In recent collaborations among the university and faculty involved with Teagle Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities grant to offer a certificate. The development of the foundation is to have humanities more integrated with various technical programs and tracks at TAMUT to be more integrated with the humanities. The Program of Learning and Community Engagement (PLACE) is an annual program of talks with this year’s Transformative Texts: Personal Responsibility hosted by Dr. Doug Julien and Dr. Michael Perri in the series of events throughout the semester. The PLACE Common Reader Book Club meets every Tuesday throughout the remainder of the semester and more information is on the TAMUT website about upcoming guest keynote speakers and events.

Dr. Doug Julien has been a full-time professor of the English department at Texas A&M University-Texarkana for thirteen years. He obtained his doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota for comparative studies in discourse and society and his passion for world literature, and literary theory with a concentrated fascination with continental philosophy, and critical theory. The inspiration to pursue a career in higher education stems from folks from his life as an undergraduate and graduate student. “I take my students to a place of learning,” said Dr. Julien, encouraging students to connect with their department’s faculty.

The East Texas Writing Project was developed to give local educators around the ArkLaTex area supplemental tools and opportunities to integrate contemporary writing pedagogies into their classrooms to implement a new way of engaging the classroom with the materials. “We have a bunch of new writers making their way into literature,” said Dr. Julien.

With the current trajectory of technological advancements, Dr. Julien shared his thoughts on the usage of artificial intelligence may have potential concerns in education and the workforce. “We should be mindful of not having technology use us,” he said rather than being an assistive tool as time progresses while retrospectively evaluating past innovations just like literature.

            Professor Kevin Ells is an associate professor here at Texas A&M University Texarkana.  He is one of two professors in the mass communications program and will reach his tenth year of being a teacher here as of early 2024. He has had an extensive career teaching not just here but around the world. Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Professor Ells earned his Ph.D. in Alexandria, Louisiana, at a branch of the Louisiana State University system, and taught there before coming to Texarkana. He decided to that he was going to stay in the United States after finding his love here. When he completed grad school a second time he had worked at various schools throughout the south and taught in the west Asian country of Azerbaijan. Upon asking why he traveled so much after he graduated school in Canada he said “At that time of the decade [1990’s] it was kinda trendy after university to do a tour Europe, backpack around and hitchhike. I had a sense that lots of people were doing it so I did too.” He still likes to travel but for now he’s enjoying Texarkana.

            While being a full time professor at the university he passionately continues in his research of semiotics and rhetoric. Professor Ells finds that there are terms in his field that are not very well explained even in textbooks so he has been trying to find better ways to explain these terms in a way anyone can understand. He says “…especially in popular books for business, I see something defined and it seems vague in a text book and I can’t explain that in a classroom. I’m explaining a technical term and it’s got to be useful.” He wants solid definitions for words that can be explained to anyone without any real prior knowledge. He has written books on this topic and wants to research it even further.

            When asked what he likes to do when not working or researching nowadays he seemed to find himself fairly boring. He enjoys riding his bike when the weather permits it, spending time with his wife, grandchildren, and elderly dog, and watching Brit Box. When told about his popularity around town he seemed amused. He said “my own sense of myself is that I’m just trying to be competent and giving people what they pay for. I’m always comparing myself to the sharpest scholars I read about… on a good day I think I held myself pretty well today.” Professor Ells seems to have a very humble opinion of himself which makes sense for a man like him.  
      

“Life is influx — life is always changing — and looking for stability is kind of folly,” says 

Dr. Joseph Burzynski of Texas A&M University – Texarkana. 

Growing up, Joseph did not have any big dreams of becoming your typical Astronaut or Policeman but rather developed a passion for fostering the human mind. He has published a couple of articles but does not feel gratitude because “I consider it too attached to my job,” Joseph says. Rather, his proudest moments lie within the achievements of his students. He says, “There is nothing more satisfying than having a student produce something and get it published.”

Joseph Burzynski was born in Buffalo, New York where he later relocated to Bronx, New York to attend Fordham University as an undergraduate student. He remained undeclared in an area of study his first two years to allow himself more fluidity with course scheduling. However, he later transferred back to Buffalo to attend Canisius University where he discovered an aptitude for English-related courses, prompting him to complete his bachelor’s degree in English. 

