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El Paso Community College (EPCC) welcomed O’Donnell Intermediate School as part of its school adoption program during a proclamation ceremony held at the school on Thursday, November 8, 2018.

EPCC President Dr. William Serrata welcomed Fabens Independent School District (FISD) Assistant Superintendent Michele Gonzalez, O’Donnell Principal Corina Ruiz and the student body to the program.

“A student is never too young to learn the importance of going to college,” Dr. William Serrata, EPCC President said. “Reaching out to elementary school students and their parents allows students to learn that higher education is within their reach and we build a college-going culture.”

O’Donnell Intermediate School is EPCC’s sixth school adopted and first for FISD.  “The mission of Fabens ISD is to prepare all students to be successful citizens,” Michele Gonzalez, FISD Assistant Superintendent said. “The mission does not end at high school graduation and includes making sure that our students are prepared to enter college and graduate from college.”

EPCC has plans to continue adopting elementary schools across its district.

EPCC officials added that they are “committed to increasing the number of students going to college in the region.  By building strong elementary school and college connections through campus tours, workshops, presentations, outreach programs and parental involvement, EPCC is building a college-going culture.”

Previously EPCC adopted Campestre Elementary from Socorro Independent School District, Frederick Douglass Elementary from El Paso Independent School District, Ramona Elementary from Ysleta Independent School District, Canutillo Elementary School from Canutillo Independent School District and Frank Macias Elementary School for the Clint Independent School District.

New York City – El Paso Community College (EPCC) Biology Professor Dr. Maria Alvarez was honored with the 2018 National William H. Meardy Faculty Member Award by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT).

Dr. Alvarez received the award during their annual leadership congress held in New York City.  ACCT recognized her for her excellence in teaching and in scientific research.

“Our faculty provide the foundation of success for our students,” Steve Smith, EPCC Vice President of Instruction and Workforce Education said.  “Dr. Maria Alvarez is an example of an outstanding professor, mentor and role model who has transformed STEM education, secured more than $13.2 million dollars of grant funding and has created extraordinary experiences for our students.”

One of many programs Alvarez has initiated and developed at EPCC is the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) Program which gives students opportunities to conduct research and other opportunities.

As a result of her efforts, hundreds of minority and underrepresented students have had the opportunity to engage in high-level scientific projects.

In addition, her students have gained tools needed to succeed in college and take the opportunity to continue their education by earning transfer baccalaureate, master and doctoral degrees and ultimately pursue STEM careers.

Her students say she helps students understand that they can aspire to be anything because and thank her for mentoring them on a pathway to achieving their dreams.

“I became not only the first in my immediate family to finish college, but also the first in my extended family to obtain a doctoral degree,” said Salvador Muñoz, who earned his Ph.D. and was post-doctoral fellow at the University of Rochester after studying with Dr. Alvarez.  “She makes the improbable possible for many young minds.”

Through the programs she has developed and through more than 20 grant-funded projects, she has created opportunities for her students to be involved in hands-or research in state-of-the-art facilities.  Under her guidance her students have completed scientific research with real-world implications and impact.

“The outstanding results Dr. Alvarez has achieved demonstrates her tireless efforts to find innovative ways to engage her students,” EPCC Board Chair Art Fierro said.

Each year ACCT recognizes faculty members from community colleges across the nation for their outstanding leadership.

The El Paso Community College men and women’s cross-country teams won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region V Cross Country Championships in Ranger, Texas.

Tejano, Gideon Cheplak (25m:50) in the and Tejana, Everlyn Kemboi (17m:47s) triumphed in the men’s 8K and women’s5K races.
This is the sixth year in a row that the Tejanas women have won the regional championship.

Five runners (1. Everlyn Kemboi, 3.Faith Jemutai, 5. Francisca Jebor, 7. Feliciana Kiptoo, 8. Dorothy Jemutai ) finished in the Top 10 to receive All-Region honors. South Plains College placed second and New Mexico Military Institute women placed third.

Along with the men’s championship, four runners (1. Gideon Cheplak, 2. Elias Loriposia, 4. Dennis Kiptoo, 5. Elvis Chelak ) placed in the Top 10 for All-Region honors.

Ranger College finished in second place and New Mexico Junior College in third.

Up next for the EPCC Cross Country teams is the NJCAA Championship on November 11 in Garden City, Kansas.

As the El Paso Community College (EPCC) Cross Country men’s and women’s teams continue their winning ways, coaches and others are beginning to take notice.

Both teams are now in the top five rankings in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Poll of October 17, 2018 for Division 1 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) teams.

The teams are coming off a very successful meet at the University of California Riverside Highlander Invitational. They competed against Division 1, 2 and 3 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) universities.

The Tejanos are ranked third in this week’s poll, the highest ranking in their history. The men finished fifth at the Highlander Invitational with EPCC athlete Gideon Cheplak winning the race.

The women are ranked second for the third poll in a row. The Tejanas placed fourth at the Highlander Invitational.

