SECOND ANNUAL BILINGUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT TAMIU Some 400+ participants participated in the 2023 TAMIU Second Annual Unidos Para Texas Bilingual Education Conference. The Conference theme, “Developing Thriving Teachers,” included 28 presentations scheduled across campus, in addition to morning and noon distinguished keynote presenters. Participants attended from across the State. Conference chair was Dr. Gilda Y. Martínez, TAMIU Instructional Assistant Professor. The morning opening session keynote speaker was given by Dr. Norma Elia Cantú (’73) who presented “Quien hable dos idiomas vale por dos: A Personal Testimonio.” Dr. Cantú, a Laredo native and daughter of the borderlands, is the Norine R. and T. Frank Murchison Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Trinity University in San Antonio. Dr. Patricia SosaSánchez, also originally from Laredo, was the noon keynote speaker. She presented “Native Language Support: Bridging Comprehension of Academic Language with Translingual Mentor Text.” Dr. Sosa-Sánchez is an Assistant Professor of Bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL) at the University of North TexasDallas and Program Coordinator for Bilingual/ESL and LOTE programs. TAMIU Dean of the College of Education Dr. James O’Meara said the Conference affirmed the College’s leading regional role in the preparation of bilingual educators. “We are proud to be the leading producer of bilingual teacher candidates in our region and excited to have offered this professional growth opportunity to our bilingual education colleagues here and beyond,” Dr. O’Meara affirmed. TAMIU-SANE PROGRAM CREATES LASTING LEGACY IN HEALTHCARE There is possibly no greater legacy than that which addresses gaps in healthcare. That’s something that a federally-funded program at TAMIU is addressing in the critical area of sexual assault, where trained sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) conduct assessments, recognize and respond to trauma, protect against sexually transmitted infections, and collect evidence needed to prosecute. Regrettably, SANE-certified nurses are few, and broad swaths of regions and states are often without an examiner, prompting victims to travel many miles for care. Sadly, some can’t and try to recover on their own. But TAMIU’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences is bridging that gap through a collaborative certification program building resilience for the expansive and underserved U.S.-México border. Organizers believe it offers a model for others to follow. Dean of the College Dr. Marivic Torregosa explained TAMIU’s SANE’s program and impact. “THE TAMIU-SANE program is blessed to work with 23 local and external partners to create a program that since its 2018 inception has successfully certified 36 OAG-certified SANEs. We’ve expanded to certify 15 Pediatric SANEs, and secured 16 additional Adult and Adolescent Certifications,” Dr. Torregosa said. “These SANE-certified nurses see people at what is most likely the darkest, scariest moment in their lives. The experience that these survivors have been through is horrendous, and life-altering, and requires the full attention of a trained professional who can be a pillar of hope to help survivors move forward to healing,” she explained. “Most importantly, SANE nurses provide crucial emotional support for survivors and act as vital links for survivors to receive counseling services, legal assistance, and support from survivor advocacy groups,” she concluded. 30
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