Amarillo College will host a meet and greet for Dr. Jamelle Conner, the new president of Amarillo College next week. Faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to the reception set for 11 a.m.-noon Tuesday, Feb. 11 in the College Union Building, Second Floor. “We want to take time to welcome Dr. Conner along with everyone who wants a chance to meet her,” said Jay Barrett, chairman of the Amarillo College Board of Regents. “This is a great chance to connect her with the Amarillo College community.” 

Amarillo College’s Career and Employment Services will host three industry-specific job fairs for students and employers in February. The fairs will begin with an Industry Career Fair from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5-6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17 at Amarillo College’s East Campus. The second, an Engineering Career and Transfer Fair, will be held from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Amarillo College’s Washington Street Campus, College Union Building, Oak Room. 

Amarillo College’s Innovation Outpost will offer entry-level and expert-level IT certification courses and exams beginning Feb. 3. “These programs are designed to help individuals earn CompTIA certifications quickly and affordably,” said Linda Muñoz, dean of Innovation Outpost operations and programming. “They are perfect for anyone eager to gain the skills and credentials needed to succeed in the fast-growing tech industry.”  

The Keep Us Live! series will continue with a Valentine treat “Jam with Love 2025” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 at the Concert Hall Theater on AC’s Washington Street Campus.The AC music faculty and students will assemble to share music of love that nurtures the Valentine spirit. “This is a chance for anyone who may be feeling cooped up by the mid-winter’s blustery conditions to get out and listen to some spirited strains of optimism, hope, and love,” said Dr. Bruce Lin, director of piano at AC. 

Amarillo College Graduate Samuel Bauman started working at Amarillo Gear as a CNC machinist while he was a student at AC. The California native was living in Borger when he became aware of Amarillo College’s welding program. “I heard it was a great program, so I enrolled to learn more,” he said. “I enjoyed those classes, but when we did a CAD modeling assignment in our machining class, I knew this was what I wanted to do.”

The Board of Regents on Tuesday selected Dr. Jamelle J. Conner as the first female president of Amarillo College.Conner, the vice president of student affairs at St. Petersburg College in Florida, was one of two finalists for the AC presidency. Her selection as the15th president of AC marks the culmination of a 17-month national search to replace Russell Lowery-Hart, who resigned from AC in September of 2023 to become chancellor at Austin Community College.

When Jesus Marquez was in middle school, he dreamed about being a secret agent, never imagining he would actually get to work at Pantex as part of Amarillo College’s STEM Scholars Program. Marquez, who completed an electrical-engineering internship last summer at Pantex, has been chosen to serve as the student speaker at AC’s Fall Commencement, which is at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 at the Amarillo Civic Center.

Amarillo College is pleased to announce that Alicia “Jill” Williams has been named dean of Moore County Campus (MCC) Operations, filling the vacancy created by the recent retirement of longtime dean Renée Vincent.Williams, who in May was elected to a three-year term on the Dumas ISD board of trustees, has for the past year and a half served as assistant director of continuing education and workforce development at the MCC-Technical Campus.

The two individuals who have been selected as finalists to become the next Amarillo College president are scheduled to attend separate 75-minute open forums Dec. 9-10 in Ordway Hall on AC’s Washington Street Campus.The open forum featuring Dr. Frank Sobey will be from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9.

The Amarillo College Theatre Arts Program in December will proudly present Proof, an award-winning drama that explores how the fine line between genius and mental illness affects family dynamics.The play, which has been described as a mystery, a love story and a psychological thriller all in one, features a cast of four and takes place on the back porch of a house in Chicago’s Hyde Park.

The Board of Regents on Tuesday, Nov. 19 invited the two finalists for the presidency of Amarillo College to present their visions for the College during separate on-campus public forums and interviews tentatively set for Dec. 9th and 10th, but subject to the candidates’ availability.The two finalists are Dr. Jamelle J. Conner, vice present of student affairs at St. Petersburg College, a four-year public college in Pinellas County, Fla.; and Dr. Frank Sobey, vice president of academic affairs, at Amarillo College. See their biographical information at actx.edu/president.

Amarillo College students were well represented in the winner’s circle, securing top-three finishes in multiple events, at the U.S. Information Technology Collegiate Conference (USITCC) South Central Regional, which was hosted Nov. 7-8 at AC.The event, which drew a network of IT programs from colleges and universities as far distant as Missouri and Tennessee, featured seven competitive categories: App Development, Office Solutions, Systems Analysis, Network Design, Security, PC Troubleshooting, and Database Design.

Amarillo College is pleased to announce that its Communications and Marketing Department has captured five national marketing awards – three at the topmost Gold level – from a leading authority on outstanding achievements in digital marketing for education.The prestigious accolades come courtesy of the 12th Annual Education Digital Marketing (EDM)Awards, and AC captured Gold awards in the categories of Digital Publication—Teaching for Transformation magazine, Social Media Content Campaign—Bright Future, and Total Digital Marketing Program—Bright Future.

A cavalcade of entertaining concerts will make for a distinctly musical November at Amarillo College, where performances are free and open to the public.Five diverse concerts will be featured this month in the Concert Hall Theater on the Washington Street Campus, beginning with the AC Band Concert on Nov. 11 and concluding with the AC Chamber Orchestra & Guitar Ensemble Concert on Nov. 21.

Amarillo College is excited to announce that it will administer physical ability testing for anyone seeking admission to the AC Fire Academy, and that same day all aspiring climbers are invited to ascend the fire tower for a good cause.The dual-purpose activities will take place Saturday, Nov. 16 at AC’s multi-million-dollar First Responders Academy on Plains Boulevard – adjacent to the Arts in the Sunset – which features state-of-the-art equipment and a new fire tower.

Amarillo College (AC) is pleased to announce that its Innovation Outpost has been singled out by the internationally acclaimed EC-Council as the 2024 Academic Innovator of the Year.The accolade recognizes AC’s effective implementation of its Cybersecurity Certifications Program.AC’s Innovation Outpost, located at 1220 S. Polk St., is dedicated to fostering education and workforce development, and at its heart is a robust focus on cybersecurity, which includes both academic programs and opportunities for continuing education. 

Three nurse educators with more than 40 combined years of full-time teaching experience at Amarillo College will be among the honorees at the 8th Annual Panhandle Great 25 Nurses ceremony.The event, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 at the West Texas A&M University Banquet Hall, is being co-presented by the Texas Nursing Association-District 2, and the Panhandle Organization of Nurse Executives.

The Amarillo College Board of Regents on Tuesday, Oct. 22 named two finalists for the position of president, one an internal candidate, and one currently in a leadership role at a college in Florida.The two finalists are Dr. Jamelle J. Conner, vice present of student affairs at St. Petersburg College, a four-year public college in Pinellas County, Fla.; and Dr. Frank Sobey, vice president of academic affairs, at Amarillo College. 

The Common Lobby Gallery at Amarillo College will come alive for a student art show celebrating the Day of the Dead – Dia de Los Meurtos – an exhibit opening with a reception at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 31, and the public is welcome to attend.Dia de Los Merutos is a Latin American holiday honoring dead loved ones, encouraging them through their journey in the afterlife with both costumed revelry and prayer. This marks the AC Art Department’s 22nd observance of the holiday.

Selected STEM majors at Amarillo College will have a chance to enhance their prospects for summer internships and future employment when they network with a number of local employers at AC’s STEM Employability Forum. The event, which is being co-sponsored by the College’s Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) STEM Grant and AC’s Career Services, is from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Oct. 25 at AC’s Innovation Outpost, 1220 S. Polk St.