 on the 6000m course, 15 seconds ahead of the field. Leilani Leza, another standout performer, placed third for the Saints with a time of 24:41. Their exceptional performances were key to the team’s success in the championships.

The women have won nine individual championships. Jasmine Garcia won the title in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Annie Trejo won in 2018, while Lindsey Broussard won in 2019, Nadia Sifuentes in 2021 and 2022, and Sanai Robinson won the title last season.

Brett Charlton, in his first year as head coach, also captured Coach of the Year honors.

Joining Curiel and Leza for All-Conference are Liliana Hernandez for fourth place with a time of 24:45, Victoria Bartlett for fifth place with a time of 24:49, Valeria Peña for seventh place with a time of 25:01 and Claudia Helena Lopez in eighth place with a time of 25:29. Daylah Vega’s time was 27:38 for 15th place.

What’s next

The women have qualified for the 45th Annual NAIA Women’s Cross-Country National Championship that will take place Nov. 22 at the Gans Creek Cross-Country Course in Columbia, Miss.

Men’s cross-country takes ninth conference championship

The men’s cross-country team won the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Men’s Cross-Country Championships. The event was held at the Windcrest Golf Course.

OLLU secured seven of the top 10 finishers, with Texas A&M University – Texarkana’s (TAMUT) Shea Johnson winning the individual medal and teammate Isaac Cup coming in third. University of the Southwest’s Brendan Curtis finished 10th.

TAMUT came in second in the championship, followed by the University of the Southwest, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Jarvis Christian University.

OLLU senior Joseph Gonzalez was the runner-up with a time of 26:19 in the 8000m. Sabastian Moreno came in fourth with a time of 26:51. In fifth place was Isai Moran with a time of 27:17. In sixth was Jayden Turrubiates with a time of 27:25. Seventh place finisher was Jose Saucedo with a time of 27:42, followed by Kruz Malesich in eighth place with a time of 27:49 and Tony Favella in ninth place with a time of 28:01. These Saints, united in their pursuit of victory, all earned All-Conference honors, showcasing the strong bond and camaraderie within the team.

Other finishers for the Saints include: Vincent Garza, 28:17; Ryan Aldana, 28:46; Andrew Ruiz, 29:03; Jose Perez, 29:17; Robert Rios, 30:35; JoseCarlos Hernandez, 31:04; Marc Castro, 31:43; and Dominic Alonzo, 34:41.

Brett Charlton, in his first year as head coach, also captured Coach of the Year honors.

This marks the men’s ninth championship title in 10 years. The team won the title in 2022 but was disqualified.

After the meet, the Saints honored the Senior Class of 2024 – Joseph Gonzalez, JoseCarlos Hernandez, Kruz Malesich, Diego Moran, Robert Rios and Andrew Ruiz.

What’s next
The men will prepare for the 69th Annual NAIA Men’s Cross-Country National Championship, which will take place Nov. 22 at the Gans Creek Cross-Country Course in Columbia, Miss. This prestigious event will see the best college cross-country teams from across the nation compete for the title.

Join the President’s Walking Challenge today

Join President Chávez today at 9 a.m. in front of Sacred Heart Chapel as we celebrate the university’s status as an Exercise Is Medicine^®(EIM) campus and kick off a walking challenge. President Chávez will sign a proclamation recognizing Exercise Is Medicine^® Month. He will then be joined by the presidents of student organizations, and they will lead the university community in a one-mile walk around campus.

EIM-On Campus (EIM-OC) is a community-impact initiative of the American College of Sports Medicine recognizing efforts to create a culture of wellness on campus. EIM-OC calls upon universities and colleges to promote physical activity as a vital sign of health and encourages faculty, staff and students to work together to improve the health and well-being of the campus community.

Throughout today, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., OLLU is taking part in a global walking competition through EIM. Help OLLU win the competition by tracking your steps by downloading and using the Pacer App (see instructions below). In addition to the President’s Walk in the morning, there will be an additional walk at 1 p.m., starting from the chapel steps. The path of both the morning and afternoon walks will be along Providence Road and Moye Road (in front of the UWAC). University Police will direct traffic during the walks, but the community is reminded to use extra caution when driving on campus during the walks.

Instructions for tracking your steps from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. today:

Step 1: Download Pacer App
Scan QR Code (below) or copy link using your iPhone or Android/Samsung mobile phone, and download Pacer App
EIM WALKING DAY | The Pacer Virtual Challenges (mypacer.com)

Step 2: Select Enter Challenge Code and enter BSC8AG49

Step 3: Select EIM Walking Day and Select JOIN

Step 4: Create Account for Free

When you have logged in successfully, you should see “EIM Walking Day” on the app. Questions? Email: abgarcia@ollusa.edu.