TheCALL September2021

THE September 2021 Edition

CALL
of The Timberwolf

RESETTING
LSC-TOMBALL

ReImagine,
ReInvigorate,
ReNew, and
ReFresh!

PG 3

TABLE OF

Contents

4 LEARNING
6 LEADERSHIP

8 COMMUNITY

10 CONNECTION

One Wolf One Pack

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The CALL of the Timberwolf | September 2021

WELCOME

2021

Resetting Dial to Extraordinary

At the beginning of each fall semester, DR. LEE ANN NUTT
I host an annual President’s Welcome
for LSC-Tomball employees. During this President, LSC-Tomball
time together, I share a vision for the
upcoming academic year, recognize
faculty and staff accomplishments, and
welcome those who are beginning their
LSC-T journey. While I enjoy launching
each year in this way, this address was
extra special.

First, for this Fall 2021 event, we were

able to physically come together in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) in addition to the
livestream virtual option. Seeing people together again was very uplifting.

Secondly, we honored and recognized 25 people who took advantage of a separation
incentive program offered by Lone Star College. While we said goodbye to them (and
their collective 512 years of experience), we simultaneously said hello to two new vice
presidents that you met in our last issue: Dr. Christina Hagerty, Vice President, Instruction,
and Terese Craig, Vice President, Student Success.

As we emerge from the pandemic, adjust to personnel changes, and welcome new
leaders, we have a unique opportunity ahead. Now is the time to reimagine, reinvigorate,
renew, and refresh.

Hence, during my Welcome, I announced LSC-Tomball By Design, a model for ensuring
we create the college we need to become. We will apply design thinking strategies
(Understand, Plan, Communicate, and Implement) to three areas of work: Structural,
Financial and Shared Leadership. As we do so, nine leadership beliefs will guide the
way: Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Culture Oriented, Creativity,
Commitment, Championing, Competency and Caring.

We have important work ahead. I am confident that together we will design LSC-Tomball
as an even better place to work and to learn.

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LEARN

FAST PASS
Registration Event

Lone Star College-Tomball offered Fast Pass to
Class Super Saturday registration events three
days this summer to provide incoming students
with the opportunity to complete all necessary
steps to register for fall classes. At the events,
academic departments showcased their
courses. Advisors and counselors answered
questions about enrollment, and student
support services assisted with each step of
the registration process. Campus tours were
offered, and new students had their LSC IDs

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NING The CALL of the Timberwolf | September 2021

S TO CLASS
ts a BIG Success
made. Attendees also spoke with Financial Aid
representatives. Through a partnership with
HEB, the college was able to provide, on two of
the Saturdays, free meningitis vaccinations for
new applicants who need financial assistance
to satisfy this requirement. Additionally, the
Office of Technology Services was on hand to
assist students will applications for free loaner
laptops and tablets. All told, we were able to
realize about 500 enrollments from over 200
students at these events.

FAST PASS Super Saturday Event

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LEADE

AWARDED POET COLLEGE REVAMPS

Gives Each of Her Students a Voice Efforts to Instill Good GRIT

English professor Sandi Johnson was For almost seven years, LSC-Tomball has
recently awarded the 2021 Stephen Dunn been a nationwide leader in instituting “good
Prize for Poetry by Solstice: A Magazine GRIT” philosophies in the curriculum of many
Of Diverse Voices. Her poem, “An Invisible of its classes. In 2015, the college partnered
Woman,” meditates on the unheard individual with Dr. Paul Stoltz, a leading authority on
and the sorrow that comes along with being the science and method of measuring and
‘unnamed.’ “As people of the world change, strengthening GRIT. As defined by Dr. Stoltz,
founder and CEO of PEAK Learning, GRIT is
grow, and become the “capacity to dig deep and do whatever it
aware of injustice, many takes -- even sacrifice, struggle, and suffer -- to
have allowed their achieve [one’s] most worthy goals in the best
silence to speak louder ways.”
than their hearts,”
she said. “This poem This fall, that work is reinvigorated as the
is calling attention to GRIT Gauge®, a free tool used to help students
all of us who became measure their current level of and capacity
invisible--intentionally to grow their GRIT, is offered to all those
or not.” enrolled in classes. “For the last few years,
we’ve only been able to offer this incredibly
According to its helpful tool to those in our EDUC 1300 college
mission, Solstice is a readiness course,” Dr. Nutt said. “This year,
magazine that aims as we reestablish our connection with PEAK
to “present colliding, diverse, sometimes Learning, I’m thrilled to say that every student
controversial, points of view.” The Stephen can use the Gauge to see where they are at
Dunn prize is named for the 2001 Pulitzer the start of the year and how they’ve grown
Prize in Poetry winner. by the semester’s end.”
A former journalist and copy editor,
Johnson has had several poems published “We feel that now is the perfect time to
in various literary publications and has been re-focus our GRIT efforts,” said Dr. Nutt. “As
recognized with other awards in her creative everyone emerges from the pandemic, and
writing career. She was born in Liberia and the college reexamines all of its processes in
immigrated to the United States in her teens. the spirit of renewal, so too can this good work
She’s taught English in the Houston area for the be relaunched to aid the most students.”
last twelve years and says, “I wish to continue
teaching as long as I can.”