Joseph is far more than a college professor. He is a husband and father to two-year-old twins and most of his free time is spent maintaining those relationships. He often finds pleasure in grabbing coffee with friends or having a date night with his wife but takes immense pride in the happiness of his children. Joseph describes himself as a frivolous person but earnest, when needed. “I like to see the lighter side of things. I don’t like to dwell in negativity,” he says. However, maintaining a healthy learning environment is one that he does not take lightly. 

Having a mentor or form of guidance is very important to grow as an individual and Joseph Burzynski has done just that to usher the way to success, not only for rising college students but for the success of his own family.

Professor Paul Goodchild is a new assistant professor in the accounting department here on campus. Meeting him was a real treat that allowed some insight on both the life of a professor, along with someone who cares deeply about student concerns and needs. Paul hails from Massachusetts where he grew up and attended UMass. Before deciding on coming to Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT), he worked at a few other universities like USC-Aiken, Quinnipiac University, and UCM.

Paul has only been working for TAMUT since July and some of his favorite things about the campus is the fact that it is alive and growing. He really enjoys student engagement and hopes that the way things are going, student engagement and attendance can boom and benefit the surrounding community.

Mr. Goodchild is an assistant professor and wants to help the student population with his skills. The Volunteer Income Tax Association or VITA is a program that Paul would like to get started and grow an interest in to help students who do not know how to file taxes. This program works alongside the IRS and allows students to get taxes done or help those in the community file taxes that have an income of $64,000 or lower. If any students or faculty members are interested in joining or learning more, please email him for information. His email can be found in the school directory located here.

But Paul is not all work and no play, he has some interesting hobbies alongside his work life. He is an avid dirt bike rider and enjoys tinkering and repairing any small motors that come with the hobby. This can all be found on a YouTube channel that features all the places he rides and even includes some input on the surrounding area in case one is interested in visiting. His channel can be found here.

Mrs. Jasmine Kelley is a full-time remote student at TAMUT. In addition, she is taking classes at Collin College (in person) in Frisco, TX. She is goal-oriented and has mastered the art of juggling life’s obstacles.

Mrs. Kelley was born in San Diego, California, and moved to Texas when she was young. She spent two years on the Texarkana campus before moving to Frisco due to unforeseen financial issues. “I always knew I would go to college,” Kelley said. She dreams of receiving a bachelor’s in mass communications and pursuing a career in broadcasting. Kelley is currently on a waiting list to intern with WFAA 8. Recently, she completed an esthetician course and will continue gaining knowledge in that trade to earn an additional source of income while she finishes school.

Being a child of a sailor, her father raised her with love and structure. Many of the things he learned from the Navy bled over into his parenting. Jasmine thinks her father’s military training helped him to equip her with many skills. Mrs. Kelley’s mother continually expands her knowledge in many different areas of life. She describes her mother as eager to try new things, encouraging Jasmine to keep growing her skill set.

Jasmine is a health enthusiast, lover of skincare, and fashionista. “We are just very gym oriented, feel good oriented, we are big on health,” Jasmine said. She finds peace in gardening, an activity she has taken up with her mother. Recently, she has experienced significant loss and is learning how to adjust to life after a traumatic miscarriage. “Once you get pregnant, your whole world changes; you start thinking like a mom.” And she says that it was a “weird” adjustment, having to suddenly go back to how life was before.

However, Jasmine has turned the deeply unfortunate into something genuine. Jasmine Kelley allowed this unexpected paradigm shift to encourage and fuel her drive to focus on school and career.

Brittany Robles attends Texarkana A&M University and is not your “typical” college student. At 30 years old she decided to enroll in school in 2020 majoring in mass communications after taking time off from doing hair for 10+ years. She wanted to work again but found it difficult to obtain a job without a degree. She said jokingly “…I’m never [getting rejected for a job] again!”. Brittany highlights the challenges she faces in her personal life such as being a mother in a family of 7, working for the Texarkana Magazine, owning businesses, and being a surrogate all while going to school. When asked how she handles it all, she said “People are my passion” and gives us an inside look at how she helps change lives around her every day.