Next on the schedule, EPCC will compete at the NJCAA Region V Championship in Ranger, Texas on October 27, 2018.  For more information about the NJCAA rankings, visit the website.

El Paso Community College (EPCC) Men’s Cross country team member, Gideon Cheplak won the University of California at Riverside Highlander Invitational on October 13, 2018.

Cheplak’s time for the 8K race was 24m: 24s. Over 250 runners participated in the men’s race from universities and colleges all over the southwest. The Tejanos’ team finished fifth overall.

Everlyn Kemboi, who finished seventh in the 5K race, led the women’s team with a time of 17m: 18s. The Tejanas’ team finished fourth overall.

The EPCC men and women’s teams consistently have been ranked nationally in the top five by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Next on the schedule, EPCC will compete at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region V Championship at Ranger, Texas on October 27, 2018.

El Paso Community College (EPCC) held a grand opening celebration for its state-of-the-art Fire Technology Academy Training Facility on Tuesday morning.

During the event, EPCC and area fire department dignitaries attended as current Fire Technology Academy gave life-saving demonstrations.

“The Fire Technology Academy Training Facility is an example of how EPCC provides high-quality and affordable instruction,” Steve Smith, Vice President of Instruction and Workforce Education said. “EPCC is training workers with the skills to sustain and improve quality of life in our region.”

“The students trained at this facility have committed to a career of saving lives and helping individuals in our community stay safe,” Myshie Pagel, Dean of Career and Technology Education.

Since beginning in the 1970s, the program has graduated over 1,000 students adding to the workforce locally, throughout the state and the nation.

Additionally, regional fire departments look to EPCC to provide training for their departments.   For more information on the program, click here.

El Paso. A city of endless desert vistas, mountains, dark skies, and mild winters. A beautiful city to those that call it home.

But how much do we really know about weather and climate, natural resources, planetary and other geological processes that affect living and decision making in the El Paso region?

That’s why El Paso Community College would like to invite you all to their Transmountain campus for a free evening of fun and learning at their first ever Earth Science Day.

Back when I was a student there, I loved learning about the ecology and geology of this borderland region. Now, EPCC wants everyone to learn more about our regional geology through presentations and demonstrations. They’re going to take you on a journey into the past where you can experience our rich geological history through performances by EPCC Dance and explore our environment with the EAR 1 rover.

You’ll get to interact and engage with demonstrations in Augmented reality (AR), seismology, and more! In this way, you’ll learn about the environment using hands-on technology. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Admission is free and open to the public. So, join us Wednesday, October 17th from 5pm to 8pm in the Library and Mall area of the Transmountain Campus located at 9570 Gateway North Boulevard.

Contact John Olgin at jolgin@epcc.edu or call 915-831-5058 for more information.

El Paso Community College (EPCC) Women’s Cross country team finished first at the New Mexico Junior College Invitational in Hobbs, New Mexico. The men’s team took second place at the meet.

This accomplishment comes on the heels of the national ranking of both teams by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Poll; the women placed second and the men fourth in the ranking.

Individually at the NMJC Invitational, EPCC’s Everlyn Kemboi won the race with a time for the 5K of 14:43. This was the second fastest time in the history of the race.

Leading the men was Dennis Kiptoo who finished second with a t time of 21:40 for the 7K men’s race.

EPCC’s next race will be on October 19 at the UCR Highlander Invitational in Riverside California.

Both of El Paso Community College (EPCC) Cross Country teams – men and women – are ranked at the same time on the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Poll.

The women are ranked 2nd and the men 4^th, thanks to their performances at the Lori Fitzgerald Open on September 15^th, the men finished in 1^st place and the women in 2^nd place. The best competitors individually were Gideon Cheplak, finishing in 1^st place for the men, and Everlyn Kemboi, finishing in 5^th place for the women.

“Most important is that they all excel academically,” Felix Hinojosa, EPCC Athletic Director and Cross Country Head Coach said.  “Each team member is a leader and they depend on each other to excel.”

The next competition for the EPCC teams will be the NMJC Cross Country Invitational at Hobbs, NM on September 28^th. This will be the next to last race before getting to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) regionals in the last week of October, and national championships in the first two weeks in November.

The teams are looking to repeat last year’s achievements, where the men finished in 2^nd place and women in 1^st place at the NJCAA regionals.

For complete rankings, visit the ustfcca website.

It started with the idea of a tree and grew into a wonderful work of art. The Menagerie of Art mural now adorns a classroom at the El Paso Community College (EPCC) Northwest campus.

The mural was the vision of English Instructor, Tony Procell. Procell is the mentor for The Glass Menagerie, student art and literary club.

“Students are young and still learning and they have a creative side,” Procell said. “We want our students to be inspired by this.”

Procell enlisted the exceptional talents of EPCC Art Instructor, Rudy Castro.

Castro worked throughout the summer to create this spectacular mural. Their collaboration brought to life the theme of celebrating art through the seven forms of art.