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The CALL of the Timberwolf | September 2021

ERSHIP

PROFESSOR’S MEMOIR OFFERS HOPE

To Those Suffering the Effects of Depression

Swimming, Not Drowning, a memoir in verse Writing this book was therapeutic and
by full-time English faculty member Dr. Mari- enlightening.”
Carmen Marín, explores, through a triptych
lens, her struggles with an anxiety disorder A native of Spain, Dr. Marín has been
that often leads to depression. Published by teaching at the college since 2009. She
Legacy Book Press this summer, the volume is hopes the book will be an extension of her
Marín’s first published book. Of it she says, instruction, a resource for some of her students
“The poems in this book were born out of my who may be suffering similar experiences. “I
need to give a specific shape to the chaos in see too many students of mine dying to find
my mind. Once on paper, my feelings and someone they can talk to about their mental
thoughts became palpable, and I could look issues without feeling shame or judgment. I
at them with the perspective of an outsider. want to connect with them and let them know
that they are as capable as anybody else to
achieve their goals and dreams.” For more
information about Mari-Carmen, please visit,
MariCarmenMarinAuthor.com.

Dr. Mari-Carmen Marín

7

COMM

LSC-Tomball Outreach Staff

COLLEGE GREETS THE COMMUNITY

Tomball Night Returns

As the Greater Tomball Area Chamber college’s presence at this hot, but always fun,
of Commerce returned to its normal slate of event where volunteers greet attendees and
community programming this year, one truly answer any questions they may have about the
missed and gladly welcomed event to return college and what it can offer them and their
was Tomball Night. For forty-nine years, families. Outreach manager Jonathan Torres
this event has given Tomball-area residents said, “We had some interested prospective
the opportunity to come out to the streets of students but overall, we were excited to see
downtown Tomball and into local businesses. smiling faces and interact with the community,
LSC-Tomball Outreach spearheads the something we have missed for over a year!”
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The CALL of the Timberwolf | September 2021

MUNITY

COLLEGE AND HCA HEALTHCARE-TOMBALL

Partner for Informational Webinar

Prompted by LSC Chancellor Dr. Steve Tomball, discussed the effect the pandemic
Head’s many requests that employees receive is having on the even well-equipped
their COVID-19 vaccination for their own Houston medical community. He encouraged
well being and that of the entire Lone Star vaccination and practical health precautions
community, Dr. Nutt reached out to personnel in part because the pressure on medical
at HCA Healthcare in Tomball and suggested infrastructure is not sustainable.
they provide an informational virtual seminar
for LSC-Tomball employees about the virus Finally, veteran infectious disease doctor
and the vaccine. Carl Vartian, M.D., Chief Medical Officer
HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast, walked
During this seminar, held September 16, attendees through the history of COVID-19
Mauricio Pinto, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, treatments, gave some basic science about
HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball provided vaccines in general, and busted some popular
background on the international spread of myths about the vaccine often found on
COVID-19. He also gave visual context for the social media. Dr. Nutt, who sits on the HCA
number of deaths the disease has caused in Healthcare Tomball board, moderated the
America thus far. Robert Marmerstein, Chief extremely informative discussion.
Executive Officer, HCA Houston Healthcare

9

CONNE

PARTNERSHIP WITH HCPL & TOMBALL ISD

Create Opportunity

This summer saw the launch of the SPARK also aims to increase the accessibility of digital
card program, a collaborative partnership resources for those who can visit a physical
between Tomball Independent School District, library as well as provide space within the
the Harris County Public Library, and the branch for collaboration and shared learning.
college. Standing for Sharing, Partnering, and
Reaching for Knowledge, the SPARK program On Monday, September 20, the SPARK
is designed to support the educational program was recognized at the Tomball City
achievement of Tomball ISD students by Council Meeting where a proclamation was
sharing resources among the three partners read in which the mayor, Gretchen Fagan,
as well as providing access to library cards. declared September “Library Card Sign Up
Month” in Tomball “recognizing the SPARK
All K-12 students and teachers in the district partners and encouraging everyone to sign up
will be provided with a SPARK card which will for their own library card and visit the library!
allow them access resources and check out
books from any HCPL branch. The program
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The CALL of the Timberwolf | September 2021

ECTION

TOMAGWA OFFERS LONE STAR COLLEGE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Free Immunizations to Health
Science Students District 1
Michael Stoma, Vice Chair
Through a program called “Calling All the
Shots,” TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries, in District 2
partnership with the Tri-County Health Alliance, Ernestine M. Pierce, Trustee
is offering free immunizations to students
taking health science classes through LSC- District 3
Tomball. Students in health science programs Iesheia Ayers-Wilson, Secretary
such as nursing and surgical technology are
required to obtain certain immunizations prior District 4
to embarking on the clinical part of their study Art Murillo, Trustee
where they spend time in actual healthcare
facilities. These immunizations include Hepatitis District 5
B, Varicella, MMR, Tdap, Tuberculosis, and the David A. Vogt, Trustee
flu. All of these and more will be available
for free to health science students, regardless District 6
of their insurance coverage. “The college and Myriam Saldívar, Chair
TOMAGWA have always worked closely
together in creative ways to facilitate access District 7
to both medical services and quality health OPEN
science education,” said Dr. Megan Mariveles, District 8
Dean of the Health and Sciences Division. “We Mike Sullivan, Assistant Secretary
are grateful for this opportunity. TOMAGWA District 9
has removed a potential barrier for students Jim Cain, Ed.D., Trustee
who might otherwise not have been able to
pursue their goal of becoming a health care Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., Chancellor
professional.”
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OONNEEWPAOCLKF

THE

CALL

@NuttsforTomball
LoneStar.edu/Tomball-President