MAES Students to Visit UTEP for National Leadership Training
 

announcement

MAES Students to Visit UTEP for National Leadership Training


Feb. 04, 2014 | UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS.

MAES Students to Visit UTEP for National Leadership Training
MAES Students to Visit UTEP for National Leadership Training
 

What: 25th annual MAES: Latinos in Science and Engineering Leadership Academy at The University of Texas at El Paso
When: Wednesday, Feb. 5, through Saturday, Feb. 8
Where: UTEP's Union Building East and the nearby Hilton Garden Inn, 111 W. University Ave.

Approximately 60 college students from around the country, including El Paso, will build their communication and management skills during an intensive leadership academy this week at The University of Texas at El Paso.

Students from about 25 university chapters of MAES: Latinos in Science and Engineering will participate in networking sessions, workshops and team-building exercises during the four-day conference. This year's theme is "Celebrating Leadership and Beyond."

"These students are the cream of the crop," said Mike Acosta, a Workforce Solutions STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) consultant. He is the academy's co-chair and nominated UTEP to host the event as part of the campus' Centennial Celebration. This is the 25th annual leadership academy and the 40th anniversary of MAES, which originally was an acronym for Mexican-American Engineering Society.

One of the most anticipated events is a challenge where students from different schools create teams to try and solve a project management scenario. Professional MAES members from organizations such as the Texas Department of Transportation, White Sands Missile Range and El Paso Electric will serve as team captains and mentors.

Paloma Zamarripa, a sophomore civil engineering major and vice president of UTEP's MAES chapter, said she looked forward to the networking, the rigorous workshops and interacting with students from other colleges and universities, and then sharing what she has learned with her UTEP peers.

"You gain so much experience and it all comes in handy," Zamarripa said.

MAES students will participate in a stress-relieving Zumba session at 4:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, in the University Suite of Union East.

Among the Saturday highlights will be tours of the UTEP research labs and the awards banquet at 6:30 p.m. at the El Paso Club, 201 E. Main St. University President Diana Natalicio will be a guest speaker and Maj. Gen. Juan Ayala, commander of Marine Corps Installations Command, will be the keynote speaker. Ayala earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from UTEP in 1979 and was honored as a Gold Nugget Award recipient in 2011 by the University's College of Business Administration.

For a full schedule of conference events, go to leadership.mymaes.org/schedule/.