Lone Star College-North Harris has named Sylvia Martinez as director of the $4.3 million Hispanic Serving Institutions Program’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) grant. In her new role, Martinez will be overseeing the five-year grant, called Math Success, and its efforts to improve math students’ success in completion, particularly among Hispanic students who don’t traditionally take higher level math classes.
Martinez has an extensive background as a community college instructor and administrator. She formerly served as a developmental studies instructor at LSC-Tomball and Mountain View College in Dallas, as well as serving as the assistant director of enrollment management at Mountain View College.
She has also spent significant time an English-as-a-Second-Language instructor in a variety of roles. Her education includes a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages from the University of Puerto Rico and a master’s degree in linguistics from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Martinez is looking forward to making an impact among the more than 18,000 students who take classes at LSC-North Harris each semester, of which, more than 30 percent are Hispanic.
“So many of our students don’t even consider the possibility of pursuing a STEM career because of the math courses they have to take. Their struggles in developmental math and college algebra courses lead them to believe that they are “not good in math,” so they choose academic and career paths that do not require it,” said Martinez.
She expects the new Math Success program will help students gain confidence to complete degrees and to pursue high-opportunity, high-paying STEM careers. Part of the project includes a new 1,900-square-foot Math Success Center on the LSC-North Harris campus. The center will offer individual and small-group tutoring and will be equipped with interactive technology.
“We will also be offering summer boot camp sessions to prepare students for their fall math courses, as well as organizing math summits, speakers, and other outreach activities to promote interest in STEM careers,” added Martinez.
Lone Star College-North Harris is located at 2700 W.W. Thorne Drive, one-half mile south of FM 1960 East, between Aldine-Westfield and Hardy Roads. For more information about the college, call 281.618.5400 or visit LoneStar.edu/NorthHarris.
With 75,000 students in credit classes, and a total enrollment of more than 90,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area, and the fastest-growing community college system in Texas. Dr. Richard Carpenter is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, five centers, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.
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