String Orchestra to Perform ‘An Evening Serenade’ Tonight
ASU’s String Orchestra will present its spring concert of classical music at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, in the Carr Education-Fine Arts Building, 2602 Dena Drive.
Titled “An Evening Serenade,” the concert is free and open to the public, featuring ASU music students expressing the beauty and energy of string instruments through festive works composed by some of the most recognizable names in classical music, spanning centuries and styles.
The musical program will include:
- “Andante Festivo” by Jean Sibelius
- “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- The Finale of “Serenade for Strings” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- “Summer” from “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzolla
The ASU String Orchestra is directed by Dr. Fagner Rocha, director of orchestra.
New Mayer Museum Art & Science Exhibit Opens Wednesday
Angelo State University will present a new collaborative exhibit titled “Curiosity in Motion: The Intersection of Art and Science” beginning with an opening reception on Wednesday, April 23, from 5:30-8 p.m. in the ASU Mayer Museum at 2501 W. Ave. N.
The opening reception is free and open to the public. It will also include various activities related to the new exhibit, and light refreshments will be served. Starting on April 24, the exhibit will be open for free public viewing Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekly through Oct. 19.
“Curiosity in Motion” features ceramic sculptures of prehistoric animals by Dallas-based artist Ariel Bowman, naturalist illustrations by the late ASU biology professor, Dr. Terry Maxwell, and a variety of animal specimens from the Angelo State Natural History Collections. It encourages attendees to enjoy the convergence of art and science by showcasing the parallels between the scientific method and the creative process. The collaborative display celebrates the shared drive of both artists and scientists – curiosity.
Bowman’s work is inspired by her formative years spent exploring nature. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida. She has also served as an artist in residence at the Armory Art Center and as an adjunct professor in fine arts at Tarrant County College, Northlake College and Collin College.
Maxwell combined art and science as an ASU biology professor for over four decades before his sudden passing in 2017. His illustrations adorned the chalkboards in the ASU Cavness Science Building and were featured in his weekly newspaper column, “Naturally Texas,” in the San Angelo Standard-Times and Wimberly News.
Designed for visitors of all demographics, “Curiosity in Motion” invites everyone – from curious minds to seasoned experts – to explore the boundless possibilities that emerge when art and science work together.
New Dean Appointed for College of Arts & Humanities
Dr. Sergio Ruiz, previously director of the Glenn Korff School of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has been appointed as the new dean of Angelo State University’s College of Arts and Humanities, effective July 21.
As the dean, Ruiz will plan, organize and direct the college’s six academic departments that offer nearly 40 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs. He will also oversee curriculum development and compliance with all relevant accreditation standards for the departments that include:
- Communication and Mass Media
- Political Science and Philosophy
- Security Studies and Criminal Justice
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Dr. Arnoldo De Leon Department of History
- Natalie Zan Ryan Department of English and Modern Languages
Dr. Don Topliff, ASU provost and vice president for academic affairs, announced Ruiz’s appointment.
“We are excited to announce that Dr. Sergio Ruiz is joining ASU as the next dean of the College of Arts and Humanities,” Topliff said. “He brings a wealth of expertise in musical performance, as well as an interdisciplinary approach to all of the arts and humanities. He also has a strong record of teaching and creative endeavors on an international level. Having taught at other institutions in Texas, he will be a great fit for our community.”
Prior to his time at UNL, Ruiz also served as chair of the Department of Music at Georgia College & State University, director of keyboard studies at the Sam Houston State University School of Music in Huntsville, and head of the music program at Sul Ross State University in Alpine.
A renowned piano artist, Ruiz has held the Steinway International Artist designation since 2012. He has performed solo and collaborative concerts, masterclasses and workshops throughout the U.S., South America and Europe, and he is a summer faculty member at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. He is a National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient, and he has been named the Collegiate Teacher of the Year by the Texas Music Teachers Association.
Additionally, Ruiz has served in various leadership positions with the SHSU Institute of Latin American Music Studies and the “Musica: Esperanza de Vida” youth orchestra and piano program in Guanajuato, Mexico.
Ruiz holds a Bachelor of Arts in piano performance from Santa Clara University, a Master of Music in piano performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance from Rice University.
Guest Presentation on U.S. Military-Industrial Complex Slated
ASU will host Dr. Abigail Hall Blanco, associate professor of economics at the University of Tampa, for a special guest presentation on the role and conduct of U.S. national security leaders at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24, in the Houston Harte University Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive.
Sponsored by the Texas Tech University Free Market Institute at Angelo State University, Blanco’s presentation will take place in the University Center’s C.J. Davidson Conference Center and is free and open to the public.
In her presentation based on her co-authored book, “How to Run Wars: A Confidential Playbook for the National Security Elite,” Blanco will deliver a satirical portrait of America’s contemporary military-industrial complex, where leaders must learn:
- How to control the narrative – every narrative – in their favor
- How to completely capture the media and effectively quash dissent
- How destroying liberty creates more liberty in the long run
- Why top-down economic planning, here and abroad, is your best friend
- How to flout international and domestic law and get away with it, and much more
Blanco will also give her views on how, in those leaders’ ideal world, the public would simply accept whatever their leaders told them and comply with restrictions and mandates, not as a matter of mere obedience, but as a matter of unquestionable patriotic duty. But we don’t live in that ideal world.
The TTU Free Market Institute at ASU aims to advance research and teaching related to the free enterprise system and the institutional environment necessary for it to function well, and to support the missions of the ASU Norris-Vincent College of Business. The institute also develops and operates student and public programming for the benefit of ASU students and the San Angelo community.
News from Angelo State University
For more information contact: Dr. Leslie Rodriguez, 325-486-6081, leslie.rodriguez@angelo.edu
Ram Media Students Bring Home TIPA Awards
Representatives of Angelo State University’s student-run Ram Media outlets brought home several top awards from the recent Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) Convention in San Marcos.
The TIPA journalism/media competition consists of two parts – the Annual Contest that solicits submission of entries previously published or broadcast in the past academic year, and the Live Contests that take place between students attending the convention.
In the Annual Contest again st entries from other mid-size, four-year universities, Angelo State’s Ram TV took first place in the Video Newscast category. In the Live Contests against students from institutions of all sizes, ASU students on the staff of Ram TV and/or the Ram Page digital newspaper won the following awards:
- Katie Scholl of Lubbock – 1st Place in Live TV Announcing
- Millie Switzer of Bentonville, Ariz. – 2nd Place in Live Press Release Writing
- Anaomy Somoll of Phnom Penh, Cambodia – 3rd Place in Live Print Advertising
“I could not be prouder of our Ram Media students for their outstanding performance at the TIPA competition, where they brought home several well-deserved awards,” said Dr. Leslie Rodriguez, chair of the Communication and Mass Media Department. “Their success is a clear reflection of the exemplary, hands-on training and mentorship they receive in our department. We are committed to equipping our students with the skills, experience and confidence they need to thrive in the media industry after graduation.”
Scholl and Switzer are mass media majors, and Somoll is a computer science major.
Ram Media consists of the Ram TV television station that broadcasts locally on Optimum Cable Channel 6, the Ram Page digital newspaper and the Ram Radio internet radio station, as well as Ram TV Sports that broadcasts live ASU intercollegiate sports on the FloSports Network.
— From Tom Nurre Jr., ASU Office of Marketing and Communications
