Civil and Municipal - Jan 22

57 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 COMMERCE , TEXAS development, employment, and public amenities. Cecilia Gassner, Texas A & M Vice President of Research & Economic Development, shares, “We are one of only a few universities in the country with a planetarium on the campus, and that is open to the public. We just recently built a new Nursing and Health Sciences building, which houses some labs for our different faculty who are doing research.” The nursing program is critical for the State of Texas, during a time when nurses are in short supply. Training is done in the new state-of-the-art building, complete with a simulation lab for hands-on experience. Currently the program receives 350 applications per year, with capacity for 70 students due to student/faculty ratio requirements. “We also just received permission from the state to spend $43 million in a tuition revenue bond on a new Agriculture Expo and center,” adds Gassner.” That is going to be a really big deal for the area. We will be able to host our rodeos there, and a variety of different agriculture competitions at the complex, as well as increase our research labs and create a real presence in Commerce and Hunt County.” The university is a valued partner to both Commerce and Hunt County, working with companies like L3 Harris, a major defense contractor, to provide a skilled workforce. Gassner explains, “We work directly with L3 Harris to make sure we provide them with the engineering and computer science talent that they need. We also work with the different health facilities around the area to make sure they have the employees that they need.” The university also offers programs to local businesses, with opportunities for students to step in and put their developing skills to use. “As small business owners, they don’t always have time, they are too busy trying to literally keep the lights on, keep their customers happy,” says Gassner. “We have opportunities for our students to dig in there with student projects and give the local businesses some assistance as well.” Texas A&M also partners with the local community college, Paris Junior College, creating transfer pathways that will benefit employers in