TGC Welcomes Cohort III at New Student Orientation

Texas Graduate Center (TGC) staff members Dr. Mary Alice Reyes, Dr. Edwin Le Master and Adriana Lopez, along with Harvard alum, Robert Sada, held interviews in November for the formation of Cohort III of the Harvard Math for Teaching Graduate Program. Selection was announced on November 14th. Six districts are represented in the new cohort: Donna ISD, Edinburg CISD, Mercedes ISD, PSJA ISD, Mission CISD and Weslaco ISD.

All nine members of Cohort III met at the TGC for New Student Orientation on December 11th. The orientation included a Program Overview and a welcome from Dr. Andrew Engelward, Director for the Math for Teaching Graduate Program at Harvard. Dr. Engelward discussed the goals of the program as well as the courses the students will be taking throughout their program. Members from Cohorts I and II were also in attendance. Homer Colunga and Jose Villagomez, both Cohort II members, joined Karina Araiza from Cohort I, in a panel discussion on The Harvard Experience. The panel shared their summer residency experiences and advised Cohort III on what they can expect throughout the program.

This was the first time all cohort members were in the same room together. Getting to know each other is an important part of the process as the cohort will be spending a lot of time together over the next three years as they make their way through the program. Cohort III officially begin their program in January 2015.