Amarillo College will host a guitar master class with internationally acclaimed guitarist JIJI from 2–3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15 at the Amarillo College Concert Hall. The event is part of a collaboration with the Amarillo Symphony and provides a unique educational opportunity for AC music students and the community.

Amarillo College has named Stephen Crandall, professor and former department chair of art, theatre, and dance at West Texas A&M University, as the Amarillo College Dean of Liberal Arts.Following a comprehensive interview process, the hiring committee—comprised of Dr. Frank Sobey, Becky Burton, Edie Carter, Dr. Chris Hudson, and Bob Austin—unanimously selected Crandall.

Amarillo College theatre students earned multiple recognitions from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for their recent production of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams.The production received honors across acting, design, stage management, and ensemble work, highlighting the depth of talent and collaboration among AC students.

Amarillo College’s Panhandle Regional Law Enforcement Academy is now accepting applications for the 133rd Basic Peace Officer Academy, which begins in April. Individuals seeking a career in law enforcement are encouraged to apply. Applicants must complete the full application process by Feb. 19, so those interested are urged to begin as soon as possible.

Amarillo College has been awarded $500,000 through the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Grant Program to expand short-term workforce training in high-demand business and technology fields.The competitive grant is part of a $9.9 million statewide investment announced by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to help public higher education institutions create, redesign, and expand industry-aligned training programs that can be completed in six months or less.

Amarillo College dual credit student Giovanna Miller, a senior at Amarillo High School, has achieved an extraordinary academic milestone: her research paper, “A Novel Case of Plasmacytosis in a Patient of Native American Ancestry,” has been accepted for publication in JAAD Case Reports, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

For adults who feel it may be too late to return to school, Jerrad Lorlovick’s journey proves that a second chance can change everything.At 35, with a family to support and a lifelong dream of becoming a meteorologist, Lorlovick found himself stuck after being scammed out of $400 by a fake online diploma program.

Amarillo College’s Communications and Marketing team has been nationally recognized with six honors from the 2025 Educational Digital Marketing Awards, celebrating excellence in digital strategy, storytelling, and student-focused communication.The team received three Gold Awards, one Silver Award, and two Bronze Awards for standout work that supports student engagement and institutional advancement.

What began as a hesitant return to the classroom has become a powerful testimony of perseverance, legacy, and hope. Alexia Layton, an Amarillo College Early Childhood Development student and single mother in her mid-30s, will serve as the student speaker for Amarillo College’s Fall 2025 Commencement Ceremony. She will be one of 1,161 AC summer and fall graduates eligible to receive diplomas on Friday, Dec. 19 at the Amarillo Civic Center.

Amarillo College students delivered standout performances at the Cyber Challenge 2.0 on Nov. 20, earning multiple top finishes in both team and individual competitions during the regional cybersecurity event hosted by the College’s Innovation Outpost.Powered by EC-Council’s Cyber Range, the competition brought together high school students, college students, and professionals for a full day of immersive, real-world cybersecurity scenarios. Participants competed in team-based “capture the flag” challenges in the morning, followed by individual competitions in the afternoon across Beginner, Intermediate, and Professional divisions.

Amarillo College in partnership with Window on a Wider World, will present a series of holiday concerts for pre-K through 6th grade students across the Texas Panhandle on Friday, Dec. 5 with performances at 9 a.m. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The concerts will take place in the intimate Amarillo College Concert Hall Theater designed by famed architect Edward Durrell Stone.

Amarillo College is now offering TELUS Health as its new provider for teletherapy services. The new partnership accessible now expands access to free, 24/7 mental health for all AC students.AC selected TELUS Health following a thorough review process that emphasized cost efficiency, accessibility, and alignment with the College’s mission to remove barriers to student success. The new service will save the College approximately $200,000 annually while offering enhanced support tailored to the needs of AC’s large nontraditional student population.

Panhandle PBS has earned national recognition for both its powerful local storytelling and innovative community engagement, receiving honors at the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) Public Media Awards, which celebrate excellence in public broadcasting across more than 300 stations nationwide. 

As temperatures drop across the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo College is reminding community members to take simple, proactive steps to winterize their vehicles and avoid dangerous roadside breakdowns. Rob Leuthen, AC Automotive/Diesel/Auto Body Coordinator at Amarillo College, emphasized that early preparation is key to staying safe during the cold months.

Amarillo College Theatre is proud to announce its upcoming production of A Streetcar Named Desire, one of the most revered works in American drama. Performances will run Dec.11–13, 2025, at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on Dec. 14 at 3 p.m.Written by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire follows Blanche DuBois, a fragile Mississippi schoolteacher who arrives in New Orleans seeking refuge with her sister, Stella. After stepping off the streetcar named “Desire,” Blanche enters the cramped Elysian Fields apartment shared by Stella and her husband, Stanley Kowalski. As personalities clash and long-buried tensions rise, the household becomes a pressure cooker of desire, power, and class conflict—building toward some of the most iconic scenes in modern theatre.

The Amarillo College Music Department invites the community to enjoy—and even join—a special shared concert by the AC Chamber Orchestra and AC Guitar Ensemble honoring longtime AC director David Hinds. The tribute concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, in the Concert Hall on AC’s Washington Street Campus, with audience members welcome to play along on their own instruments for the final piece.

Amarillo College invites the community to experience an evening of dynamic, high-energy music as the AC Jazz Ensemble and Vocal Jazz come together for a joint concert at 7:30 p.m.  Tuesday, Nov. 18. The performance will take place at the Concert Hall on the Washington Street campus and will showcase the full spectrum of jazz talent at AC—instrumental and vocal—on one exciting stage.

Amarillo College’s Innovation Outpost will host an area-wide Cyber Challenge 2.0 competition on Thursday, Nov. 20 powered by EC-Council’s Cyber Range, and open to AC students, faculty, staff, friends, and family. The full-day cyber challenge immerses participants in real-world security scenarios, offering hands-on experience with industry tools, timed scoring, and collaborative problem-solving. Designed for all skill levels, the event welcomes beginners exploring cybersecurity for the first time as well as advanced competitors ready to test their expertise.

Canyon ISD and Bushland ISD are strengthening their long-standing partnerships with Amarillo College through Badger Bound—an initiative that provides students who complete 15 hours of dual credit with up to 45 additional hours of tuition-free college credit after high school. The program, which launches with the Class of 2026, is already creating excitement among students, families, and educators who see it as a game-changing opportunity.

Amarillo College is now enrolling students for its Spring 2026 Emergency Medical Services Professions (EMSP) programs at the First Responders Academy, a state-of-the-art facility located at 3891 Plains Blvd. in Amarillo. The College offers a full range of EMS training options — from Basic EMT and Advanced EMT to Paramedic certification and the Associate of Applied Science in Emergency Medical Services Professions — preparing students for success in one of the most vital and rewarding fields in public safety.