Brittany shares with us how she initially studied hair and fashion design at an art institute. even though hair was not her passion, she knew making people satisfied and confident was. This also bleeds through to her careers with her personal businesses and a job doing marketing and sales for the Texarkana Magazine as she stated “ That’s the part of the job [that] I love…once I get those relationships formed with my accounts and clients…they are able to become my friends and I love really being able to create the vision that they have for their business.”. 

Some of the most important people to Brittany are her children. One of her sons has dysgraphia and dyslexia and it makes it harder for him to learn certain things, she states that she assures him “…he is going to be so successful” no matter what circumstances. Brittany is a mother who does nothing but pour into and uplift their children!

Speaking of children, Brittany not only takes care of her own family but also other couple’s kids as well. Brittany was recently a surrogate, which she said was “a calling from God.”. She shared a heartfelt testimony about the couple she carried for and the profound impact it has had on her life, and to this day they still keep in touch with one another. Brittany’s passion for people is very touching; she’s an advocate, a nurturer, and a true friend. She will continue to change the lives of many people she comes into contact with.

Hannah Jarret, a sophomore at Texas A&M University (TAMUT), and member of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority, was nominated as an orientation leader to attend the Emma Coleman Frost Leadership Development Institute in Kansas City this summer. “It was fun and stressful,” said Hannah. The conference was an eye-opening experience about self-reflection, work ethic, and personal growth.

Hannah is double majoring in Kinesiology and Psychology and aspires to pursue a career involving sports medicine inspired by her past physical and mental hardships she had faced as a student-athlete in high school. She is willing to push her plans to fruition by getting involved in student life, and becoming a member of the Student Government Association (SGA) serving as a sophomore senator. She is also involved in the Collective Arts Society serving as Communications officer, a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha, and is on the College Activities Board. In her time with these organizations, she has strengthened her confidence and opportunities to connect with her fellow students and faculty.

As a council member of SGA with a communal message with the council, “every student’s voice deserves to be heard,” said Jarret. The self-discipline to open new doors to experience situations such as debating on brainstorms, crafting ideas, and planning event organizations to obtain skill sets that bleed into the rest of her time at TAMUT and post-graduation.

In addition to her studies, she works part-time as a lifeguard for the Texas Independent School District Aquatic Center for advanced swimmers. She is a cashier associate trainer for a home and garden store. On the line between education and her work life Hannah said, “School comes first,” emphasizing professionalism when communicating concerns to her employer about availability when asked to advise students who may be entering the workforce while making strides to obtain their degree.

Texas A&M University Texarkana (TAMUT) is growing slowly but surely every year, and each year the school gets more and more international students. One student on campus who particularly stands out is Sneha GC a sophomore who is already leaving a big impact on the school’s relations overseas. Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, Sneha came to Texarkana because of her dream to study in the United States. She said “… I went to a agent or something, like you know who gives advice on international studies you know?” She then heard from one of her friends that the school offered international scholarships then was rewarded. Now Sneha and 25 other students from Nepal go to TAMUT, the most from any singular country.

For now Sneha’s weeks are jam packed going for a degree in computer science and cyber security, also working at the technical support office and being a resident adviser at the dorms on top of being an international student. Sneha said “…it’s kinda overwhelming at times but then talking about the benefits from this plan like the housing and the meal plan, plus the six thousand dollars it’s pretty good.” Most of her days she spends working from eight in the morning to near ten at night, but on the weekends she likes to spend time with her friends that live in the city and go to her favorite restaurant Taste of India and getting her favorite food Momo’s.

       The cultural shift coming from Kathmandu to Texarkana has been interesting for her. She said “People who wear cowboy boots and hats are quite different from people back in my country.” She has family that lives in California and during Tihar, a Hindu holiday, she goes to see them. She’s amazed by how much bigger things are here and sometimes she gets homesick but knows that her hard work will pay off.

One of Sneha’s biggest achievements since being at our school was being the student ambassador and hosting an international recruitment event for Texas A&M when she went back home to Nepal. “Dr. Davis, Dr. Brown, and the head of advising (Venus Lillis), they joined me over a zoom call and made me the representative.” She met with many students who were interested in attending and most of the students who attended the event are at the school currently. It was the first international recruitment that was student led. Sneha has only been a part of TAMUT for only a few years but is on her way in solidifying in A&M history.