Focus on Faculty

Doom Loop Wonderland

by LeeAnn Olivier, MFA

Doom Loop Wonderland is a micro memoir that tells the story of domestic violence, addiction and clawing toward freedom. Olivier recounts her experience with abuse and self-reclamation with a poignant clarity that lingers long after the reader devour its pages.

Olivier teaches English and Humanities at TCC. Her writings have appeared in several journals, including Infection House, Parhelion and Driftwood Press. She lives with her husband, his two teenagers and a menagerie of rescued animals.

Be Successful in America

Believe in Your Way to Teach: Feminine and Masculine Perspectives on Philosophies and Vision on Education

by Anel Herrera and Angel L Hidalgo

A teacher must measure their success as a merchant who achieves triumph when they sell their product to the customer. Who buys the product from the teacher? The student.

Anel Herrera and Angel Hidalgo share their experiences in the education system from their feminine and masculine perspectives. Herrera is an instructional associate and Hidalgo is an assistant professor of Spanish, both at TCC Southeast.

Horror in the Age of Steam

Tales of Terror in the Victorian Age of Transitions

by Carroll Clayton Savant, PhD

Rapid change is destabilizing. Wholesale swaths of England’s economy and the social structure underwent complete recalibration under Queen Victoria. Faced with such change, Britons had to redefine the concept of work, belief and even what it meant to be English.

Carroll Clayton Savant is an associate professor of English at TCC. He has written extensively on music and literature in Victorian society. He is a trained musicologist with a background as a concert pianist and orchestral musician.

The Texas Experience: Lone Star Politics, Policy, and Participation

by Paul Benson and Anthony Giardino

This book brings the fast-paced, ever-changing world of Texas law, leadership and politics to life. It is designed to help the next generation of Texas voters be informed, educated, and civically engaged. From Lyndon Johnson to the Bush Dynasty to the events that are unfolding today, Texas has literally defined American government.

Get On Board

Rosa Mendez, department chair of child development & education at TCC Northeast, was appointed as Mayor Pro Tem in Westworth Village and as Chair for the Golf & Parks Committee, also in Westworth Village.

Angel Ayala, veterans counselor at TCC Trinity River, has been selected as president-elect for the Fort Worth Board of the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals.

A’Isha Malone, speech instructor and department chair at TCC Northeast, has been invited to serve on the Board of Directors for HEB ISD Education Foundation.

Adrian Riojas, coordinator of special services for Advising & Counseling at TCC Trinity River, has been elected treasurer for the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE) board.

We Present to You

Dena Berg, associate professor of biology at TCC Northwest, presented “Teaching Lab Sciences in a Global Pandemic: What Have we Learned?” at the American Society for Microbiology, Texas Branch meeting. Berga was joined by Deb Scheiwe, assistant professor of biology from TCC Northeast and Kristina Miranda, instructor of biology at TCC South.

Alejandro Garza, assistant professor of Spanish at TCC Northwest, gave a talk and workshop to the Tamayo Institute, Oaxaca Cultural Center about the art of photography as a tool for cultural, global awareness and educational purposes. The talk is in Spanish and can be viewed on YouTube: Charla el fotógrafo Alejandro Garza Cano.

TCC Southeast President Bill Coppola spoke to the Leadership Arlington Youth and Adult classes about the importance of education in Arlington.

Osaro Airen, counselor at TCC Trinity River, presented “How Academic Journals/Publications Can Lead to Impactful Discussions About Diversity and Social Justice” at the Texas Association of Black School Educators/Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education joint virtual conference.

Greta Bowling, professor of biology at TCC Northwest, presented at a meeting of the American Association of University Women on the theme of “Building Ties” to teach members how to connect with the environment.

Amy Gilley, dean of humanities at TCC Trinity River, presented original poetry, “Experiments After Creeley” at the Northeast Modern Language Association annual convention. Jerrica Jordan, associate professor of English at TCC Trinity River, presented a paper, “#MeToo Rhetoric in Ann Petry’s The Street” at the same event.

Three TCC Connect faculty and staff presented at the Instructional Technology Council 2021 virtual conference. Angela Thurman presented “OpenStax: OER Adoption and Implementation”, Allegra Davis-Hannah presented “Leading Transition to a new Learning Management System” and Cristina Sullivan presented “Empowering Yourself to Empower Others: Self-Awareness and Growth in a Leadership Role”.

Laura Matysek Wood, professor of history and government at TCC Northwest, presented at the International Virtual Exchange (IVE) Conference on the topic of “Effective Student Virtual Exchanges Through linkreducation.com”. IVE provides for collaboration in an individual course between students at different colleges in different countries during a semester.

Mike Vendsel, professor of philosophy at TCC Southeast, gave the keynote address “Spiritual Sight from St. Augustine to Jean-Luc Marion” at The Gordon H. Clark Philosophy Symposium. The symposium is an opportunity for philosophy students to participate in an academic conference alongside professional philosophers.