New Center at Texas A&M to Focus on Latino Population

COLLEGE STATION, texas
A new center for Mexican American and U.S. Latino research will be housed at Texas A&M University. Established in May by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, the Mexican American and U.S. Latino Research Center (MALRC), a unit of the College of Liberal Arts, will assist faculty in attracting additional support for their research as well as expand the scope of their research through interdisciplinary collaboration. In addition to aiding faculty members with their research, the center could support the preparation of research-based papers that inform opinion leaders, decision-makers, policy-makers and the public.
The board also authorized the dean of the College of Liberal Arts, upon approval by the executive vice president and provost, to appoint a director of the center.
MALRC would help contribute greater knowledge about issues affecting the rapidly growing Latino population by enabling university scholars to develop and collaborate on research, said Dr. Edward Murguia, associate professor of sociology at Texas A&M.
With an aim at developing research, the center would establish a faculty research fellows program for Texas A&M faculty. This program will also include support for graduate students engaged in research relevant to the center's mission.
A visiting scholar program will bring from other universities faculty engaged in high-profile research on MALRC projects. These scholars will, in addition to advancing their own work, collaborate with Texas A&M faculty and students.
"Establishing such a center at Texas A&M University will advance several Vision 2020 imperatives," said Texas A&M President Robert Gates, in presenting the concept paper. "It will facilitate faculty research and help to attract and retain outstanding faculty and students specifically interested in Mexican American and U.S. Latino research issues."
Vision 2020 is the university's plan for achieving top 10 status among public universities by the year 2020.
Several colleges have committed resources to support the center, and additional funding may come from various federal agencies that annually support research on Hispanic issues.