Staples reports to community

Sonya Lynch

The Signal Staff

Kathy Tamer, United Space Alliance and UHCL distinguished alumna; Monica Stout, DMST major; Anne Henry, adjunct instructor, DMST; and UHCL President William Staples at the President’s Report to the Community breakfast March 25.

University of Houston-Clear Lake presented the 2010 Report to the Community and this year’s Distinguished Alumna and the Community Partnership award at a breakfast held at Lakewood Yacht Club March 25.

Dick Covey, president and chief executive officer of United Space Alliance, received the Community Partnership award. In his speech, Covey said that as one of the largest employers in the area, USA “looks to the UHCL as a resource.”

The report showed USA’s commitment to higher education through the programs they support at UHCL, a support re-emphasized by Covey in his speech. Although his speech began with laughter, Covey’s tone changed as he spoke about USA’s relationship with UHCL.

“Our employees and the people we want to hire have come through the University of Houston-Clear Lake system and that has meant a great deal to us over the years and that is why we find it important to support the university in the ways that we do,” Covey said.

One of the many programs sponsored by USA is the Digital Media Studies program. Monica Stout, a DMST major graduating in May, shared her experience, inspirations and career opportunities she now looks forward to after graduating. In her speech she said she was able to find her niche.

“I was thrilled when I came across the Digital Media Studies program offered here,” Stout said. “It was fairly new and rather small, but I immediately realized the great potential this program had to offer me.”

The room was filled with alumni who celebrated with UHCL as President William Staples highlighted new initiatives and the various milestones UHCL received. UHCL was awarded The Christa McAuliffe award given by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in November 2009.
This award recognizes outstanding achievements in preparing teachers through a hands-on program that allows them to intern at schools in the 23 partnering districts. The award was named for Christa McAuliffe who won the chance to become one of the first teachers in space on the Space Shuttle Challenger, which claimed the lives of her and six other crew members.

Also in December, Tina Farrell, assistant superintendent of Clear Creek Independent School District was awarded UHCL’s first doctoral degree in education leadership. This program requires 69 hours of coursework including 21 hours in leadership, 15 hours in research, nine hours in communication and 102 hours in an area of specialization.

“What made many of our successes possible are the partnerships that UHCL has developed with corporations, individuals, alumni, cities, foundations and our own employees to advance key initiatives at UHCL,” Staples said. “The University of Houston-Clear Lake has positioned itself as a partnership-oriented and community-minded university. This is a role for UHCL that we take very seriously.”