A reception for EPCC faculty and staff was held on August 23rd to unveil the artwork.

Corpus Christi, Texas – El Paso Community College’s (EPCC) Mr. Steven Smith, Vice President of Instruction and Workforce Education, was presented the 2018 Carl M. “Cheesie” Nelson Administrative Leadership Award in Corpus Christi during their annual awards luncheon.

Conferred by the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC), this award recognizes administrators with outstanding leadership qualities who have made a significant impact on higher education.

“Vice President Smith has consistently been a driving force behind our institution’s efforts to provide excellent education and support services to our students,” EPCC President Dr. William Serrata said.  “His outstanding leadership has resulted in measurable results.”

Smith was selected for this competitive award out of nominees submitted from all 50 community colleges across Texas.  Smith who describes success as seeing students walk across the stage to receive their degree at commencement has worked at EPCC for nearly 30 years.

In his current role he oversees all of the instructional, workforce and education programs at EPCC’s five campuses that serve around 30,000 students.

“This award celebrates exemplary commitment to Texas students, leadership, professional decorum, collaboration and community engagement,” Jacob Fraire, TACC President and CEO said.

On Wednesday it was announced that EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College Program has been recognized as a finalist in the Examples of Excellence in the associate level.

“EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College High School programs are having tremendous results in getting youth in our region on a path to higher education,” Dr. William Serrata, EPCC President said. “The data shows that students who take just one college course in high school are more likely to pursue a college degree and be successful.”

The EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College Program gives students opportunities to earn college credit while still in high school.

EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College High School program was one of only 21 finalists selected from more than 139 nominated programs from 27 states, DC and Puerto Rico.

The four 2018 Examples of Excelencia will be announced October 11th at the Celebración de Excelencia in Washington, DC.

“We are honored that Excelencia in Education has selected El Paso Community College’s Dual Credit and Early College High School Program as an Example of Excelencia.  This nation-wide recognition highlights the work we are doing to provide students in our region the opportunity to take college courses while in high school,” Tonie Badillo, Dean of EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College High School Programs said.

“These students have the opportunity to save time and money by getting a head start on their college career.”

Since being established more than a decade ago, EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College High School program has addressed the region’s low educational rate in comparison with Texas and the Nation.

The program has become a nationally recognized model for its success rates. Students in EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College programs have high graduation and completion rates in the courses they take and when they continue to 4-year institutions. The data shows that 58 percent of students who take just one college course in high school pursue an advanced degree versus 33 percent for those who do not.

Students in EPCC’s Early College High School Programs have a 75 percent success rate in completing their associate degree while still in high school which outperform the national and state averages which are less than 30 percent.

EPCC offers Dual Credit in the majority of area high schools. There are 12 Early College High Schools spread out through area school district partners including Canutillo ISD, Clint ISD, El Paso ISD, Fabens ISD, Socorro ISD and Ysleta ISD.

¡Excelencia in Education! is an organization that works to accelerate Latino student success, enhance our workforce, leadership, and economy. Examples of Excellence recognizes institutions and practices that bring attention to evidence-based practices that work for Latino students in education.

Shalet Mitei, EPCC Cross Country and Half Marathon, has been named First Team All American by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

“EPCC is an academic institution first and foremost,” said Felix Hinojosa, EPCC Athletic Director. “Being awarded academic honors validates what we do as a college.”

The Academic All American list includes a total of four EPCC athletes, Amy Vidal, Michael Flores, Carlos Quintana and Mitei.

Mitei led the EPCC contingent of student-athletes, with a GPA of 4.0

Since 1993, the NJCAA has recognized the team and individual student athletes with the highest grade-point averages. The student must have 24 credit hours or more with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.60 or higher.

Individual Academic Student-Athletic Awardees:

Shalet Mitei               First Team (4.00)                  4.00    Cross Country and Half Marathon

Amy Vidal                  Second Team (3.80-3.99)   3.87    Cross Country

Michael Flores          Third Team (3.60-3.79)       3.78    Cross Country and Half Marathon

Carlos Quintana      Third Team (3.60-3.79)       3.70    Baseball

Nominations are submitted by each athlete’s respective institution.

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has announced its 2017-18 academic awards.  The El Paso Community College (EPCC) Men’s and Women’s Half Marathon teams were named the Top Academic Teams of the Year in the nation for their respected sports.

“EPCC is an academic institution first and foremost,” Felix Hinojosa, EPCC Athletic Director said. “Being awarded academic honors validates what we do as a college.”

The EPCC men finished with a combined grade point average (GPA) of 3.42 and the women finished with a combined 3.62 GPA. The women also captured the National Championship on the field as well this past November.

The EPCC Half Marathon teams were also honored this year by being selected to host the NJCAA National Half Marathon Championships in 2019 and 2021.

Since 1993, the NJCAA has recognized the team with the highest overall grade-point average for their sport and gender with the NJCAA Academic Team of the Year Award. The complete list of National Academic Teams of the Year for the 27 NJCAA sports is available online.