Higher Education in The Coastal Bend
This week, I’d like to take a look at some of the excellent higher education organizations that operate, teach, and serve our area so well. Corpus Christi and Port Aransas are home to Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, and Del Mar College. Each institution brings positive benefits to people in the Coastal Bend, the state of Texas, and the country.
Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC), previously Corpus Christi State University, joined the Texas A&M University system in 1989. It offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in a variety of disciplines and fields. The school recently added electrical engineering to its growing list of degree programs. TAMU-CC offers one of the nation’s top graduate nursing programs as well. The university has a strong athletics program and a burgeoning life sciences division. Recently, TAMU-CC partnered with the Texas State Aquarium (TSA) to offer a course titled “Texas State Aquarium Animal Care Operations – a Look at Conservation, Welfare and Research” which will provide unprecedented opportunities for biology students to study animal care activities at the aquarium.
TAMU-CC also recently received two Texas Sea Grant Awards that will be used for research focusing on oyster reef restoration. The Texas Sea Grant program only funds four to six proposals a year from researchers across the state, making these grants highly competitive. The research project will be conducted through multiple field studies within the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve. They hope to determine whether restored oyster reefs become similar to natural reefs and will work on quantifying how long the process takes. Oyster reefs are an important part of the ecosystem because they increase water quality, influence water circulation and stabilize the sea floor.
In 1946, the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UT-MSI) was established as the first permanent marine laboratory on the Texas Coast. It is located in Port Aransas, Texas. With a focus on research, the Institute hosts graduate and undergraduate programs, such as Fish Physiology and Marine Biogeochemistry. The Institute has contributed groundbreaking research and scientific accomplishments, such as being the first institution to spawn redfish in captivity.
UT-MSI contributes to the community in many ways. The Visitor Center educates the public on Marine Science with exhibits and videos that depict the Texas Coast. The UT-MSI Wetlands Education Center is an outdoor facility on a marsh, with boardwalks and displays that inform the public about the local ecosystems.
Though recently damaged by Hurricane Harvey, University of Texas Regents voted on Monday, March 19 to help rebuild UT-MSI. The project will help the institute come back into full operation and it will pay for replacing roofs and mechanical systems, supporting interior and exterior restoration of numerous buildings damaged in the storm, rebuilding a research pier that was destroyed by a drilling ship in the aftermath of the storm and replacing student housing.
Del Mar College, which was established in 1935, has a current enrollment of over 12,000 people, and offers a variety of associate degrees in the arts and sciences, as well as certificates of achievements. Del Mar College was named one of the Top Military Friendly colleges for two years in a row by Military Advanced Education, and is designated a “Service Members Opportunity College.”
Del Mar College offers many continuing education and career courses for the local community. Some of these classes can be applied to Continuing Education Units (CEUs). A CEU is a kind of credit that professionals can use to prove their completion of continuing education courses or initiatives. For more information on Del Mar College, you can access the college website by visiting Del Mar College.
If you would like to follow the Texas House and learn more information on news, committees or other aspects of the legislative body, you can access its website at Texas House of Representatives. The site features live streaming of committee hearings, as well as access to a number of other resources. You can also visit The Texas Senate.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this week’s article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. Please always feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or issues regarding a Texas state agency, or if you would like to contact my office regarding constituent services. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part) County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.texas.gov or at 512-463-0672.
